Author Description

Government departments in Northern Ireland have spent about £68 million on consultancy services over the last five years in order to procure a range of advisory and support services, in areas such as management and finance, human resources and environmental advice. This report by the Northern Ireland Audit Office examines the quality of procurement processes used by departments, the adequacy of guidance developed by the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) on obtaining value for money in the use of consultants, and whether the DFP is fulfilling its monitoring role and responsibilities successfully. Findings include that there is considerable scope for more rigorous implementation by departments of the DFP guidance (such as the Framework Agreement), particularly in terms of appraisal and tendering procedures, project control and management, post completion assessment and evaluation, and sharing good practice across the civil service. The DFP needs to update and enhance its guidance to take account of current best practice in procurement, and to develop its management information database to help it better carry out its monitoring and audit functions.