Gulf Construction Online - How to choose the right consultant...

Regional News

How to choose the right consultant...

01 April 2000

Selecting the right consultant is crucial for the success of any project. Ashok Pavate, a reputed Oman-based consultant, provides some guidelines on how to make the choice.

consultant (or a consulting engineering firm) is a person or body who assimilates the requirements of a client who is developing a project. He is required to design the buildings, and supervises the construction. The consultant also invites imperative bids from the contractors and helps the client overcome any contractual problems.

The client is often faced with a dilemma of selecting the right consultant for his project and a similarity can be drawn when choosing a surgeon or a lawyer. A number of measures can be taken to ensure that one selects the right consultant for the particular job.

The client should prepare a shortlist of reputable consultants and then obtain enough information about their set-up and a list of similar projects that they have carried out in the past, with proper references. The client should enquire from other builders about the track record of the consultant.

Some of the items to be checked in-depth are delays in submitting proposals, delays in making design decisions, timely completion of working drawings, availability of staff for discussions, timely completion of projects, and conclusion of any pending issues with the contractors.

The client should then ascertain the number of staff at the consultant's office who will participate in the project. The client is recommended to check their educational background and experience. Many consultants have a front office in the Middle East while their main office in their countries of origin. In such cases, the client should check the existence of the office and the adequacy of staff.

There have been cases wherein the consultant recruits staff after awarding the work. This is not a healthy sign as proper teamwork cannot be achieved by the temporary staff. A consultant's office is built on permanency of the staff members and their working together as a team. The client should also ensure that the consultant has the facilities to carry out the major portion of the design work within the office. This facility enhances the quality of the design work and the consultant can maintain the time schedule.

The client should lay maximum emphasis on the consultant's past experience. If the consultant has carried out projects of a similar nature satisfactorily, then the client can expect more efficient service and timely completion.

The selected consultant should be affiliated to recognised association, especially the expatriate consultants. There are recognised associations in most of the countries and they keep good track on the performance of the consultants in their countries. There is also the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) with its headquarters near Geneva, Switzerland. Membership of such organisations ensures the standing of the consultant's firm.

The fee issue should be the last to be considered while choosing the consultant for the project. Would any person choose an inexperienced surgeon to perform an open-heart surgery just because he charges less than an experienced surgeon?

Competition between consultants with similar background and experience is always welcome. But the client should not make the mistake of comparing the fees quoted by inexperienced consultant with an experienced one. It is advisable to invite fee quotation with an estimate for the entire project work. This gives a good indication of the experience of the consultant.

Lastly, the client should always treat the consultant as a friend and not as a paid employee. An occasional pat on his back or a word of praise will go a long way in extracting the best performance from the consultant.

* Ashok Pavate, a practising consultant for the last 35 years, is currently the managing director of Semac Private Limited and Semac & Partners.