what to expect from a consultant

[Theresa Toy <t_toy@MENTOR.UNH.EDU>]

I've been asked to check with you folks (experts in the opinion of
our district technology committee) to see if we are expecting too much,
or aren't expecting enough from a consultant we hope to hire this spring.
Our district has completed an analysis of our needs.  We have concluded
that our district needs to network our 12 school buildings.  We intend
to use the cable company coaxial (10baseT) among schools.  We want to
know what words to use to hire a consultant who would be able to translate
what we want to do with the system into a system design  from wiring,
hardware requirements, software limitations, security, personnel
support. staff development timetable.  This person would need to hire
someone to actually draw the wiring design, we suppose, and would need
to oversee the bid process.  Where would you advertize for a technology
consultant with experience in education.  Have you ever hired such a person?
What did you expect from the person in this position?  What time frame from
hiring to the blueprints in hand, the requests for bid proposals in the
mail?  Expected cost of such a consultation?
Theresa Toy t_toy@mentor.unh.edu Rundlett Jr High, Concord, NH 03301