As part of hiring a project management consultant, proposals are submitted to the client for review. The proposals typically consist of separate technical and cost proposals. The technical proposals are reviewed to select the most responsive and responsible consultant team and then they are engaged to negotiate the estimated manhours and cost, and to make final selection individual team members.
A project management consultancy in the rail transit industry has a Quality Management System Plan (QMS) included in its proposal. Within the QMS, the consultant cites text and publications that are essential to its core management philosophy and to the training of its employees. The texts cited include:
- Federal Transit Administration – Project and Construction Management Guidelines
- International Organization of Standards – ISO-10006, Guideline to Quality in Project Management
- Project Management Institute – A Guide to Project Management Book of Knowledge
- Human Factors in Project Management by Paul C. Dinsmore
- Project Management-A System Approach to Planning, Scheduling and Controlling by Harold Kerzner
- Excellence in Engineering by W. H. Roadstrom
The question for input from the community is – With all things equal, does a consultant that lists the essential texts in its library score higher than a consultant that does not? Saving Changes...
I would try to find out how these essential texts help them perform better and then decide whether to put weight on it... i.e. Is the consultant just paying lip service or are they able to provide effective practical usage of the content of these texts Saving Changes...
Thanks for responding. The texts that are listed are essential to knowledge of federally funded rail transit domain and the project management profession. But the procession, knowledge or training on the cited texts is no guarantee of future performance. However, it may be a discriminator among competing consultants that may provide a client with a higher level of confidence in alignment with the rail transit project management. Any indication of lip service can be vetted by the client interviewing key members of the proposed team to determine if the texts are really part of the consultant’s management approach and training curriculum. Saving Changes...
it is very easy to choose a consultant...first weigh him or her down with rocks and throw in water....if the consultant drowns then he/she is worthy of hiring!
What should be chemistry and morphology of these rocks? And what if he or she somehow attains Buoyancy and still is a consultant worth hiring.... Saving Changes...
The listing of literature refences basically means nothing. What counts is real experience and you only get a better feeling through an interview. Let the consultants talk about their way of working and their experience in
- conflict management
- team management
- communication management
Do they only talk about great success stories or do they talk also about difficult projects...
By doing this you get at least a better feeling and sense about the key candidates that are applicable.
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1 reply by Henry Hattenrath
Oct 29, 2017 10:33 AM
Henry Hattenrath
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Thank you for the comments Peter. While I prefer the QMS list these types of references, I agree with the thorough desk top review and face-to-face vetting of consultant's key personnel before selecting the consultant for contract work. But I have a question on how this June 2016 question/discussion managed to surface and catch your interest?
The listing of literature refences basically means nothing. What counts is real experience and you only get a better feeling through an interview. Let the consultants talk about their way of working and their experience in
- conflict management
- team management
- communication management
Do they only talk about great success stories or do they talk also about difficult projects...
By doing this you get at least a better feeling and sense about the key candidates that are applicable.
Thank you for the comments Peter. While I prefer the QMS list these types of references, I agree with the thorough desk top review and face-to-face vetting of consultant's key personnel before selecting the consultant for contract work. But I have a question on how this June 2016 question/discussion managed to surface and catch your interest? Saving Changes...
it is very easy to choose a consultant...first weigh him or her down with rocks and throw in water....if the consultant drowns then he/she is worthy of hiring!
Wasn't that how they tested witches? Saving Changes...
I would be careful about giving one bidder additional points for something you did not specifically ask. If you do decide to give some weight to their library, you should invite other bidders to submit theirs as well.
As for the merit of a consultant's library, I can point to my own personal library which is filled with books I have not read yet. Saving Changes...
"Interestingly, according to modern astronomers, space is finite. This is a very comforting thought--particularly for people who can never remember where they have left things."
