The new Labour government begins its time in office facing a complex and unprecedented series of challenges. The private sector will play a vital role in helping the public sector to meet those challenges, just as it is helping Britain’s biggest businesses and best loved brands, as well as companies and governments right across the world.
There are many reasons clients call upon our member firms, from help with cutting costs and improving efficiency, to driving innovation and embracing technological transformation. Demand for all these services is rising, with our annual report, recently released , showing growth in double digits and exports continuing to increase.
We are, however, seeing a shift in the nature of demand, with a focus on tech, cyber security, sustainability, cost efficiency and productivity and consultants are increasingly engaged for their deep subject specialism and their unrivalled convening power across many sector areas. Our annual report reflects this change; firms’ income from projects relating to energy, for example, rocketed by 38% in just one year.
Although the vast majority of work we deliver is in the private sector some will argue that the public sector ought to deliver such services itself and build up capabilities in-house. It is true that government departments are full of incredibly talented and knowledgeable people who are truly world-class when it comes to both expertise and delivery. The Civil Service is one of Britain’s greatest assets. But there are times, usually specific projects, often ones that need to be delivered at pace, when external skills and advice are necessary. We cannot expect the civil service to maintain this capacity on a constant footing when the needs of the day – from net zero to AI – require such specialism and speed.
One of the ways in which UK consultants hone those specialist skills is through their work with overseas governments, which partly accounts for the rise in exports. Our consultancies are viewed as the great convenors of the global economy, able to bring together specialists from across different geographies and a wide variety of sectors.
That word, value, is at the heart of what we do. Our core offer as an industry is around efficiency and productivity, and we stand ready to help the new government, which faces undeniable financial constraints, to do more with less.
Value is also at the heart of who we are. All MCA members commit to the principles Consulting Excellence. Those working with the public sector follow the rules set out in the Consulting Playbook we developed with the Cabinet Office to ensure best practice is always followed. The Chartered Management Consultant (ChMC) accreditation is providing quality assurance to those who procure external advice.
Public sector projects will only ever be a minority share of our firms’ work, but it is often cited by consultants as among the most rewarding. Why? Because this is where they see often their unique skills having the biggest impact upon people’s lives.
Look at the finalists in the “Change and Transformation in the Public Sector” category of our MCA Annual Awards, the winners of which will be announced in October. One consultancy saved enough electricity to power 200,000 homes for a year when it rolled out a scheme encouraging businesses and households to use electricity outside peak times. Another implemented new “geospatial” technology that saved council staff 25,000 hours per year.
A further consultancy did frankly heroic work in developing a groundbreaking digital tool to quickly analyse and remove child sexual abuse material from the internet. Not only did that prevent children from being repeatedly victimised every time the images were reshared, but it also saved analysts from being exposed to the horrific content. That is the true value our consultants deliver: saving money, saving man hours, saving lives.
Yet consulting isn’t just helping to drive growth through the work we do with our clients; we are driving growth in our own right, doubling in size in just five years. More than that, we are growing in a way that benefits the whole of our country. Our firms are investing in skills, with the number of training days for UK staff jumping by 12 per cent in one year. Last year, for the first time ever, more new consultants were hired outside London than inside the capital.
When it comes to reflecting the society we seek to serve, our industry is out in front. Our report shows more women consultants than the previous year and more consultants from an ethnic minority – one-third in total. Though we have a long way to go, particularly when it comes to diversity and inclusion at leadership level, we are proud of the strides we are making. This is the reality of modern, British consulting.
We want our new government to work with us and to champion us. They were elected on a promise of change, and consultants are changemakers by trade: growing our economy, embracing new technologies, implementing the strategies that help governments and companies to deliver. All the while we do so with a strong ethos of service and commitment to value. We are proud of what we have achieved this past year, and we stand ready to serve in the years ahead.