Guide to using the Flying Squad Program

This component supports the cost of hiring a consultant for organizational research and planning. A consultant is a person who brings an outside perspective and expertise to help with a particular challenge or opportunity that your organization is facing. The consultant can be either a peer who is currently employed within another organization, or a specialist who makes his/her living by consulting with a wide range of clients, rather than working for one organization.

Within Component I of the Flying Squad program, either a peer or a specialist can be hired. Whichever type of consultant you choose, he/she will spend a specified number of days working on-site at your organization and off-site on your specific project.

Remember that the Flying Squad program will support the research, design and planning phases of eligible activities. The implementation phase is considered to be part of the ongoing operations of the organization and is therefore not eligible. For example, designing a new marketing strategy is eligible, but implementing it is not. For more information, please refer to the Canada Council's Grant Program Information.

A mentor is a person who gives guidance over an extended period of time to an individual who is employed by your organization. The mentor is usually a professional at another organization. Under the Flying Squad program, the learner or mentoree from your organization spends a minimum of three weeks working alongside the mentor. The mentorship takes place at the mentor's place of employment and provision for the mentoree's supervision and work projects must be arranged.

During a mentorship, the work focuses predominantly on the mentor's own work with the mentoree learning from these projects. The mentor shares his/her knowledge, experience and insights with a less-experienced person who seeks to learn from this exchange. While there is usually time for the mentor to reflect on issues specific to the mentoree's organization, this is not the predominant focus.

There is an extensive Web site devoted to mentoring on the Human Resources Development Canada site. Please refer to www.agora-canada.org/mentor.

A consultant should not come into your organization and tell you what to do. The consultant will work with you in a process that is appropriate to your organization and your Flying Squad project.

This can be a facilitated process with the consultant acting as facilitator and working with a group of key people that you have identified for the project.

Or you can hire a consultant who brings their extensive knowledge of a specific issue to your organization; for example, in marketing, touring, cash flow planning, etc.

There are a variety of reasons that organizations choose to work with a consultant or mentor. The primary reason is that the organization has a challenge or opportunity that it cannot address with its own resources. A consultant brings a fresh perspective, an expertise, and an outside point of view to the issue. In cases of a financial crisis, a growth opportunity, an impasse, or a conflict of personalities or values within the organization, the consultant can act as facilitator or mediator. The consultant can also help you devise a strategic plan, which will form the basis of your next application for multi-year or annual support from the Canada Council for the Arts.

There is no question that in the short-term initiating a Flying Squad consultation or mentorship will add to your workload. The payoff comes in the long-term, either in helping resolve a crisis or in developing opportunities, efficiencies, markets, or audiences. There must be a commitment by everyone to do the work and to be open to new ideas or ways of approaching the issue, or there is little point in applying for Flying Squad support.

Identify the issue. Write 1-2 sentences to summarize the challenge or opportunity as you see it today. From this brief synopsis, create a more detailed description of the project.

Identify who will be working with the consultant. Given the broad impact that the consultation can have on your organization, it is often useful to bring together a diverse team. The consultation could involve any or all of your administrative staff, artistic staff, board members, community members, etc.

Get aqreement from your key people. Make sure that your key people understand and are in agreement in identifying the issue, timelines, basic work plan and goals.

When do you want to start your consultation? This is often driven by working back from the deadline. Your time frame must fit within your organization's as well as your consultant's schedule. The process must begin after you have received notification of your Flying Squad grant.

How much time is your organization prepared to devote to the consultation? This could be a long-term process requiring an extended commitment from the participants and consultant, or a short-term focused process that addresses the issues. Companies often under-estimate the amount of time required for the process and over-estimate the outcomes. Be realistic. It takes more than a weekend to create a strategic plan and there should be time to reflect upon and refine the plan so that it will be worthwhile and lasting.

The Canada Council for the Arts does not have a database of consultants and mentors. There is no approved list to choose from. Each organization must evaluate its own project, personnel, and organizational requirements in order to hire a consultant who best fits its needs. In your Flying Squad application, you must provide a resume and explain why you chose the particular consultant. If you are unsure about how to choose a consultant or mentor, please refer to item #6 below for further guidance.

