Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 20
20
The Cabinet Office set out that there is sometimes a need for consultants with 43...
Conclusion
The Cabinet Office set out that there is sometimes a need for consultants with 43 Q 101; C&AG’s Report, para 15 44 Qq 53, 54; C&AG’s Report, para 26 45 Qq 5, 18 46 Qq 46, 53; C&AG’s Report para 17 47 Q 53 48 Q 5 49 Qq 108–109 50 Committee of Public Accounts, Brexit Consultancy Costs, One Hundred and Twelfth Report of Session 2017–19, HC 2342, 12 September 2019 51 Qq 74–75, 78 14 Whitehall preparations for EU Exit specialist skills, or temporary staff to work on short-term projects, which we recognise, but agreed that as a whole government made too much use of consultants and contractors. It intends to reduce government’s spending on consultants, working with departments to developing additional capacity and skills in-house to reduce the need for consultants. This work is particularly focussed on core skills, particularly in the digital area. We look forward to seeing the success of these initiatives, as set out by the Cabinet Office, in reduced expenditure on consultants and contractors, and clear evidence of the increased skill level of civil servants.52 52 Qq 78–79 Whitehall preparations for EU Exit 15 2 Preparations for the end of the transition period Communications
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The government disagrees with this recommendation. 3.2 Please refer to the department’s response to recommendation 4. 3.3 The government agrees with this recommendation. Target implementation date: March 2021 3.4 The government has established a programme to review each aspect of how the government engages with consultants. Rupert McNeil, Government Chief People Officer, is SRO for the programme. 3.5 The programme covers: ● Government Consulting Hub - Establishing the Government Consulting Hub (GCH) to stand up the government centre for expertise in consulting. It will deliver strategy consulting projects to departments, inform best practice on when and how departments engage consultants, triage demand, draw together HM Government (HMG) consulting expertise into a profession, share ways of working, and be the single source of knowledge and advice on consultancy matters across government. ● Controls - Reforming central controls on consultancy expenditure. ● Data - Improving the quality of data and reporting on which firms the government uses, how much it spends and for what purpose. ● Standard - Developing a new ‘consultancy standard’ setting out requirements commissioners must meet when buying consultancy (for example, around knowledge transfer and performance management), supported by a Consultancy Playbook and a comply or explain approach ● Strategic Workforce Planning and Capability and Training - Sharing knowledge with Strategic Workforce Planning (in Civil Service HR) and Government Curriculum and Skills Unit (GCSU) to tackle capacity and capability drivers of consultancy spend. 3.6 The government is rapidly developing the Hub and aims to launch a pathfinder version of the Government Consulting Hub in early 2021 to iteratively design, test, learn and improve each element of the Hub.