The Albanese government's in-house consulting model will begin delivering services later this year, after a tranche of job advertisements were posted online last week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Australian Government Consulting will sit within the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet, and employ 38 people once fully staffed.
Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher announced the in-house mechanism last October, as part of the Albanese government's promise to cut down on the ballooning contractor bill.
"Let's not give away some of our most interesting work on evaluation, project management and strategy to the private sector," Senator Gallagher said at the time.
Analysis by The Canberra Times revealed the federal government spent $813.2 million alone on contracts with the big four consulting firms in 2022-23. It was part of a $49.4 billion spend contractors, consultants and labour hire last financial year.
Seven job advertisements posted to the federal government's recruitment website last Wednesday called for applications for APS6, EL1 and EL2, and SES roles.
The posts detail that Australian Government Consulting will be a "a high-quality alternative to external consultants for APS clients across all agencies", with scope to develop more services and reach more clients over time.
The in-house consultancy will deliver projects "using a robust, distinctive consulting methodology that combines the best of private sector approaches and public sector insights," the government claims.
It will also bolster capability by building consulting skillsets within the APS, and support government agencies to achieve better value when engaging external consultants.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark canberratimes.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
Miriam Webber
Miriam Webber is a federal politics and public sector reporter, with a keen interest in integrity, transparency and accountability in government. She has been a member of the federal political bureau since 2023, and previously worked as the city reporter. Reach her at miriam.webber@canberratimes.com.au
Miriam Webber is a federal politics and public sector reporter, with a keen interest in integrity, transparency and accountability in government. She has been a member of the federal political bureau since 2023, and previously worked as the city reporter. Reach her at miriam.webber@canberratimes.com.au
