The Capability Conundrum: Resourcing challenges in Government Commercial

As austerity has loosened its grip, and with Brexit looming, government spend with consultancies has crept back up. The consultancy costs reported in departments’ annual reports totalled £332 million for 2017-18. This report from Proxima asks whether government has learnt from past mistakes.

When used well, consultancies and temporary staff can be a flexible and cost-effective part of the workforce. Specialist external staff, though, can be expensive. In 2016, the NAO estimated that these temporary resources cost approximately double that of their permanent civil servant counterparts.

This report asks - is government getting value for money from these arrangements? 

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