How Do APPA Advisors Deliver Services?

Scalable Scope of Work….

The services of APPA Advisors are delivered in a variety of forms, which are scalable to specific client needs.  Services range from connecting a client to a subject matter expert for advice and guidance on a single issue engaging to a full team of associates for a comprehensive, yet customized, organizational assessment.  The engagement could be by phone, video, or through campus site visits. The breadth and depth of APPA’s reach and its pool of advisors allows for a robust scalability.

The potential institutional client initiates the review by contacting the Vice President of APPA Advisors for a preliminary consultation and advisory session.  Following the initial session, and upon the client’s continued interest, we will schedule an interview to establish a preliminary scope of work.  The client will be asked a series of questions from which a scope of work will be defined.  Based upon the client’s specific needs, APPA Advisors will recommend, from its pool of experienced professionals, a senior associate or team of associates to provide the desired scope of services.  The recommended individual or team of associates will be subject to the client’s approval. A proposal will follow outlining the process, timing, and cost for the evaluative services for final institutional sign-off.

Engaging Our Services….

In the speed-of-now pace of today’s environment, APPA’s status as a nonprofit niched professional association allows most institutions to bypass a lengthy and costly RFQ/RFP process. Our senior associates and associates bring with them a depth of knowledge and understanding of the profession, financial structures, and culture of higher education that is often lacking from consulting firms who do not specialize in this particular facilities management niche. This allows APPA Advisors to offer a high-quality, cost-effective assessment that is generally delivered on a shortened timeline, thereby meeting your rapid pace.

A Team of Advisors….

The Vice President of APPA Advisors is the initial point of contact for prospective clients and draws from a pool of experienced individuals comprised by senior associates and associates who provide APPA’s direct peer-to-peer services.

Senior Associates are active or retired senior leaders who have served in leadership roles at the director, AVP/AVC, and VP/VC levels of facilities management and/or finance & operations organizations.  They have previous experience in conducting APPA Facilities Management Evaluation Program (FMEP) reviews and/or independent consulting reviews.  The pool of associates is rich and diverse in terms of career experience and expertise.  Senior Associates generally have noteworthy and extensive track records in serving APPA and the profession in a variety of capacities that have broadened their professional networks and understanding of the profession. 

Associates are actively employed in higher education and recognized by peers as exhibiting high levels of competency and achievement in specific areas of the profession.  Many have experience in serving as APPA Facilities Management Evaluation Program (FMEP) team members or other noteworthy contributions, such as national or regional governance, subject matter experts, educators, and/or contributors to APPA’s Body of Knowledge or other publications.

For team-based reviews, a Senior Associate is designated as Team Leader.  The Team Leader serves as the primary client contact for communications, preparations, submission of self-assessments, scheduling of interviews, and finalization of the scope of the review.  In addition, the Team Leader leads the team in preparing for the review, during the on-site visit, and, where applicable, the presentation of the exit report. 

Deliverables by Each Team….

The deliverables are tailored to the institutional needs and scaled to fit the institution’s desired outcomes.  Our associates and teams are experienced in preparing and submitting full evaluation reports; providing presentations to administrative leaders, presidents, chancellors and boards; providing training and professional development for frontline supervisors to organizational leaders; and conducting post-review follow ups where appropriate.

For More Information and to Engage APPA Advisors:

Don Guckert, P.E., APPA Fellow
Vice President of APPA Advisors
Email:  [email protected]
Phone:  703-542-3847