Contractors: would you do this?

["Geoff Hart" <geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca>]

Tammy Sudol <<...was asked to write a document entitled, "The 
Methodology for Creating On-line Help" for a perspective client.>>

You mean your prospective client has an unusual perspective? Or 
were they just drawn badly? <gdr>

> This is the first time in 2 years (as a consultant) that I've been
> asked for something like "a methodology".  What are your thoughts
> on this? 

Well, so long as you're consulting, not actually doing work, add a 
zero to the righthand side of your hourly rate. <g> Seriously, 
though, if you haven't already nailed down the details of the project 
in writing (e.g., as part of a formal contract), the methodology is an 
excellent place to do this. Use the methodology as the basis for 
your agreement on how the job will be done, and if the client strays 
from that agreement, try to make sure that this straying constitutes 
additional work, to be paid for at whatever your hourly rate is. It's a 
bit unusual to submit a formal methodology, but not at all unusual 
to provide some firm idea of your plan of attack so that both parties 
understand what's going on. Come to think of it, you could probably 
reuse this methodology document (suitably modified) for all future 
clients as the basis for discussion. Worth a thought?

<<I felt kind of funny about having to provide this detailed 
information before I get the contract.  I have not yet met with them 
as they are about 5 hours away by car. The client would be flying 
in to meet with me.>>

Under those circumstances, were I the client, I'd want some 
assurance that I'm dealing with someone who knows their 
business, and that we both understand the terms of the contract 
clearly.


--Geoff Hart @8^{)}  geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca  (Pointe-Claire, Quebec)
"If you can't explain it to an 8-year-old, you don't understand it"--Albert Einstein