HANG on everyone, we’ve got this consultant thing the wrong way round. It’s time to ignore those who dissolve into little puddles of worry when they think about the public sector spending its cash on private consultants: planning departments, at least, should draw more heavily on the private sector to plug skills gaps, says the Audit Commission.
Local Government Chronicle (Feb 9) reports that council planning departments are “reluctant to use consultants except for one-off jobs” because of a range of myths, such as the misconception that the private sector is not capable of working with the public sector.
“But the private sector can offer skills that it is not economic for councils to employ full-time,” says Steve Bundred, the commission’s chief executive. www.audit-commission.gov.uk