1001.0 - Annual Report - ABS Annual Report, 2003-04  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 07/10/2004   
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Contents >> Section 6 - Appendixes >> Appendix 7 - Consultancy Services

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.

Table 7.1 Consultancy services contracts engaged by the ABS, 2003-04: Summary
Consultancy Category
Consultancies (number)
Expenditure in 2003-2004 $

Audit
3
256,584
Information technology
15
235,828
Human resources
10
121,939
Legal
4
2,707
Management
9
51,503
Other consultancy
9
103,088
Publishing
1
1,000
Statistical
2
42,600
Training
3
19,145
ABS House
1
1,000
Property
6
122,876
Total
63
958,269


Table 7.2 Consultancy services contracts engaged by the ABS

Consultancies (number)
Expenditure ($)

2000-01
49
2,129,436
2001-02
44
1,172,656
2002-03
53
1,477,651
2003-04
63
958,269

Note: figures in prior years have been revised to include expenditure on Internal Audit.


Consultancies let in 2003-04 with expenditure of $10,000 or more

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)

Key

Justification for recourse to consultancy arrangements:
    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.
Type of Tender:
    1. Public tender
    2. Restricted tender
    3. Request for quotation
    4. Staged procurement process
    5. Direct negotiation
    6. Verbal quotation
Table excludes standard services such as:
  • scribes
  • medical, counselling, and other individual consultations
  • presentation of standard/pre-existing training courses
  • travel contracts, IT help desk and IT maintenance contracts



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