Benefits of using a consultant Independent viewpoint. A consultant is not a member of the organization an will tend to see the situation through fresh, disinterested eyes, without the filters and preconceived notions that internal people may have. Because the consultant is not involved in the internal politics of the informal organization, the views and opinions of the consultant can be accepted as unbiased. Temporary professional services.  Organizations sometimes find themselves short of critical expertise in a given area. Engaging a consultant will probably be less expensive in the long run than hiring new managers or employees. Focus on the project : Permanent employees often have their own personal priorities. They are concerned with day to day 'office politics', enhancing their career and promotion prospects etc. Combine this with time spent on company activities, such as meetings etc. and in most companies the actual applied working time of the average employee is only about 50% of their time at work. Consultants have no interest in company politics, career chasing, internal meetings etc. and tend to focus 100% on the project they are working on. The consulant has a fixed deadline, i.e. the end date of the contract and will normally always ensure that the work is completed to the project milestones.  Financial: Although the initial costs of consultants may seem expensive, this has to be set against the fact that there are no costs of in house benefit packages, no pensions commitment, no payment for holidays or sick time etc. Also, the cost is fixed, purely for the term of the contract, and can be budgeted into the overall project. Once the project is completed, there are no ongoing employment costs or costs of redundancy etc. Work Force Motivation: Using an external expert consultant can demonstrate to your work force that the company is committed to adding value to their personal development. Using an external consultant can provide more freedom of pression and opinion by delegates during the training sessions.  Your delegates will feel less constrained by internal company politics and restrictions when discussing things with an external consultant, who they do not perceive as part of the ‘company machine’. This can lead to much more open discussion and participation by delegates, which can greatly enhance the viability of the project. Commitment : A consultant  is only as good as their last project. They tend to gain employment mostly by referral and it is in their interest therefore, to always do as good a job as possible on each project giving 100% commitment. They will tend to avoid all distractions and try to complete the project ahead of milestones where possible. After all, there is normally no 'overtime' pay for the consultant and therefore no advantage in making the work last any longer than necessary. Wide ranging experience and fresh ideas:Invariably consultants, by the very nature of their work, will have worked across a wide and varied cross section of industries and organisations. They can provide valuable ‘real world’ experience and ideas that your staff may not have knowledge of, due to having to focus on their normal day-to-day occupations. This can be invaluable during times of change and can promote a sense of ‘thinking outside of the box’ by delegates and staff that they have contact with.