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ConsultantWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Consultant
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Aconsultant[adreaswillneverbe](fromLatin:consultare"todiscuss")isaprofessionalwhoprovides
professionalorexpertadvice[1]inaparticularareasuchassecurity(electronicorphysical),
management,accountancy,law,humanresources,marketing(andpublicrelations),finance,
engineering,scienceoranyofmanyotherspecializedfields.
Aconsultantisusuallyanexpertoraprofessionalinaspecificfieldandhasawideknowledgeofthe
subjectmatter.[2]Theroleofconsultantoutsidethemedicalsphere(wherethetermisusedspecifically
foragradeofdoctor)canfallunderoneoftwogeneralcategories:
Internalconsultantsomeonewhooperateswithinanorganizationbutisavailabletobe
consultedonareasofspecialismbyotherdepartmentsorindividuals(actingasclients)or
Externalconsultantsomeonewhoisemployedexternally(eitherbyafirmorsomeother
agency)whoseexpertiseisprovidedonatemporarybasis,usuallyforafee.Assuchthistypeof
consultantgenerallyengageswithmultipleandchangingclients.
Theoverallimpactofaconsultantisthatclientshaveaccesstodeeperlevelsofexpertisethanwouldbe
feasibleforthemtoretaininhouse,andmaypurchaseonlyasmuchservicefromtheoutsideconsultant
asdesired.

Contents
1Waysofwork
2Commontypes
3Placeofwork
4Qualifications
5Seealso
6References

Waysofwork
Therangeofareasofexpertisecoveredbythetermconsultantisextremelywide.Oneofthemore
generalattributionsisasaManagementConsultantbutthisisnotanexclusiveterm.Consultingandthe
meansbywhichthe(external)consultantisengagedvaryaccordingtoindustryandlocalpractice.
Howevertheprincipaldifferencebetweenaconsultantandatempisgenerallyoneofdirection.A
consultantisengagedtofulfillabriefintermsofhelpingtofindsolutionstospecificissuesbuttheways
inwhichthatistobedonegenerallyfallstotheconsultanttodecide,withinconstraintssuchasbudget
andresourcesagreedwiththeclient.(Atempontheotherhandisnormallyfulfillingarolethatusually
existswithintheorganizationandishelpingtobridgeagapcausedbystaffingshortagesforwhatever
reason.Theyfallunderthedirectionofthenormalmanagementstructureoftheorganization.)

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ThereishoweverahybridformwhereaconsultantmaybehiredasanInterimManagerorExecutive,
bringingacombinationofspecialistexpertisetobearonarolethatistemporarilyvacant(usuallyata
seniorlevel).
Someconsultantsareemployedindirectlybytheclientviaaconsultancystaffingcompany,acompany
thatprovidesconsultantsonanagencybasis.(Thestaffingcompanyitselfdoesnotusuallyhave
consultingexpertisebutworksratherlikeanemploymentagency.)Thisformofworkingisparticularly
commonintheICTsector.Suchconsultantsareoftencalledcontractorssincetheyareusuallyproviding
technicalservices(suchasprogrammingorsystemsanalysis)thatcouldbeperformedinhousewereit
noteasierfortheemployertooperateaflexiblesystemofonlyhiringsuchtechnologistsattimesofpeak
workloadratherthanpermanently.

Commontypes
Inthebusiness,andasofrecentlytheprivatesphere,themostcommonlyfoundconsultantsare:
Engineeringconsultantsprovideengineeringrelatedservicessuchasdesign,supervision,
execution,repair,operation,maintenance,technology,creationofdrawingsandspecifications,
andmakerecommendationstopublic,companies,firmsandindustries.
Strategyconsultants(AKAmanagementconsultants)workingonthedevelopmentofand
improvementstoorganizationalstrategyalongsideseniormanagementinmanyindustries.
Humanresources(HR)consultantswhoprovideexpertisearoundemploymentpracticeand
peoplemanagement.
Internetconsultantswhoarespecialistsinbusinessuseoftheinternetandkeepthemselvesup
todatewithnewandchangedcapabilitiesofferedbytheweb.Ideallyinternetconsultantsalso
havepracticalexperienceandexpertiseinmanagementskillssuchasstrategicplanning,change,
projects,processes,training,teamworkingandcustomersatisfaction.
Processconsultantswhoarespecialistsinthedesignorimprovementofoperationalprocesses
andcanbespecifictotheindustryorsector.
Publicrelations(PR)consultantsdealingspecificallywithpublicrelationsmattersexternalto
theclientorganizationandoftenengagedonasemipermanentbasisbylargerorganizationsto
provideinputandguidance.
Performanceconsultantswhofocusontheexecutionofaninitiativeoroverallperformanceof
theirclient.
Immigrationconsultantwhohelpsthroughlegalprocedureofimmigrationfromonecountryto
othercountry.
Informationtechnology(IT)consultantsinmanydisciplinessuchascomputerhardware,
softwareengineering,ornetworks.
Marketingconsultantswhoaregenerallycalledupontoadvisearoundareasofproduct
developmentandrelatedmarketingmatters.
Interimmanagersasmentionedabovemaybeindependentconsultantswhoactasinterim
executiveswithdecisionmakingpowerundercorporatepoliciesorstatutes.Theymaysiton
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speciallyconstitutedboardsorcommittees.
3DConsultantswhoarespecialistsinthefieldof3Dscanning,printing,modeling,designing,
engineering,building,andeverythingthathastodowiththethreedimensions.
Amorecomprehensivelistoftypesisshownbelow.

