Hiring a Consultant—Professional Qualifications and Credentials
There are federal professional qualification requirements for some fields. These are outlined in “Archeology and Historic Preservation: Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines.” These include history, archaeology, architectural history, architecture, historic architecture, historic preservation planning, and historic landscape architecture. Read more.
http://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/arch_stnds_9.htm
http://www.cr.nps.gov/local-law/Prof_Qual_83.htm
Learn more about specific areas of professional expertise by using NPI’s Useful Links to Internet Resources. There are many professional membership organizations that are active in historic preservation and cultural resource management. Read more.
Listing of a consultant in this directory does not constitute an endorsement by the National Preservation Institute. NPI is not responsible for the performance of any consultant listed in this directory. When hiring a consultant, users of this directory assume full responsibility for reviewing professional qualifications and credentials.
Once you have developed aproject description, here are some tips on how to hire a consultant:
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There are federal professional qualification requirements for some fields. These are outlined in “Archeology and Historic Preservation: Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines.” These include history, archaeology, architectural history, architecture, historic architecture, historic preservation planning, and historic landscape architecture. Read more.
http://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/arch_stnds_9.htm
http://www.cr.nps.gov/local-law/Prof_Qual_83.htm
Learn more about specific areas of professional expertise by using NPI’s Useful Links to Internet Resources. There are many professional membership organizations that are active in historic preservation and cultural resource management. Read more.
Listing of a consultant in this directory does not constitute an endorsement by the National Preservation Institute. NPI is not responsible for the performance of any consultant listed in this directory. When hiring a consultant, users of this directory assume full responsibility for reviewing professional qualifications and credentials.
Once you have developed aproject description, here are some tips on how to hire a consultant:
Identify:
- Ask for names of consultants from colleagues
- Review professional directories
Research:
- Interview potential consultants by telephone and in person
- Ask if they work as individual practitioners, with in-house personnel, or use subcontractors
- Request a resume/CV for primary and any secondary personnel and look for education, training, background, involvement in professional organizations, honors/awards received, and work history as practicing professionals
- Ask about the scope of practice you are asking them to perform for you and whether it is their primary or secondary activity
- Ask about their availability
- Request lists of clients within the past few years
- Ask for references for projects similar in scope to yours (name, organization, telephone, and email, date of project, general scope of project
Evaluate:
- Contact references with particular attention to acceptability, timeliness, and satisfaction with work performed
- Determine the consultants’ level of experience
- Determine knowledge of required laws, regulations, licenses, permits, approvals
- Determine the quality of service through references and examples of completed work
Request for Proposal:
- Request a written proposal from one or more consultants using your project description and any other specific information that pertains to the project such as schedule for providing work products, schedule of fees, project budget, list of consultants/subcontractors that would work on the project, etc.
- Consider quality and price when making a decision
Contract:
- Review the proposal/contract and be sure that it specifies items that are applicable for your project: project description, scope of work, names of consultants/subcontractors working on the project, schedule for providing work products, insurance coverage, a schedule of fees for personnel working on the project and travel costs relating to the project, process for change orders, payment terms, administrative expense charges (postage, copying, printing), etc.
Follow Up:
- Sign a contract before work commences
- Let other consultants who have submitted a proposal for the project know that you have selected another firm
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