All consultants working for the Evaluation Trust have been accepted onto the consultant pool following a rigorous selection process. There are a number of consultants who have been working for the Trust for many years and all bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the work. There is an ethos of peer support and learning among staff, trustees and consultants, which is a valuable resource to the organisation and to the organisations that we work and collaborate with.



In the autumn of 2006 we ran a recruitment drive to expand the consultant pool in line with increasing demands for support from the voluntary sector. We had 80 applications from which 15 were interviewed and 10 appointed. These appointments have further enriched the knowledge and skills base available to the Evaluation Trust and strengthened our geographical reach within the South West region. Consultants are all self-employed and some also work part-time for other employers or contractors. The consultant pool includes three senior consultants who have been working with the Trust for many years and may take on some of the work of core staff from time to time. It also includes consultants from black and minority ethnic communities and consultants able to speak a number of languages.



Core staff are responsible for the general management and administration of all the work of the Evaluation Trust (including drawing up and issuing contracts, invoicing, dealing with complaints and general enquiries, supporting the work of consultants, strengthening partnerships), and for its attention to performance improvement and development. This includes support and training for the consultants and core staff and the provision of an accountable body to client and partner organisations. It also includes all reports being rigorously reviewed by the staff before they are issued.

The main advantages of using the consultant pool rather than individual freelance consultants:

To Clients	To Consultants	To the Evaluation Trust
Local knowledge of assigned consultant	Peer learning and support	Geographical spread of available staff
Guaranteed experienced, skilled consultants	Access to broader knowledge, skill, tools	Breadth and depth of available skills and knowledge
Access to wider skills and knowledge/support via peers in consultant pool-added value	Management and administration by core Trust staff	Experience and reliability -especially long-standing consultants
Standardised procedures/support for consultants via the Trust; contract cover if consultants become ill or move on	Contract tendering/wins and negotiation managed by core staff	Flexibility and availability to respond quickly to contract opportunities;
Careful matching of consultant to client need by the Trust	Matching of consultant to client/contract by core staff	Individual consultants attract work to the Trust
Specialist knowledge	Opportunities for joint working/learning	Added value of skills/knowledge sharing
Extensive knowledge of the local (and national) voluntary and often public and private sectors	Networking and learning events organised by core staff	Capacity to develop newer consultants through co-working
Full public and professional liability insurance	Full public and professional liability insurance
Operates within strong value base as a charity	Operates within strong value base as a charity
The Trust is an easily contactable, accountable body with a sound reputation	The Trust is an easily contactable, accountable body with a sound reputation