How Much?

[Churchill]

WageSlave: So niave, so sweet.

He is only a young lad though Threaded.

[threaded]

WageSlave: So niave, so sweet.

[WageSlave]

it's not like it's their money ?

It is their money. It's everyone's money! And, as civil servants, they have a duty to ensure its spent effectively and impartially.

why should they bother ?

Because they are paid well to bother. They have a cushy job with a knighthood at the end. Becuase they are paid to do a job, and do that job they should.

it's not like their company will go bust - just increase taxes to cover the increased _investment_ that the government department is making

But their company can go bust through economic mismanagement. Look back to the 1970s for such an example.

[milanbenes]

"If said managers had the courage and intelligence to manage the engagement properly",

that's is more than their jobs are worth !

why should they bother ?

it's not like it's their money ?

it's not like their company will go bust - just increase taxes to cover the increased _investment_ that the government department is making

Milan.

[WageSlave]

That's right. These consultancies bill a green pea graduate out at £900 p/d, but pay the pod sod £25k p/a. It's a good life being a partner!

Consultancies are capable of delivering high calibre work. Their A teams can really do the trick, but usually the C team is sent in to create client dependency and milk the cash cow for as long as possible. Is this the fault of the consultancies? No, not really. They are in the game of making money and that's their aim.

The real responsibility and blame lies with senior civil servants who are too incompetent to run their own projects and too gutless (not to mention guilty) to pull the plug on a consultancy engagement that's gone out of control. If said managers had the courage and intelligence to manage the engagement properly, this would be a rare situation rather than the norm.

[The Lone Gunman]

they pay the real consultants £1200 a day.

I dont think even the "real consultants" are earning that. That is the rate EDS are billing for a "consultant" and are then fielding a 300 per day student!
EDS makes and instant 900 a day profit per "consultant" IMHO.
Pass the gravy theres a good chap...

[DimPrawn]

home grown self standing talent..

But the government see us as tax dodging scum employees not consultants of any kind. We should be earning minimum wage like the other proles whilst they pay the real consultants £1200 a day. Don't you see?

Plus when was the last time your company donated £1M to the New Labour party funds? Exactly, keep your nose out of the trough mate.

[The Lone Gunman]

from the front page http://www.contractoruk.com/news/002242.html.

Global IT consultants contracted onto Government technology projects are earning £350 more than their UK-focussed peers on a daily basis, a new study has revealed.

In the first rate disclosure of its kind, the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) says consultants hailing from top global firms offering IT solutions charge an average daily rate of £1,400.

The figure contrasts earnings of so-called second tier IT consultants or ‘UK-focussed suppliers,’ whose daily rate fluctuates around £1,190 - about 18 per cent less.

The data derives from 29 firms working on a range of government contract assignments between April and December 2004, and shows global IT experts charge a premium for their services.

Yet UK-centric IT consultants remain more affluent than their ‘full service’ peers, who offer IT as a part of a range of services, and management business consultants, whose daily rates average £900 and £800 respectfully.

Global business consultants meanwhile, whose offering excludes IT, earned almost 40 per cent more than their UK-focussed peers, providing similar ‘management consultant’ services to public sector projects.

In terms of actual rates paid in 2004, senior consultants from global management firms earned £1128.60 per day, while principals earned £1270, and juniors picked up an average of £729.

All such ranks paid less to their UK-focussed equivalents offering IT specialisms, excluding managing consultants, whose daily rate during 2004 climbed to £1,732.71 - 19 per cent higher than those without IT.

Among the different types of advice on offer, financial consulting emerged as the most lucrative, with professionals charging around £2,000 a day.

Application development was the next highest-paid area (approx. £1250), followed by e-commerce consultancy, telecoms, IT services and lastly, ICT support services.

Data and records management professionals contracted into Government projects or departments earned the least amount among the technology roles identified.

Over 27,000 consultants are now active on Government projects, and during the OGC’s tested year of 2004, central spending on external expertise soared from £986m to £1.4bn.

Paul Kenny, acting General Secretary of the GMB Union, which reported the figures, said the government should start getting value for the taxpayers’ pound.

“These figures show that the tax payer is paying far too much for management and consultancy advice,” said Kenny, referring to the 42 per cent budgetary increase.

“There is scope to save money on these consultants and to spend the money instead on the front line public services. The culture of continual re-organisation in the public sector is creating a field day for consultants.”

No wonder the Govt is paying so much for its IT. Clearly the Head Lease companies are charging astronomical rates compared to the home grown self standing talent.