How to Work with Planning Consultants

For those whose job includes working with planning consultants, one of the keys to success is building relationships.

Clement Lau, a Los Angeles County planner, highlights the importance of this principle and others in his review of the book Working with Planning Consultants, by Eric Damian Kelly.

Lau writes that while Kelly’s point about building relationships with consultants may seem like an obvious one, it is among the most valuable.

“As we all know, success in any relationship requires respect, commitment, and effort by all parties.  A good consulting relationship depends equally on a good client.”

Other major points Kelly makes in his book, according to Lau, include the benefits of splitting the selection process into a “two-part RFQ-RFP process,” the need to focus on qualifications over presentation, and the value of communication.

“Working with Planning Consultants is a good resource for all planners to have, especially those in the public sector.  The book is uniquely written by a planner for planners and offers useful examples of an agreement for consulting services, a scope of services, and an evaluation form for selecting consultants.”

Visit Urbdezine to read the full review.