Consultants
The Department engages consultants where it lacks specialist expertise or when independent research, review or assessment is required. Consultants are typically engaged to investigate or diagnose a defined issue or problem; carry out defined reviews or evaluations; or provide independent advice, information or creative solutions to assist in the Department’s decision making.
Prior to engaging consultants, the Department takes into account the skills and resources required for the task, the skills available internally and the cost-effectiveness of engaging external expertise. The decision to engage a consultant is made in accordance with the CPRs and relevant internal policies.
The Department is required to report on AusTender consultancy contracts awarded where the contract value is $10,000 or more. Please refer to the AusTender website at www.tenders.gov.au.
In 2012–13 we spent a total of $2,287,557 on consultancies: $1,048,514 on (11) existing consultancies and $1,239,043 on (39) new consultancy contracts. Details of trends in consultancies are shown in Figure 3.6. The increase in expenditure on consultancies in 2012–13 (compared to 2011–12) is a result of work required for Australia’s hosting of the G20 in 2014.
Figure 3.6 Trends in consultancies
| Consultancies | 2010–11 | 2011–12 | 2012–13 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of existing consultancies | 6 | 5 | 7 |
| Number of new consultancies | 26 | 33 | 37 |
| Total consultancies | 32 | 38 | 44 |
| Total expenditure | $4.21m | $1.76m | $2.29m |