The expertise of consultants who specialize in historic preservation can
be very useful to you in completing your historic preservation projects. In
the early stages of your planning, you should try to identify the stakeholders
and interested parties for your project and initiate broad-based consultation
with them to discuss their concerns and insights regarding the project. These
concerns and insights should be clearly communicated to any cultural resource
management consultants who are hired for the project. Keep in mind that many
historic preservation projects may require the involvement of more than one
type of specialist.
How Should I Begin to Select a Consultant?
Before you do anything else, define your project carefully in writing. Lists
of consultants who work in Ohio are available at the Ohio Historic Preservation
Office, though the office does not endorse or recommend any consultant. Investigate
consultants enough to identify several who appear to meet your needs. Invite
them to submit proposals for your project based on the written description
you provide. You may also wish to check with local colleges and museums to
see if they have anyone with specialized knowledge about archaeological or
historical resources in your project area. They may also have people on their
staff who regularly conduct the type of work you are considering. Remember
that although colleges and museums may be able to offer benefits such as lower
costs and local experience, they may have more trouble meeting your scheduled
deadlines if they rely on student or volunteer workers.
How Do I Judge Consultants?
You should consider the specific needs of your project as well as the consultants’
fields of expertise. Your final decision will be based on the consulting firm’s
competence, qualifications and capability of undertaking your particular historic
preservation project. Always keep in mind the qualifications necessary for
your project, including demonstrated previous experience in similar endeavors.
Each consultant’s proposal should be evaluated to ensure that the individual
or firm is qualified for, understands and can complete your job. Compare acceptable
proposals and select the consultant with the best proposal and best price.
If you have questions regarding the suitability of the research strategies
in the proposal, call the Ohio Historic Preservation Office for clarification.
How Do I Determine Whether A Consultant is Qualified?
A prospective consultant should have a healthy mix of education and experience
relevant to your project. Consideration should be given to consultants with
a graduate degree in a closely related field; in some cases, significant work
experience will bring additional skills to your project.
A prospective consultant should have the necessary experience, staffing
and availability of technical and support services to complete the project.
For some projects, a consultant must meet specific professional qualifications.
The Ohio Historic Preservation Office can assist with questions about what
qualifications to specify for your project.
Especially for surveys and National Register of Historic Places nominations,
a consultant should demonstrate familiarity with the specific kinds of historic
property types in the project area and the various techniques of historical
research needed to complete the project.
Especially for compliance projects, in which the effect of undertakings
on historic properties is considered in accordance with Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act, a consultant should be able to explain
procedures and recommendations to you clearly so that you understand what
is needed, why it is needed and how to evaluate and use the finished products
and findings.
A prospective consultant should be familiar with the procedures outlined
in the Ohio Historic Preservation Office’s Archaeology Guidelines, and
have experience with completing the Ohio Archaeological Inventory Form in
a professional manner.
Performance
Can the consultant demonstrate a record of satisfactorily completing projects?
Have prospective consultants submit copies of relevant previous work. Contact
several clients from the list of references and ask whether reports and other
documents were thorough, neat, submitted on time and otherwise acceptable.
Contact the Ohio Historic Preservation Office to see if additional information
from the consultant was required in order to complete those projects.
Does the consultant have good communication skills and demonstrate an understanding
of your project, needs and goals? The consultant should be able to give direct
answers to all of your questions.
Has the consultant provided evidence that he or she is staying current with
trends in his or her area(s) of expertise (e.g., by attending or participating
in courses, conferences, and workshops, or by publishing in peer-reviewed
journals)?
Cost
Archaeology consultants, like consultants in any other field, charge a fee for
their services. Generally speaking, you can expect the cost of a consultant to
be equal to what you would pay other professionals working an equivalent amount
of time.
In the proposal, the consultant should clearly state the products that
will be delivered for the cost proposed and present a time frame, with beginning
and ending
dates, including deadlines for any drafts you require.
The consultant should include information regarding costs for curating artifact
collections and original field notes in an approved repository.
Writing Requests for Proposals
The following checklists provide basic outlines for preparing and reviewing requests
for proposals and reviewing products submitted by consultants. Tailor these to
the specific needs of your project. The Ohio Historic Preservation Office can
provide sample requests for proposals. In most circumstances, it is important
to flag project boundaries and allow prospective archaeological consultants the
opportunity to see Choosing an Archaeology Consultant the project area conditions
before they submit a proposal.
Click here to download a copy
of this checklist in Adobe .pdf format.
Writing Requests for Proposals
Information Provided by Client
background/issues
project description
area characteristics
goal of project
scope of work
task outline
specific requirements
level of community input
products to be generated
number and nature of products
format requirements
presentations expected before, during, and after project
time requirements and deadlines
pre-proposal conference (if any)
client responsibility/involvement selection criteria
selection criteria
client contact address/phone
proposal deadline: date and time
Information Requested from Consultant
qualifications required/requested
education (c.v. or resume)
meets professional qualifications
relevant previous work sample(s)
list of previous clients
samples of relevant previous work
methodology or approach
statement of products
schedule
cost (may be separate if requesting qualifications first)
references
Evaluating Proposals
establish review committee
use established selection criteria
qualifications meet requirements
previous experience relevant
methodology satisfactory
work samples satisfactory (were the projects clearly described and can you
understand what was done?)
staffing adequate for job
schedule reasonable
references satisfactory
cost competitive
use objective rating system
notify all applicants of decision
Project Monitoring
maintain regular contact with consultant
enforce deadlines
carefully review all submissions
content meets expectations
product neat, complete and organized
conclusions/recommendations well stated
graphics appropriate
coordinate with Ohio Historic Preservation Office
comply with submission requirements (if any)
consider furture use of products/findings
public education
presentation of results to client/public
dissemination of products/finding
Specific Product Consideration
Remember that you are ultimately responsible for the products submitted to
the lead agency and to the Ohio Historic Preservation Office, so it is in your
interest to thoroughly review the work that your consultant has done.
Archaeological Survey/Inventory Report
The report should emphasize the work that was done for your specific project,
rather than generalized background information. The specific recommendations
in the report can be very helpful in coordinating further consultation with the
lead agency, the Ohio Historic Preservation Office, the local community, and
others, as appropriate. If you do not understand the recommendations in the report, ask
the consultant to clarify the information before it is submitted to the lead
agency and the Ohio Historic Preservation Office. This will help reduce potentially
costly delays for your project when the report is submitted for review.
research design
methodology
meetings/public participation
individual inventory forms and area maps
computer coded (if required)
evaluations of properties/area
bibliography
data management
artifact curation agreements
location of original notes, negatives, etc.
state whether data computerized locally
describe report dissemenation
National Register Nominations
completed nomination form
all sections completed
United States Geological Survey Maps
b&w photos/color slides as required
completed archaological site inventory forms
Booklets, Tour Guides, Other
accuracy/quality of content
neatness and readability of narrative
appropriate graphics
well-designed product
includes sources of additional information.
For more information see: "Using Professional Consultants in Preservation,"
Information series No. 26, 1994, available from the National Trust for
Historic Preservation, 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036,
202/673-4296.