There are several ways to identify a short-list of possible consultants/mentors. Some considera-tions are:

• Do you want a consultant or mentor from your own city or province who knows the specifics of your community, or do you want someone from another region?
• Do you want a consultant or mentor from your own artistic sector who knows the specifics of your art form, or do you want someone from another discipline?
• Do you have anything that is specific to your organization that will influence your choice of consultant or mentor? For example, do you want someone who has experience working with a different type of organization, or are you looking for a consultant or mentor who brings extensive experience and expertise to a specific issue?

There are no right or wrong answers to the question posed above. After considering these and other questions, compile a list of potential consultants/mentors and prepare a short list to interview by phone or in person.

You can research potential consultants/mentors by:

• Consulting with your colleagues for names that they have used.
• Asking your Canada Council Flying Squad co-ordinator or grant officer for suggestions. While there is not a database of consultants and mentors at the Canada Council, they can offer suggestions from their knowledge of the field.
• Asking other capacity-building grant officers (at the federal, provincial, or municipal level) for their suggestions.
• Searching online for consultants through the Centre for Cultural Management at the University of Waterloo on the NTAR (National Technical Assistance Registry) for a list of consultants at www.arts.uwaterloo.ca/ccm/programs/ccm_ntar.html.This site is currently being revised and the database will be more comprehensive, up-to-date and user-friendly in the future.

You should interview at least two individuals by phone or in person. Consultants from different backgrounds may bring different approaches or strategies to your organization. Talking with more than one consultant will help you define your organizational challenge. In your initial phone call to potential consultants, your key questions should be covered to ensure that you are interested in following up with this potential candidate.

It may take more than one phone call with each consultant or mentor to cover all your questions. During your subsequent phone interviews, ask each candidate the same questions. Note the candidate's answers as well as their personal manner and professional style. Take the time to find a fit between your organization and the consultant or mentor's experience, values, and style.

The fit between the project, the consultant or mentor, and your organization is central to the process and to achieving your desired outcomes. Some consultants or mentors work well with some companies and not with others. Interview the prospective consultant or mentor and always check their references to help ensure the proper fit.

Some questions to ask the prospective consultant could include:

• What experience do you have with similar projects/ or similar types of organizations?
• What were the results of these projects?
• What is your knowledge of my region, or my artistic practice? Describe the challenge as you understand our project.
• What responsibilities will you assume as the consultant?
• What responsibilities will we need to assume as the client organization?
• Are you available to complete this work during the time and with the financial and human resources that we've discussed?
• Are there any problems that you anticipate as we undertake this consultation? How can we address these problems from the outset?
• What additional information should we know about you, your experience, and what it would be like to work together?

You may not find the perfect consultant who fits all of your criteria, but you should be aware of his/her strengths and limitations before proceeding.

Checking the references of your potential consultant or mentor is absolutely essential. By checking references, you will ensure that you have a qualified professional who has a proven track record.

Ask your prospective consultant or mentor for a recent, complete client list. This will allow you to see the other companies with whom the consultant or mentor has worked in the past.

Speak to the person who directly supervised the consultant. This is usually a senior staff or board member.

Ask an open-ended question such as "I understand that Consultant X worked with you on your marketing campaign. We are considering hiring him/her to develop a marketing plan for our organization. Can you tell me about your experience?" An open-ended question usually leads to a discussion of the consultant's duties, strengths, problems, and the results of the consultation. Be sure to listen to what is being said, as well as to what is not being said.

Ask if the consultation was achieved on time and on budget. Did it produce the desired results?

Ask if there were any other unanticipated benefits to the organization that came out of the consultation (such as improved staff relationships, increased community awareness of the organization, etc.)

If there were unanticipated problems, what was the explanation and was there an acceptable solution to the difficulties?

Was the relationship collegial and productive, or were there difficulties in communication?

End the conversation with another open-ended question, such as "If you were to start over again, would you work with this consultant again, or would you change the process in any way?"

If the person is reluctant to speak with you and provide a reference, you can ask them to just confirm that the consultant undertook the work, and whether or not the work was completed. You could also ask if they have any suggestions of other consultants to consider for this project.

