Hiring A Statistical Consultant Copyright (c) 2008 by The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies. This material is intended solely for educational use by licensed users of Learning. Stats. It may not be copied or resold for profit.
The Ideal Consultant • Statistical Skills • Training (usually M. S. or Ph. D) • Experience (get references) • Skill recency (occasionally an issue) • Nonstatistical Skills • Dataside manner (questioning, non-defensive) • Problem-minded (not “data-minded”) • Interventionist (wants to improve client skills) • Organization and practicality (focused) • Communicates (interacts, informs client) See D. A. Zahn and D. J. Isenberg, “Nonstatistical Aspects of Statistical Consulting, ” The American Statistician, V. 37, N. 4, 1983, 297 -302.
Ideal Consultant - Practical • Focuses on deliverables • Identifies the real client • Ascertains client’s goals • Sets boundaries on the problem • Defines a stopping point • Sets a timetable • Establishes milestones • Produces a plan and/or prototype • Evaluates progress, gets client reactions See D. A. Zahn and D. J. Isenberg, “Nonstatistical Aspects of Statistical Consulting, ” The American Statistician, V. 37, N. 4, 1983, 297 -302.
Ideal Consultant – Professional • Ethical responsibility • Maintains neutrality • Indicates limitations of the analysis • Refers client elsewhere if necessary • States fees clearly (non-contingency) • Professional performance • Provides full report and documentation • Identifies key non-statistical issues • Recommends options for further study
Ideal Consultant - Reports • Oral • Sensitive to client’s reactions • Allows interruptions and questions • Answers questions patiently • Prepares clear exhibits • Written • Avoids unnecessary jargon • Provides a rough draft as early as possible • Respects confidentiality (no loose copies) • Keeps it concise See J. R. Boen and D. A. Zahn, The Human Side of Statistical Consulting (Lifteime Learning Publications, 1982).
Dataside Manner • Handling Emotions • Client fear (sources, comforting) • Client anger (sources, defusing) • Communication • Written • Verbal • Non-verbal • Group dynamics • Stereotyping • Dominant personalties See J. R. Boen and D. A. Zahn, The Human Side of Statistical Consulting (Lifteime Learning Publications, 1982).
Tough Clients Number phobes Number freaks Heterogeneous audiences Local politics Local culture Domineering clients Power struggles Harried clients Personality clashes Indecisive clients See J. R. Boen and D. A. Zahn, The Human Side of Statistical Consulting (Lifteime Learning Publications, 1982).
Make or Buy? Statistical literacy is nice. . . • Every employee needs some statistical training • Every firm needs some in-house expertise But an outside consultant can. . . • Bring in exactly the skills needed when needed • Straddle internal political issues and biases • Help you improve your in-house staff skills
Hiring a Consultant It’s your money. . . so get the most by • Evaluating the consultant before hiring • Interacting with the consultant • Listening to the consultant with an open mind • Evaluating the consultant’s work • Rehiring a good consultant (and conversely)
Suggested Reading J. C. Baskerville, “A Systematic Study of the Consulting Literature as an Integral Part of Applied Training in Statistics, ” The American Statistician, Vol. 35, No. 3, August, 1981, pp. 121 -123. J. R. Boen and D. A. Zahn, The Human Side of Statistical Consulting (Lifteime Learning Publications, 1982). Javier Cabrera and Andrew Mc. Dougall, Statistical Consulting, New York: Springer-Verlag, 2002. Derr, Janice, Statistical Consulting : A Guide to Effective Communication (Thompson Learning, 2000). D. A. Zahn and D. J. Isenberg, “Nonstatistical Aspects of Statistical Consulting, ” The American Statistician, Vol. 37, No. 4, 1983, 297 -302.
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