Lens 04 · Hiring

Scoping, Pricing and Vetting an Analyst

Paying for analysis only makes sense if you know what you are buying. This lens covers how to scope an engagement, how consultants usually charge, what belongs in the contract and how to test a candidate before you sign.

Updated 12 January 2026 · 7 min read

Scope Before You Shop

The most expensive analytics engagement is the one without a question. "Make us better with data" cannot be delivered, measured or priced fairly. Before contacting anyone, write down three things: the problem you keep seeing, the data you already hold and the decision you want to make differently once the work is done.

A good scope reads like this: "Over our last twenty officials we lose most post-plant situations on two maps. We have demos for all of them and POV footage for half. We want to know whether the cause is positioning, utility or communication, and we want a practice plan for the next split." That paragraph lets a consultant estimate effort, ask for the right files and tell you honestly whether the question is answerable.

Scope also defines what the consultant will not do. Many disputes start when a scouting contract quietly grows into roster advice or player coaching.

Flat vector bar chart showing round wins per map in lime and white bars on a slate background

Return

Measure the return

Agree the metric that should move before the work begins.

Common Pricing Structures

Project audit: a fixed fee for a defined sample, such as a review of a season's officials, ending in a written report and a debrief. Best for a first engagement.

Event package: scouting and draft or veto preparation for a single tournament or qualifier, priced per event.

Monthly retainer: ongoing weekly review support and scouting, with a set number of hours or deliverables per month.

Day rate: on-site bootcamp days or workshops. Ask whether travel and preparation days are billed separately.

Contract Points Worth Writing Down

Data ownership: who owns the reports, tagged datasets and clips after the engagement ends.
Confidentiality: scrim footage and strategies covered by a clear non-disclosure clause, including a ban on working with a named direct rival during the term.
Personal data: player data processed under the GDPR, with a written data processing agreement where the consultant acts as processor.
Deliverables and cadence: what arrives, in which format, by which date.
Exit terms: notice period and the handover of all files.

Vetting Checklist

Can show an anonymised sample report with a stated sample and date range.
Explains every metric they use in one plain sentence.
Links claims to match IDs, rounds or timestamps you can verify.
Has worked in your title at a comparable level, or says clearly where they have not.
Names their data sources: HLTV, VLR.gg, Oracle's Elixir, STRATZ, your own demos.
Distinguishes findings from recommendations in writing.
Labels confidence and admits when a sample is too small.
Agrees a success metric before starting, not after.
Provides references from coaches, not only from owners.
Accepts a short paid trial, such as one opponent scouting pack.

Red Flags

Be cautious with anyone who promises a ranking or results outcome, refuses to show any previous work even in anonymised form, relies on a proprietary score they cannot explain, or asks for full account credentials rather than exported files. Equally, a consultant who wants to start presenting to players before agreeing anything with the coach is likely to cause friction in the room.

Measuring the Return

Return is rarely a trophy. It is usually a targeted rate that moved, hours of coach time freed each week, and a review process that keeps running after the consultant leaves. Write those three down at kick-off and check them at the end of the term.

Send us your scope for a second opinion