If you have not already done so, you must speak with your Flying Squad co-ordinator to determine your organization's eligibility and discuss your application. Speaking with your Flying Squad co-ordinator helps to strengthen your application.

Be sure to review the program guidelines. In completing your Application Form, ensure that you have answered all the questions and completed Sections A, B, and C. The Application Form can be downloaded from the Canada Council Web site.

Pay particular attention to the assessment criteria outlined in the Grant Program Information sheet. Your grant request will be assessed according to:

• the clarity of the analysis of your organizational development needs (Component I) or the goals of the mentorship (Component II);
• the suitability of your chosen consultant/ or mentor;
• the quality of your work plan for the consultation/mentorship;
• the feasibility of achieving the projected goals and outcomes of the consultation (Component I) or expected effect of the mentorship on the home organization (Component II).

Flying Squad applications are assessed on a national competitive basis by a committee of peers. Experience has shown that the best applications are based on a thorough and honest self-assessment, as well as a well thought-out work plan and realistic outcomes.

Developing your work plan and articulating the outcomes is often the most challenging part of the Flying Squad application. Experience has shown that companies who take the time to develop their work plan and articulate the feasibility of achieving the projected goals (Component I) or the expected effect of the training on the home organization (Component II) are more likely to receive Flying Squad funding. The peer assessment committee is looking for evidence that your organization has spent the time to develop a work plan and has discussed it with the consultant prior to submitting your application. The detail contained in your work plan helps the peer assessment committee evaluate your application.

Some of the things that you might want to think about including in your work plan are:

• Who are the key players?
• What is the overall time frame?
• What key issues will be discussed?
• How long will it take to cover these issues?
• What are the key milestones within the work plan?
• How do the projected goals (component I) or expected effect of the training (Component II) relate to the work plan?
• How feasible and realistic are these outcomes?

Upon receiving notification that your Flying Squad application was successful, contact your consultant or mentor so they continue to hold the agreed-upon dates for your project. Sometimes projects are awarded less money than requested. If this is the case, inform your consultant. If your project did not receive Flying Squad support, take the time to inform your consultant so he/she can free the time for other clients.

It is important to have a signed contract or letter of agreement between your organization and the consultant or mentor. Each one is unique and there is no standard format. There are some issues that should be covered in your contract or letter of agreement.

a) a project description (what is the scope or objectives of the project and the deliverables);

b) time lines (what is the start and completion date, and key benchmark dates);

c) fee (what is the fee including GST, and payment schedule);

d) billable expenses (what expenses are allowable);

e) participants (who will participate in the consultation and in what capacity);

f) reporting structure (to whom does the consultant report - e.g. general manager, board member, etc.)

g) contact person within the organ nation (who is the appointed contact person - e.g. director of marketing, general manager - this may be the same person to whom they report);

h) responsibilities of the organization (what human resources, organizational information, etc. are required);

i) responsibilities of the consultant (what resources do they bring to the process);

j) benchmark activities and deliverables (e.g. number of facilitated days, interim reports, final report from the consultant to the organization, etc.),

k) conditions for early termination of the contract by either party;

l) confidentiality (if required from both parties);

m) any other items specific to your consultation/mentorship.

A sample contract is appended at the end of this guide.

Be realistic about the scope of the work that can be accomplished with Flying Squad support with a maximum grant of $8,000, plus travel costs.

Being realistic will ensure a smoother working relationship between the organization and the consultant or mentor.

Recognize that it takes time, work, effort and patience to understand the issues and bring about organizational change.

Prior to beginning the consultation/mentorship, establish ground rules for the process that are based on mutual respect for all parties and all points of view - "there are no bad ideas or stupid questions".

Is there provision for internal follow-up in 6, 8 or 12 months to ensure momentum is maintained and the action plan is implemented?

Both the organization and the consultant or mentor is responsible for the success of your work together. As the client, you have a number of important responsibilities including:

Communication: From the outset, decide how and when the consultant's work and recommendations will be communicated with key staff and board members. Inviting a consultant to work with your organization can trigger rumours and discomfort within the organization. Being pro-active will help alleviate these concerns.

Be Honest: You must always be honest with your consultant and candidly share the problems and challenges that face your organization.

