Hi Stephen,
Thank you for taking the time to put together a very nice proposal for a course on statistical consulting. I would encourage you to submit the proposal to the ASA Conference on Statistical Practice after deciding what collaborators you would like to work with. (David Bristol has already offered to help and I believe other consultants may contact you directly to express their interest in helping you put this course on.)
Several colleagues have pointed out the importance of deciding the target audience for this course. While it would be hard to please every kind of audience, the course could be structured so that it offers something of value to anyone wishing to attend.
Here are some suggestions you can consider when finalizing your proposal (in addition to suggestions already offered by other consultants on this list):
i) For Lecture 1, can you touch (even briefly) on the fact that all independent consultants are going to be de facto entrepreneurs? Being an entrepreneur requires a different mindset, including the ability to be self-directed and self-motivated, the ability to create and pursue opportunities, the ability to tolerate uncertainty and roll with the punches, the ability to run a business, the ability to save money on a consistent basis, etc. Also, before even talking about types of consultants, would it be possible to provide a compelling motivation for becoming an independent statistical consultant? This could be done as part of the brief introduction of the course instructor(s). The instructor(s) could talk briefly about what motivated them to become consultants and the high points of their careers.
ii) For Small group exercise 1, I am not sure that independent consultants are motivated primarily by a need to have a rewarding career. Many of us become consultants because we want to have more flexibility in our lifestyles and more control of what we do, how we do it, when we do it, etc. Would it be possible to supplement this exercise with an inventory of personal strengths that each aspiring consultant would bring to the table and a list of personal motives for considering a consulting career?
iii) For Lecture 3, you could consider the title "Services and Billing" or "Services and Invoicing". Each consultant would have to determine first what kind of services they would offer to their clients (e.g., study design, data collection, data analyses, manuscript/report writing, statistical programming, statistical training, etc.). The billing might need to reflect the nature of these services. The nature of the clients could also determine the invoicing amounts (e.g., one could charge differential rates for academia, business or industry). The number of years of consulting experience would also factor in - someone who is just starting out would have to charge less than someone who has 10 years or 20 years of experience.
iv) For Small group exercise 2, it appears as though the hypothetical scenario itself will drive the actual costing of the project. However, the cost (e.g., hourly rate) may already be fixed, so one could simply estimate how long the project will take. Perhaps this exercise could be strengthened by asking the participants to identify all of the factors that would drive the costing (e.g., type of service required, type of client, amount of work, level of difficulty of the work, years of experience of consultant, etc,) Using these factors, the participants could see that it is generally not that easy to price a project, especially when charging by hour for work that can be challenging in nature. Participants could also discuss strategies for producing accurate cost estimates for a project - from using prior experience with similar projects to breaking down the project into smaller phases and estimating cost for one phase at a time. Participants could also discuss ways in which they can make it clear to their clients that the cost provided is an estimated cost, which may need to be revised as the project progresses and/or the project scope evolves.
v) For Lecture 4, some mention of what the consultant should ask for in a contract (if anything) would also be important. This is especially important when it comes to getting access to the data in a timely fashion, when deciding who will own statistical code and/or results produced by the consultant, how often the status updates and the invoicing will happen throughout the lifetime of a project, etc. Also, Lecture 4 could be devoted only to Contracts, as Accounting is covered in Lecture 5.
vi) For Lecture 6, Health Insurance and Life Insurance are also important for independent consultants. Could these be covered as well?
vii) For Lecture 8, it is not always possible to keep your clients happy. As Janice Derr writes in her consulting book, "the statistical consulting relationship seems to have a special potential for generating difficult situations." Is there a way to make this lecture more realistic? We all aim to keep our clients happy but life can intervene, so we need to have some good coping tools in place (e.g., dealing with and resolving conflict, outlining expectations from the beginning, staying on top of things, keeping the channel of communication with the client open, updating the client if there are any challenges with deadlines, data, analyses, etc.). Perhaps here it will be important to touch on professional development and continuing education, the importance of having a trusted mentor (if possible), etc.
viii) For the Review, it would be helpful to emphasize the need to develop good processes from the beginning. For instance, one could develop a template for invoices at the start of the business and then use that template consistently. Similarly for template reports, etc.
If you have any questions, please drop me a line. I am really excited that you stepped up to the challenge and also grateful to everyone on the list who commented on this topic.
Isabella
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Isabella Ghement
Ghement Statistical Consulting Company Ltd.
E-mail: i
sabella@ghement.ca -------------------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 05-02-2014 13:59
From: David Bristol
Subject: Call for Course and Tutorial Proposals for Conference on Applied Statistical Practice 2015
Stephen,
This is a very comprehensive list, although no list can cover everything.
I am interested in being involved if you are looking for contributors, panelists, presenters,...
Other issues are
(1) lack of resources, such as library and journals, and technical interactions with colleagues (I am solo)
(2) legal representation for contract review/ failure of clients to pay.
Note also that when I was an LLC, my accountant showed me that I would save >$5000 in taxes as an S-corp, so I changed.
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David Bristol
Statistical Consulting Services, Inc.
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-01-2014 12:57
From: Stephen Simon
Subject: Call for Course and Tutorial Proposals for Conference on Applied Statistical Practice 2015
I have proposed a general outline of a class to get the discussion started. I have narrowed the focus of the class to "independent statistical consulting" (in contrast to consulting within a larger organization). There are a whole host of issues specific to an independent consultant that would warrant a class all by itself. I also think that a full day class with a team of 3-4 lecturers would be ideal. But I am open to suggestions. Let me know if this is roughly what you were thinking and if there are any big topic areas that should be included in the outline.
Course outline:
Introduction: Brief biography of all speakers.
Lecture 1. Types of independent consultants (full time versus part time, supplemental source of income versus sole source of income). Differences between an independent statistical consultant and a consultant in part of a larger organization. Advantages and disadvantages of an independent consulting career.
Small group exercise 1. Break into pairs. Interview each other in turn about where you are in your career right now and where you want to be one year from now and five years from now. Compare and contrast your career goals with those of your partner.
Lecture 2. Different business models for an independent consulting company (e.g., sole proprietorship, partnership, Limited Liability Corporation, S corporation).
Lecture 3. Billing. Should you bill by the hour or bill by the project? How much are clients willing to pay?
Small group exercise 2. In a group of 4 to 5 people, read the hypothetical consulting scenario. How much money would you ask for? How many hours would this project take? What further details should you specify before bidding on this work?
Lecture 4. Contracts and accounting. Should you sign a contract before any consulting?
What contract conditions your client might ask for?
Lecture 5. Accounting. Preparing invoices. Tracking deductible expenses. Filing taxes.
Lecture 6. Insurance. Do you need liability insurance? Where can you find insurance coverage?
Lecture 7. Finding new clients. Using "word of mouth" to your advantage. Promoting yourself using social media.
Lecture 8. Keeping your clients happy.
Small group exercise 3. In a group of 4 to 5 people, read the hypothetical consulting scenario of a dissatisfied client. What actions could you have taken to prevent this problem from escalating. What action should you take now?
Lecture 9. Review and summary.
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Stephen Simon
Independent Statistical Consultant
P. Mean Consulting
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