From the book 'Fake it Make it" http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X8U2BCY How to successfully outsource app development on eLance or oDesk (upwork)

1. 10 THINGS YOU SHOULD DO
WHEN YOU OUTSOURCE
YOUR APP DEVELOPMENT
Amir Khella

2. 1. POST A CLEAR PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Specify the qualifications and experience
your ideal candidates should have, tell
them how they will be compensated, and
define milestones and deadlines they
must commit to.

3. 2. REVIEW THEIR PORTFOLIO
Look through similar work to what you
would like them to do, and interview
them about it

4. 3. ASK FOR REFERENCES
Request contact information from
previous clients and contact a couple of
them before making a hiring decision

5. 4. START WITH A SMALL TEST TASK
Assign it to the top 3 candidates at the
same time, to find out which of them
delivers the best quality on time.

6. 5. HIRE SLOWLY
Don't hire the first person who responds
to your job post. Interview multiple
people, narrow your candidates down to
2-3, and give them a test task to finish

7. 6. GIVE THEM CLEAR REQUIREMENTS
The more clear and specific your
requirements are, the better deliverables
you’ll get. Don’t let them make their own
decision about an unclear feature.

8. 7. ASK FOR WEEKLY DELIVERABLES
Create weekly milestones to look at the
work and provide feedback. Don’t let
them work for a month or two without
seeing any deliverables.

9. 8. ASK FOR DAILY STATUS UPDATES
Request a daily email outlining the
work that was finished that day, the
work that will be done the following day,
and any possible problems or delays.

10. 9. CHAT REGULARLY
Schedule a Skype /Hangouts chat at the
beginning and at the end of the week to
discuss progress and provide feedback.

11. 10. TREAT YOUR TEAM WELL
Treat them with respect, give bonuses,
and make sure they are excited to work
on your product. You might end up
hiring them full time later on.