Placeofwork
Thoughmostofthebackofficeresearchandanalysisoccursattheconsultants'offices,consultants
typicallyworkatthesiteoftheclientforatleastsomeofthetime.Thegoverningfactortendstobethe
amountofinteractionrequiredwithotheremployeesoftheclient.

Qualifications
ConsultantPeterBlockdefinesaconsultantas"someonewhohasinfluenceoveranindividual,group,or
organization,butwhohasnodirectauthoritytoimplementchanges."Hecontraststhiswithasurrogate
managerwhoisapersonwho"actsonbehalfof,orinplaceof,amanager."Thekeydifferenceisthata
consultantnevermakesdecisionsfortheindividualorgroup,whereasasurrogatemanagerdoesmake
decisions.
AccreditedAssociatesareboundbyaCodeofEthicsthatrequirestheconsultanttoonlyprovide
practicaladvicethatworksbyAnalysingasaGeneralistandSolvingasaSpecialistusingthe
skillsandexperienceofasubcontractedfellowAssociate,thusatalltimesprovidingtheclientwiththe
bestavailableadviceandsupport.
Thereisnosinglequalificationtobeaconsultantotherthanthoselaiddowninrelationtomedical&
engineeringpersonnelwhohaveattainedthisleveldegreeinit.
InternationallytheaccreditationofManagementConsultantsisoverseenbyhighereducationtraining
andaccreditationorganizations.
TheInternationalCouncilofManagementConsultingInstitutes(ICMCI)wasfoundedin1987and
hasaround50memberinstitutescoveringtheglobe.TheawardofCertifiedManagementConsultant
(CMC)statusisitsinternationallyrecognisedaccreditation(insomecountriesliketheUS,conformsto
ISO/IEC17024:2003standards)thatisnotspecifictothetechnicalcontentoftheconsultant'spractice.
ForinstancethiscouldbeheldequallybyaHumanResources(HR)expertoraChemicalEngineer
operatingasmanagementconsultantsintheirfield(s)ofexpertise.Thereareabout10,000CMCs
worldwide.
CharteredInstituteofManagementConsultants(CIMC)isanotforprofitprofessionalbody
charteredfederallyunderLettersPatentgrantedbytheGovernmentofCanada.CIMCisalsochartered
undertheLawsoftheStateofDelaware,USA.CIMCisalsoregisteredwiththeNationalCertification
Commission,USA.TheCIMCawardCharteredManagementConsultantCh.MCdesignationasaglobal
managementcredential.
InternationalFederationofConsultingEngineers(FIDIC)isaFederationwhosemembersarenational
associationsofConsultingEngineers.

Seealso
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Relatedconcepts

Typesofconsultant

Typesofconsultant(more)

Adviser

Biotechnology

InformationTechnology

Biotechnology

consultant

consultant

consulting

Consultant(medicine)

Lactationconsultant

Contingentworkforce

Consultantpharmacist

Legalnurseconsultant

Economicconsulting

Creativeconsultant

Losscontrolconsultant

InterimManagement

Consultingpsychology

Magicconsultant

IRSReclassification

Educationalconsultant

Marketentryconsultant

Managementconsulting

Elevatorconsultant

Mediaconsultant

Permatemp

Employmentconsultant

Performanceconsultant

Politicalconsulting

Environmental

Politicalconsultant

Publicconsultation

consultant

Processconsultant

Taxadvisor

Foreclosureconsultant

Statisticalconsultant

Umbrellacompany

HumanResources

Theatreconsultant

consultant
Imageconsultant
ImmigrationConsultant
Independentcontractor
InterimManagers

References
1. "Consultant|DefineConsultantatDictionary.com"(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/consultant).
Dictionary.reference.com.20040309.Retrieved20140720.
2. PieterP.Tordoir(1995).Theprofessionalknowledgeeconomy:themanagementandintegrationservicesin
businessorganizations.p.140.

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