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Requirements for Advisors

The Advisory Process

The advisory process is a target- and solution-oriented communicative relationship between client and advisor, actively shaped by both parties. In this process, the advisory service is bound to neutrality, and geared exclusively to the client’s success. The advisor must possess sound social, personal and communication competencies, as well as expert knowledge and ongoing training, to successfully guide advisory processes. In addition to advising individual enterprises, this involves supporting cooperative ventures and cross-sector advisory projects, as well as organizing adult-education provision.

Advisor/Client Relationship

To successfully cultivate a relationship, the advisor must be able to properly assess the personalities and situations of clients, in order to deal with them respectfully and support them empathetically throughout the advisory process.

In addition, the advisor will need to have mastered the communicative and methodological tools to understand the needs of clients and to support them to develop and implement effective strategies to achieve their goals.

Professional and Skills Profile of Advisors in Rural Areas

The consultant

  • have specialized in agricultural, domestic and forestry disciplines, and/or rural development
  • assist clients in problem-solving-processes
  • are active in adult education, support projects, and promote the networking of actors in rural areas
  • are self-employed, or are employed in the private or public sector
  • work professionally on a technical, methodological and personal level
  • are capable of reflecting on their professional activity, their various advisory roles, and their personality profile, and of continuing their personal development
  • treat advisory partners with esteem (conception of humanity)

Professional skills

Methodological

  • Organisation of advisory processes in their different stages (relationship building, clarification of tasks, etc.)
  • Understanding of one’s role and advisory models (client-centred advice, etc.)
  • Project management
  • Moderation skills, media technology, visualization
  • Process guidance, monitoring of processes of change
  • Problem- and conflict-solving skills
  • Adult and education management

Communication and social skills

  • Ability to cooperate, work in a team, and network
  • Conversational skills (basics of communication, esteem, questioning techniques, active listening, etc.)
  • Ability to form relationships
  • Information literacy, high-profile knowledge transfer
  • Ability to accept criticism; capable to handle conflicts

Personal (interpersonal and intrapersonal skills)

  • Analytical faculties
  • Personal appearance
  • Self-organization
  • Work organisation, working techniques, goal-oriented working
  • Willingness to learn and change (change management)
  • Intercultural competence
  • Innovative thinking and acting
  • Recognition of abilities and limits, reference to other specialists; Selfcare
  • Self-reflection and reflection of work

Professional competence / specialization

Developing core professional knowledge or specialisation is not a CECRA function

In our guidelines you can find more information about the Requirements for Advisors.

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