The Master Consultants Series grew form PACE's long-standing commitment to provide to its grantees and other community-based organizations well-trained management consultants and from its commitment to effective partnerships. Over the last three years, PACE has developed a pool of talent, which included nonprofit and business executives as well as consultants in private practice. This group has received training from the national Center for Community Change and has been provided with other management resources to improve its practice with clients.

In the spring of 2000, PACE was invited by the newly founded Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management at Robert Morris (BCNM) to participate in the BCNM's first major training program using the Drucker Foundation's Self-Assessment Tool to promote excellence in nonprofit performance. The partnership was a good one, bringing together a group of community leaders who share a common passion for building the strongest nonprofit solutions, yet rich in diverse experiences and perspectives. The first cohort of program participants completed their training in 2003. The second cohort of program participants that consists of local professionals in both the nonprofit and forprofit sector began their training in 2004.

The Richard King Mellon Foundation encouraged this fledgling partnership by providing funds to allow PACE to develop a three-year program of professional training, to create more extensive marketing of the consulting network and to devise a tool to formally assess consultant's capabilities. PACE engaged BCNM as its partner for all these efforts.