Vitriol

Much vitriol is dripped today upon Management Consultants in various parts of the public sector. Today the Daily Mail complains of the £3Bn a year it costs the tax payer... Respectfully, the Gorse Fox asks:

• What is the alternative?
• The same media decry the quality of Civil Servants, so exactly where should the Civil Service get its advice?
• Should the Public Sector hire such people itself?
• And how much would that cost - once you have added pensions into the mix?

Gorse Fox thinks it would be better to query "How can we get the best out of the Management Consultants that are used in the Public Sector?" and suggests the answers are:

• Give them a clear brief
• Give them timely access to the staff they need to interview
• Do NOT expect concensus
• Ask for regular briefings
• Do NOT interfere unless there is a problem
• Do NOT employ them to use up unused budget
• Do NOT listen to Ministers (they have no concept of Strategic Good... only tactical headlines)
• DO make sure you know what they are doing
• Do check their billing

[File under: Civil Service]