What client employees say about consultants

Presents research on the contributions of consultants to organizational change. Respondents to a multi‐company survey were asked to describe specific change projects. A total of 107 respondents said that consultants had supported the change effort. These respondents were asked: “What value did the consultant contribute to the change effort?”, “In what ways could the consultant have been more effective in supporting the change effort?” Responses were sorted into categories: one set for contributions and a second set for improvements. The categorization led to suggestions to clarify expectations, involve stakeholders, promote communication between project staff and stakeholders, institute a change management process, and encourage the evaluation of consultant performance and feedback to consultants.