Leaders in higher education institutions are often accustomed to hiring consultants for certain kinds of work: strategic planning, branding and marketing, fundraising and other development activities, or admissions. But have you ever hired an academic project manager, program developer, grant writer or business plan developer?
New academic programs or centers, technology transfer plans, new business incubators and accelerators and other comprehensive plans are often put in the hands of a committee or task force representing many consituents on campus and off campus. Faculty members and deans who typically head up these committees already have full-time work on their plate and may have no training in managing a complex project. You can hire a grant writer to help raise the necessary funds, but the grant writer can’t invent the program.
Some of your big deals in education will ultimately attract millions of dollars in new investment as well as attracting high quality faculty and students. When you invest in a project management consultant, you can accelerate the plan and the fundraising.
