What I didn't realize at the time is that like any profession, there are multiple levels of consultants in the industry. At the small company that I worked for at the time, we employed a consultant that was able to guide us, but this is by far not the only type of consulting role that companies use.

When some projects talk about using consultants, what they really mean is that they are using temporary resources to perform tasks. These resources may be highly technical individuals that come in to do specific tasks, whether it is programming or documentation creation. There is very little "consulting" going on. I think of this resource as a contractor. They get paid to perform a task and when they leave, their only legacy is a completed task.
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When a project manager does employ a resource to act as a consultant, one of the actions they may get from the consultant is to gather data and present options. Because of a knowledge of a product or industry segment, they are qualified to present different solutions to a problem and help present pros and cons. In this situation, the data gatherer allows the project manager to make a decision based on all of the facts.

Finally, at times a consultant must not only present options, but must steer the customer in the correct direction. This was the case at the small company where I worked. When we undertook our project, we were novices. Our consultant didn't confuse us with a bunch of choices; he gave us our path to success and then worked with us to make it occur.

One of the things that is wonderful about the consulting profession is that all three of these consulting scenarios (contractor, data gatherer, true consultant) are possible on any particular project. If the project is managed well, the role that a consultant must play should be established in advance and be evident in the execution. If that is not the case, a good consultant will be able to tell the role that needs to be played and act appropriately. For example, a consultant should not present a list of options to a client that cannot make a decision because of a lack of knowledge of how to proceed. It is incumbent upon the consultant to provide the correct path.

In the final analysis, a consultant may have to mix all three scenarios to achieve success: research many options, present 2 or 3 viable solutions for implementation, and then implement the solution effectively. Those that are successful in the profession are those that are able to adjust to the consulting situation and leave their clients in the best position when their work is completed. There is nothing wrong with a consultant acting like a contractor on a project, if that is what the project calls for, but if that is the only role that they can play they are not acting like a "consultant". As I stated in my blog "Coder to Developer to Consultant", there is little room for consulting resources that can not be multi-dimensional when working for a small consultancy.