Management Consultants have worked within the public sector for many years in a range of Government departments and organisations. Through working together, we have found new ways to tackle the myriad economic and societal challenges of today.
Consultancies have been commissioned to help drive efficiencies and start major programmes of digital transformation required in the public sector as the Government looks to scale back in size. This has included introducing new tools and platforms which not only improve the value of services achieved but increases the pace to the government’s delivery of services.
The experience gained has been positive for both sides of the equation. Consultants learn more about the pressures and expertise of government, helping spread good practice across the public sector. The civil service benefits from innovative ways of working and crucially becomes a better client by being more focussed on what they want consultants to deliver and what they can demand of them.
As part of efforts to ensure consultancy work is of the highest quality and value and government buyers are getting what they need, the MCA has worked closely with the Cabinet Office in the development of the Consultancy Playbook to ensure that client and consultancy are working in harmony to deliver excellent results for society.
The Government recently announced the latest version of the Consultancy Playbook and continues to rightly focus on the quality of service delivered by management consultancies. Marks of excellence, such as the new Chartered Management Consultant Award, can in the future help buying teams from within the public sector easily identify consultants and firms that will deliver the highest quality results.
Created by the Management Consultancies Association (MCA), the trade body for the UK’s leading consulting firms, in partnership with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), the UK’s leading Chartered professional body for management and leadership, the Chartered Management Consultant award (ChMC) seeks to ensure that consumers of consultancy services can be guaranteed of the highest standards of quality and service within the profession whichever firm they employ.
Consultants with the designation have reached the highest standards of service in the profession and the award showcases individuals who can lead and manage effectively and delivers a professional, recognised qualification against an industry-leading framework.
The Award reflects the operational expectations organisations have of their management consultants. ChMC holders have proven their capabilities at a Chartered level in areas including industry or sector specialisms; clients and markets; strategy, analysis and insight; operational delivery (including technology enablement); stakeholder and relationship development.
Built by the sector and shaped by clients, the Award recognises Management Consulting as a high-quality profession requiring demonstration and maintenance of an individual’s professional competencies as well as enhances the professional standards of the industry.
To date, over 600 consultants have been awarded Chartered Status with more than 4,000 currently on the journey and over 50 leading consulting firms engaged on ChMC accreditation. Accredited firms range in size from larger firms such as PwC, EY and IBM Consulting, Arup and Moorhouse to smaller firms including PPL and Akeso and Co reflecting the major scale up by leading global consulting brands.
As well as ChMC, our member firms also have highly stringent governance procedures which ensure staff working on public sector projects meet the highest standards in ethics and are held to account to ensure the public interest is being served. As a trade body and sector, we are committed to ensuring government uses the best of skills in the consulting service in the most appropriate way, providing value for money and delivering real results for people across the country, in the national interest and that is why we are actively engaged with government to ensure they only use consultants when they are needed and to deliver real results.
Although we are used to the big-name brands in the consulting sector entering into partnerships with the biggest departments in Whitehall to deliver better solutions and outcomes, we are now seeing more branches of local government using medium and smaller agencies to meet their needs. The Management Consultancy Framework has a target of 33% small to medium enterprises to be used through direct spend or indirectly through the supply chain. Small to Medium Enterprises (SME) consultancies account for 69% of all members of the MCA and often provide specialist knowledge and specific capabilities.
Local government, is on the frontline of responding to multiple crises, including the cost-of-living crisis, the housing crisis, and the impact of global warming. By being adaptable and flexible, firms of all sizes are working alongside local government to help it respond to these challenges, whether advising on transitioning local transport networks to net zero or helping transform adult social care.
ChMC ensures that whatever the issue, wherever the locale, however unique the circumstances, and whoever the client, the service they receive is of the highest standards UK consultancy has to offer.