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Scotland's devolved government was this week accused of wasting millions of pounds on external consultants. Audit Scotland, the spending watchdog for the country, revealed this week that Scotland's central government bodies spent £114m on consultants in 2006/07, with £68m used to buy-in IT advice and business management services. More than 1,200 different consultants were used across the central government sector, yet auditors found there was ‘no clear strategy' for their use, leading to disjointed central government initiatives. While auditors reported that consultants could provide vital expertise, they added that too often, Scottish bodies did not plan the use of external advice adequately and wasted opportunities for in-house staff to learn from consultants. Audit Scotland claimed departments and non-departmental public bodies could save around £13m a year, if they were more discerning about their use of external advice. Robert Black, auditor general for Scotland, said: ‘Hiring consultants can be an expensive option. ‘Central government bodies need to plan their use of consultants so that they use their knowledge and skills where both can bring greatest value for money. ‘They must gather and share consistent information on what consultancy services they buy – and why. ‘Bodies should consider when it is better to use their own staff, and how best to ensure public servants learn from consultants.' A Scottish Government spokesman said ministers had ‘already distributed revised guidance to ensure prudent use of consultants across the public sector'. Audit Scotland's report showed Scottish Government directorates spent £41m on consultants, while NDPBs spent £38m and agencies, £35m.

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BUSINESS

Scots 'wasting millions' on external consultants

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