Choosing Subject Matter Experts

We recently wrote an article for an association magazine about associations that change their volunteer leadership structure and elections process to ensure that they have qualified leaders sitting on committees and boards. For certifying agencies, qualified volunteers are also needed as subject matter experts to participate in the development of assessment instruments. We went through our archive of resources and came up with these tips for selecting a balanced and qualified group of SMEs.

Qualities to consider when forming a group of SMEs:
• Expertise (knowledge and experience)
• Diversity (gender, ethnicity, geography)
• Balance (work setting/practice type, area of specialization)
• Representative of the job/skill

Individual characteristics to look for in all SMEs:
• Appropriate level of knowledge and experience
• Willingness to provide the necessary time and effort
• Ability to work well with others
• Ability to meet deadlines

Do you have other tips to share on finding qualified subject matter experts? Share them in the comments box.