world class services for a world class city capital ambition consultancy and professional services...

World class services for a world class citywww.capitalambition.gov.uk

Capital Ambition

Consultancy and Professional Services Procurement Project

March 2010


The picture in London

London local authorities spent an estimated £320m on consultancy and professional services in 2007/08.


Common challenges in managing consultancy spend

• purchase and use are fragmented across local authorities;

• often hidden under outsourcing / project costs;

• often booked as agency staff and vice versa;

• often booked under ‘professional fees’ and ‘audit’;

• organisations do not categorise it.


Help to manage consultancy spend

• The Consultancy and Professional Services Procurement Project provides five free products / services to help local authorities:

– improve results from the purchase and use of consultants;

– target a 10% reduction in expenditure;

– tighten the commissioning process;

– support rates negotiations;

– allow comparison and transparency;

– allow for sharing of reports and knowledge.


Five free consultancy products / services

1. The Consultancy Commissioning Toolkit

2. A Guide to Buying Consultancy

3. The Buying Consultancy Services Workshop

4. The Consultancy Brokerage Model

5. The Consultancy Knowledge Centre


1. The Consultancy Commissioning Toolkit

• practical guidance and resources to review:

– the approach and procurement process;

– the management and evaluation of commissioning consultants.

• the toolkit provides:

– best practice guidance;

– example documents e.g, project initiation document.


2. A Guide to Buying Consultancy

• supplements the Consultancy Commissioning Toolkit;

• pragmatic guidance to focus on and identify the results needed;

• recognises that many purchases are relatively small e.g, up to £75K;

• helps to develop an audit trail for each purchase.


3. Buying Consultancy Services Workshop

• one day interactive workshop focusing on:

– skills to commission & manage consultancy assignments;

– how consultancy services are specified, tendered and commissioned;

– commercial benefits and service enhancements.

• in-house workshop (£800+VAT to train 15 officers).


4. The Consultancy Brokerage Model

• a central point internally for commissioning consultants;

• determines and challenges the need for consultants;

• helps to:

– minimise the effects of fragmented practices;

– control purchases and save cash;

– improve results and solve problems;

– develop and use collective capability.


5. The Consultancy Knowledge Centre (CKC)

• a secure web-based database;

• capability to share information on completed assignments;

• each organisation uploads and maintains its information;

• information includes:

– project durations and overall costs;

– project scope and approach;

– consultants commissioned and final recommendations.


Summary

The Consultancy and Professional Services Procurement project offers five free products/services to help reduce spend and improve results from the purchase and use of consultants.


Further information…

• For more information on the Consultancy and Professional Services Procurement Project, visit the London Councils website: http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/capitalambition/projects/consultandproprocurement/

• Other useful links

– Local Government Professional Services Group - http://www.ogc.gov.uk/lgpsg.asp

– ProClass - the local government-owned procurement classification standard http://proclass.nationaliep.gov.uk

world class services for a world class city capital ambition consultancy and professional services...

Documents