[Sigia-l] Finding and Choosing a Consultant

[Jacqui Olkin]

Mark and Ziya,

I wholeheartedly agree with your comments. It is vital to develop an RFP 
that frames the needs accurately and to plan a discovery phase at the outset 
of every project.

If this sounds disingenuous, since I am writing as a consultant, I can also 
speak from my past history as a client. Taking the time to define the real 
business needs up front saves time and money and prevents the tearing out of 
hair (one's own or the vendor's) during the project. The same can be said 
for applying usability techniques at various "checkpoints" throughout a Web 
project.

Jacqui

Jacqui Olkin
Olkin Communications Consulting
jacqui at olkincommunications.com
571-643-6020 ph.
703-834-5653 fax
www.olkincommunications.com

web . print . content . strategy





>From: "Mark Bardsley" <markb at luxworldwide.com>
>To: "'Ziya Oz'" <listera at earthlink.net>, "'SIGIA-L'" <sigia-l at asis.org>
>Subject: Re: [Sigia-l] Finding and Choosing a Consultant
>Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2007 14:54:46 -0800
>
>
>"So I'd urge you to not generate an RFP, unless you are absolutely 
>convinced
>that you have fully understood the issues and can indeed frame the problem.
>Otherwise, you should get a consultant do that for you in an engagement
>whose sole/narrow purpose is to identify/frame/refine the problem. Once you
>know that, creating an RFP is that much simpler and infinitely more
>meaningful." - Ziya
>
>I agree with you Ziya. We encourage our clients to engage in a paid
>discovery phase where we discuss such issues if they have not already been
>addressed. Often clients want to skip the discovery phase, not pay for it,
>get a spec out of it, etc. You have to be flexible in this business but it
>would be ideal for both parties to make sure the problem is appropriately
>framed. The act of doing that together with a client increases 
>understanding
>of the objectives all around.
>
>Mark Bardsley
>Senior Information Architect
>Project Manager
>The Lux Group, Inc.
>luxworldwide.com
>
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