What are the main project roles fulfilled by an outside consultant?

An outside consultant typically plays a crucial role in overseeing and coordinating project activities. This involves ensuring that all components of the project align with the overall goals, timelines, and resources available. The consultant brings an objective perspective, expert knowledge, and specialized skills that may not exist within the organization, enabling them to effectively manage different elements of the project while facilitating communication among various stakeholders.

This role encompasses a wide range of responsibilities including project planning, status reporting, and risk management, which are essential for keeping the project on track. By coordinating efforts, the consultant helps to integrate various project activities into a cohesive approach, which is vital for the successful completion of a project.

While managing finances, designing the project layout, and providing legal advice can be parts of project execution handled by either consultants or in-house teams, these activities do not fully capture the broad oversight and coordination function that an outside consultant typically provides. Therefore, recognizing the consultant's primary role as overseeing and coordinating project activities underlines the importance of integration in ensuring project success.