Timely Support: During the course of the consultation, your staff and board will agree to take on some tasks related to the consultant's work. Certain tasks are simple, such as attending meetings, other tasks, such as providing organizational reports or previous documentation and financials can be more time-consuming. You must provide this information to the consultant on a timely basis. It is helpful to provide a responsible contact person within your organization to work with the consultant and to ensure that the materials are provided in a timely manner.

Embrace Change: The consultant's work will often result in a recommendation for organizational change. If the prescription for change is appropriate, your organization must be determined, flexible and courageous enough to take the necessary next steps.

Be Open To Learning New Skills: Often, the consultant is able to teach new skills to your staff and board. If you can incorporate these insights and techniques into your planning and practice, your organization will more likely be able to deal with new challenges the next time without the necessity of hiring a consultant.

Terminating The Relationship: The collaboration with your consultant sometimes does not work out, for a variety of reasons. Whatever the reason, you have the responsibility to end an unproductive relationship. To avoid any possible legal issues, this has to be done within the conditions for termination that are outlined in the contract or letter of agreement.

In addition to the knowledge and experience they bring to the process, you should demand the highest ethical standards from your consultant or mentor. This will include upholding ethical professional standards of behaviour, ensuring client confidentiality, and a full disclosure of any perceived or real conflict of interest, etc.

The format and what will be covered in your consultant's Final Report will be mutually agreed upon by the consultant and your organization. Usually, the consultant's Final Report will:

• summarize the initial assumptions and objectives of the consultation;
• list the tasks completed and results generated;
• highlight the significant findings or achievements and explain why they are significant;
• make recommendations for next steps/future action/decisions/implementation.

Your organization's Flying Squad Final Report to the Canada Council will be very short in a multiple choice format. You may choose to append or not append your consultant's Final Report to your Canada Council Flying Squad Final Report. Only your Flying Squad Coordinator will have access to this report.

You may choose to share or not to share the fact that you undertook a Flying Squad consultation or mentorship with your Canada Council officer. At the end of the process, you may share the full Final Report of your consultation, part of the Report, or not any of the Report with your Canada Council officer. Similarly, you may choose to use or not to use the Report for your next application to a Canada Council program. The consultant's Final Report is yours and if you do not send it no Canada Council officer or assessment committee will see it.

Whether your organization is undertaking a consultation or mentorship, it is important to take the time to reflect and do a brief analysis at the end. Were the results what you anticipated, better, or fell short of your expectations? Analyse what went right, what went wrong, what could be improved next time. Would you use this consultant again? What have you learned from this process? How will the recommendations or outcomes of the work be communicated? To whom will this information be communicated? Are the people who will be responsible for carrying out this work prepared to do so? Were there any unanticipated positive or negative results from the process?

Yes, at the same competition you may ask for a consultation in Organizational Research and Planning (Component I) or Mentorship (Component II), plus a Strategic Initiatives (Component III) or a Professional Development (Component IV) grant. You may not ask for both a consultation in Organizational Research (Component I) and a Mentorship (Component II) at the same competition, but you may ask for two Component I projects at the same deadline.

Yes, the Flying Squad program can be accessed more than once. Your next application can be submitted and reviewed while you are still doing the work on your current Flying Squad project. Each application will be reviewed by a Peer Assessment Committee in a national competitive context. If approved, the money for your next project will not be released until the Final Report for your current Flying Squad project is received by the Canada Council for the Arts.

www.agora-canada.org/mentor

An extensive guide to working with a mentor, including year-long mentorships. On the Human Resources Development Canada Web site.

www.arts.uwaterloo.ca/ccm/programs/ccm_ntar.html

An extensive Guide to Using Management Consultants. This 107 page guide is only viewable on the internet and cannot be downloaded and printed. On the Centre for Cultural Management at University of Waterloo's Web site.

www.ontap.org

A four page guide to "How to Hire and Work with a Consultant" covers the topics of Interviewing Consultants, Questions to Ask Your Prospective Consultants, Checking References, and Client Responsibilities. On the Consultants ONTAP Web site in San Francisco, CA.

www.ccp.ca

A Nonprofit Guide to Consultants. On the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy Web site.

January 2004