I wish I could give you a top five bullet point list of what you could and should expect from a successful consultation, but that’s not possible.
To begin with, if a congregation isn’t ready and willing to make some significant changes in the way it does things, it’s unlikely a consultation is going to accomplish much.
In addition, because the purpose of every consultation is different, results really depend on what you’ve asked for. However, you should be able to expect the following:
- Written recommendations;
- Recommendations that have been customized for your congregation;
- Strategies for implementation of the recommendations;
- The opportunity to ask questions and get clarification on pretty much anything the consultation covered;
- Future availability for mid-course corrections.
Of course, the expectation should be that if the congregation adopts and effectively implements the recommendations, it would be reasonable to expect significant results. However, many consultants “drop off” their recommendations, answer initial questions, and are never heard from again. Many recommendations will need to be tweaked as circumstances change and if the consultant isn’t available you’re left out on your own … which could be disasterous. However, if the consultant is available and if the mid-course correction is more than a minor tweak or has been caused by unforeseen circumstances, it will be reasonable for the consultant to negotiate an additional fee.
