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Policy on selection and engagement of consultants

ABS policy on selection and engagement of consultants is consistent with Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines. The ABS selects and engages consultants in a way that ensures transparency and provides value for money. The ABS identifies qualified and available consultants on the basis of open tender, selective tender, successful tender for a similar project, previous work done and known or assessed capability, as appropriate in each case.

The ABS classifies consultancies based on the guidelines set out in the Department of Finance and Administration's Guidance on Identifying Consultancies for Annual Reporting Purposes, July 2004. Essentially, contracts are classified as consultancies if the services involve the development of an intellectual output that assists with agency decision-making, and whether that output reflects the independent views of the service provider.

Purposes for which consultants were engaged in 2003-04

The purposes for which consultants were engaged by the ABS in 2003-04 have been classified into eleven main categories. These are shown in Table 7.1 below. In all categories, the predominant reasons for the use of consultancy services were the need for specialised skills and to allow efficiency and flexibility in operations by making additional personnel available.

Total consultancies under engagement in 2003-04

The total number of consultancy services engaged during 2003-04 was 63, of which 2 were let in previous financial years. The total value of these consultancy services was just below $1 million. The total number of consultancies engaged during 2003-04 and the expenditure by main purpose of consultancy are presented in Table 7.1. Historical figures are presented in Table 7.2.

Consultants engaged for consultancy services contracts let in 2003-04 with expenditure of $10,000 or more are listed in the following table. The project for which each was engaged and the expenditure are also shown. The consultants are listed under the category for which they were engaged. The justification for recourse to consultancy arrangements, and the type of tender used, is indicated in each case by an alphabetic and a numeric symbol, which is explained in a key at the end of the table.

Table 7.3 Consultancy services contracts let in 2003-04 to the value of $10,000 or more
	Expenditure in 2003-04 ($)	Justification and type of tender
Audit
Acumen Alliance Audit services	166,067	(5) (a)
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Audit services	84,417	(5) (a)
Information technology
Avanade Australia Consultancy in relation to the ABS.Net development	71,405	(5) (a)
Dimension Data Australia Pty Ltd Consultancy in relation to the certification of gateway facility	20,209	(3) (a)
GHD Management Engineering Environment Professional advice in relation to the upgrade of the existing security systems in the ABS Perth Office	40,188	(5) (a)
Gibson Quai Pty Ltd Professional advice in relation to the market testing of carrier voice services	11,680	(5) (a)
Valuesourcing Provision of professional procurement advice	49,090	(5) (a)
Bearingpoint Australia Provision of professional advice	11,769	(5) (a)
Human resources
Fellows Medlock & Associates Professional advice in relation to the development of the 2003 -2006 ABS Certified Agreement	21,757	(5) (a)
Lee Hecht Harrison Professional advice in relation to career assistance program	10,000	(5) (a)
JJ Frith & Associates Development and delivery of training session	12,832	(5) (a)
Value Creation Group Development and facilitation of BSIP Workshop	50,000	(5) (a)
Management
Team Systems Pty Ltd Professional advice in relation to strategy development	20,122	(5) (a)
Results Consulting Design, facilitation and delivery of ABS Management Development Program	11,714	(5) (a)
Other
Market Attitude Research Services Pty Ltd Undertake focus group and cognitive research regarding the 2006 Census of Population and Housing	59,101	(3) (a)
Statistical
Rider Hunt Canberra Pty Ltd Development and production of a construction price index	41,200	(3) (a)
Property
JG Service P/L Provision of property market advice	47,503	(1) (a)
Daschem Holdings P/L Consultancy services in relation to the development of an energy management plan	10,736	(5) (a)
Colliers International Annual national property report on ABS properties 2003 -04	19,834	(1) (a)
Swayle Hynes Consulting Provision of consultancy services in relation to property management	23,368	(5) (a)

a. Need for specialised skills.
b. Need for access to the latest technology and experience in its application.
c. Lack of available in-house resources.
d. Need for an independent study.
e. Need for a change agent or facilitator.

1. Public tender
2. Restricted tender
3. Request for quotation
4. Staged procurement process
5. Direct negotiation
6. Verbal quotation

• scribes
• medical, counselling, and other individual consultations
• presentation of standard/pre-existing training courses
• travel contracts, IT help desk and IT maintenance contracts