The 'Consultant' in the Social world

Many times I find myself in this fix where I wonder; "How and why am I different from a typical corporate sector consultant?" Just to give a background, I work in a social sector consulting firm, so I am part of the group that writes and dishes out the lengthy, heavy impact evaluations of the programs and schemes run by governments, NGOs and INGOs. Example would be a report on the process monitoring of the 'Total Sanitation Campaign' of the Government of India. So that is something that I would work on.

I wasn't necessarily longing for the difference but just that I wanted to understand 'if' and 'how' I am different than the corporate consultant. 

I am just back from a strategic reflection of my organization. I did not have much expectations from it but strangely in all the hullaballo I found the answer to my question. It was when my organization's founder, Raghu was talking to us. The following is his response..(not verbatim..recall method)

I know I am a consultant. How am I then any different from the other consultants? The reason is that I know whom am I working. My client may be the donor funding my study but the person I want to benefit is the end beneficiary of the program. My tools, my study design, my TOC, everything would focus at him or her and try and see how the money and the intervention can be made to help them better, to improve their lives. I try different approaches, different evaluations frameworks to make sure the information they give is captured better.

When I sat to think and reflect on it, then I actually realized that had run common through all my studies. Whether it be with the children or with the PLHIV or sex-workers. I do not go there to get them to fill my survey or to participate in my group interview. I engage with them. I hear them out. The talk, discussion adds to me, my experiences and my personality. Also when I put in my analysis, my recommendations I try to put that reflection as much as possible. I know this sounds a bit stretched but trust me it changes the way you think about your work. If I as an individual want to stay here, it is important for me to see a  personal adn monetary value in it or else I would be person documenting and writing endless reports. That would be self defeating for me in the long run.

Anyways, those are the musings from Kodai.