What's the best way to find a reliable programmer?

I’ve got a friend who needs some database work done on a web based questionnaire and subsequent reporting tool. He wants to have the work done quickly, but the few local resources I would normally ask are all tied up.

I’ve used a couple of freelance websites in the past, but haven’t always been pleased with the results and feel like it takes a few weeks or more to vet potential candidates through that process.

What have other Flutherer’s done in a situation like this? Quality is as important as trustworthiness and turnaround time for this project.