Investing in civil service skills and capacity is the best way to ensure value for money

There have been reports that the government is planning to replace the use of management consultants in the civil service by forming an in-house consultancy service.

The Financial Times suggests (£) that the idea is in the early stages of development but is designed to curb the amount of money being spent, in particular, on the ‘Big Four’ management consultancies.

Garry Graham, Prospect deputy general secretary, responded:

“It has been a longstanding frustration of civil servants that historically some ministers have been addicted to the use of private sector management consultants when work could be done in house at a fraction of the cost.

“Investing in skills and ensuring the civil service has the capacity needed is the best way to ensure value for money and effective service delivery.”