Treasury Board President Anita Anand pledged on Tuesday to provide more information "very soon in the coming days" regarding reducing spending on consultants.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Anand’s comments came after it was revealed that federal managers had paid $669,500 to a consultant for guidance on how to reduce spending on consultants.“I will show very soon in the coming days the progress we are making,” Anand told reporters. “You will see that all ministries need to ensure they are doing their part to reduce wasteful spending.”In its budget last March 28, Cabinet said it would “reduce spending on consulting.” A subsequent Inquiry of Ministry tabled in the Commons on November 3 disclosed the department of natural resources paid consultants with KPMG a total of $669,500 for money-saving tips on hiring consultants.Anand said she was not responsible for the KPMG contract. “I have been working extremely hard,” she said.“I will be tabling the first results of the spending review very, very soon and you will see we will continue to make progress,” said Anand. New rules would control the hiring of consultants, she added.“That requires anyone considering using external consultants to ensure they follow those guidelines, including undertaking a review of whether those services can be performed within the Government of Canada and also to ensure this is absolutely necessary,” said Anand.According to estimates from the Treasury Board, federal departments and agencies spent $16.7 billion on consultants last year.The Professional Institute of the Public Service stated in a submission to the Commons Government Operations committee on January 30 that this practice had created a "shadow public service" that was not accountable to taxpayers.“Unchecked spending on government outsourcing by various governments has created a shadow public service of consultants and temporary staff operating alongside the government workforce,” testified Jennifer Carr, president of the 72,000-member union. “This shadow public service plays by an entirely different set of rules.”Records indicated that the Government of Canada continued to hire consultants, even as it expanded its workforce by 30%, growing from 195,600 employees in 2015 to 254,300 in 2022.Members of the largest federal union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, made a key demand during an April 19 strike, seeking a ban on hiring consultants. However, the Treasury Board at the time stated that stopping this practice was not a possibility. “On contracting out, we intend to reduce this practice,” the Treasury Board said in an April 24 statement. “That said, we hope everyone can understand that reducing it to zero would severely compromise the government’s ability to deliver services and work for Canadians.”
Treasury Board President Anita Anand pledged on Tuesday to provide more information "very soon in the coming days" regarding reducing spending on consultants.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Anand’s comments came after it was revealed that federal managers had paid $669,500 to a consultant for guidance on how to reduce spending on consultants.“I will show very soon in the coming days the progress we are making,” Anand told reporters. “You will see that all ministries need to ensure they are doing their part to reduce wasteful spending.”In its budget last March 28, Cabinet said it would “reduce spending on consulting.” A subsequent Inquiry of Ministry tabled in the Commons on November 3 disclosed the department of natural resources paid consultants with KPMG a total of $669,500 for money-saving tips on hiring consultants.Anand said she was not responsible for the KPMG contract. “I have been working extremely hard,” she said.“I will be tabling the first results of the spending review very, very soon and you will see we will continue to make progress,” said Anand. New rules would control the hiring of consultants, she added.“That requires anyone considering using external consultants to ensure they follow those guidelines, including undertaking a review of whether those services can be performed within the Government of Canada and also to ensure this is absolutely necessary,” said Anand.According to estimates from the Treasury Board, federal departments and agencies spent $16.7 billion on consultants last year.The Professional Institute of the Public Service stated in a submission to the Commons Government Operations committee on January 30 that this practice had created a "shadow public service" that was not accountable to taxpayers.“Unchecked spending on government outsourcing by various governments has created a shadow public service of consultants and temporary staff operating alongside the government workforce,” testified Jennifer Carr, president of the 72,000-member union. “This shadow public service plays by an entirely different set of rules.”Records indicated that the Government of Canada continued to hire consultants, even as it expanded its workforce by 30%, growing from 195,600 employees in 2015 to 254,300 in 2022.Members of the largest federal union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, made a key demand during an April 19 strike, seeking a ban on hiring consultants. However, the Treasury Board at the time stated that stopping this practice was not a possibility. “On contracting out, we intend to reduce this practice,” the Treasury Board said in an April 24 statement. “That said, we hope everyone can understand that reducing it to zero would severely compromise the government’s ability to deliver services and work for Canadians.”
