Selecting a Professional Consultant

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities, which was responsible for the publication of the National Guide to Sustainable Municipal Infrastructure (InfraGuide), developed a best-practices document titled Selecting a Professional Consultant. This valuable tool promotes the principles of Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS), rather than price-based selection, as the best method for hiring professional services. The guideline authors, primarily career civil servants with many years of experience in procuring engineering services, recommend strongly that firms be selected based on issues such as their proposed team; their relevant experience; and their understanding of, and approach to, the project requirements. Once the best candidate is identified, a negotiation of scope and services should take place, followed by agreement on a fair and reasonable price. If an agreement cannot be reached with that consultant, the client is then free to negotiate with the next-ranked firm.

Selecting a Professional Consultant