Being a consultant has nothing to do with providing recommendation or advice, and has everything to do with understanding. A consultant who recommends is a failed attempt at a fortune-teller, betting on events of the future and hoping to get lucky.
As a consultant, I position myself on another role: I provide clarity, seeking to actually comprehend the problems that run at the core of an organization, to be able to offer real and actionable options.
My role as a consultant, then, consists of asking and asking yet again. And once I have a firm grasp on the issues, from your point of view (not mine), I help you define goals, put together and action plan and, if necessary, train your team to execute it from end-to-end.