It is generally expected that consultants are more likely to take an active role in defining their task, while contractors are more likely to be doing a task that someone else has already laid out for them.

Of course the line between these two is vague. And any resulting expectations are often violated in both directions.

But that's why contracters are usually not management. It is assumed that management has a role in figuring out what needs to be done, which means that it isn't a contract position.

Cheers,
Ben