You are on page 1of 14

SPD Consultancy Guidance

1.1 Introduction The Cabinet Office's standard definition of external consultancy is: "Investigating problems, providing analysis or advice, or assisting with the development of new systems, new structures or new capabilities within the organisation" This does not include staff substitution (ie the use of "consultants" to perform tasks for which skills and resources are not available internally") or "contracted services" (i.e. the purchase of clearly defined and essentially routine services from an external provider). This definition focuses on the use of "management" consultants rather than the routine procurement of particular professional/technical services or research. For example, although a "consultant" might be engaged to u ndertake a specific IT project (eg software development and implementation) this would not fall within the Cabinet Office definition, whereas engaging a consultant to "review the Executive's IT strategy and make recommendations" would. 1.1.1 Ministerial Approval Any proposal to engage management consultancy support where the estimated total value is 5 0,000 or above requires the approval of the Minister for Finance and Public Services. Requirements must not be split into smaller packages in order to circumvent these rules. 1.2 When should External Consultants be used? It is Scottish Executive policy that consultants are only employed when: management is determined to take action to bring about change and there is demonstrable commitment to act upon the substance of the outputs; the work cannot be handled internally, i.e. we are sure that the required knowledge and expertise is not available in -house or from some other source; they can bring relevant new knowledge and experience which adds value to the Scottish Executives business; the number of assignments does not exceed in -house capacity to manage them effectively; there is not an existing collaborative/framework contract; there is demonstrable and achievable VFM as a result of their employment; and all of the necessary authorities have been given.

1.3 How to Get the Best From External Consultants An Efficiency review undertaken in 1994 on the use of external consultants identified nine critical success factors all of which have to be addressed effectively. They are: Making sure that the required knowledge and expertise is not available within the organisation, or from some other source that is less expensive than consultants. Taking a balanced attitude to consultants, seeing them as a valuable but costly resource to be deployed appropriately.

Using consultants only where management is determined to take action to bring about change - to grasp opportunities or resolve problems. Clearly defining the goal to be achieved through the use of consult ants and from this identifying the work that needs to be undertaken. Identifying and selecting the consultants who can provide the most appropriate mix of knowledge and expertise at the most advantageous price. Managing the consultants effectively. Ensuring that the results match the goals and are implemented through a proper action plan. Reviewing the assignment to assess the VFM achieved and ensure any lessons learnt are disseminated and incorporated in the management system. Using consultants on matters of importance to the Scottish Executives business and where they will add the greatest value.

1.4 The Process of Employing Consultants There are three key stages in the process of employing external consultants. These are: First Stage: Preparation: Decide what you want (i.e. what are the main outputs required), get the necessary authority to follow the path you have chosen and select the staff who will be involved in the project Procurement: Agree your procurement strategy with SPD: P O where appropriate, revise it where necessary and follow it through to the award of contract. Contract Management: Manage the contract, measure the performance and control the output.

Second Stage: Third Stage:

1.5 Reporting of External Consultancy and Professional Services Contracts SPD are required to report on all consultancy contracts placed by the Executive to the Minister for Finance and Public Services (including its agencies and associated departments). The use of professional services is also subject to scrutiny and as such details of contracts placed should be copied to SPD for reporting purp oses. This note provides guidance on the procedures by which details of contracts with a value greater than 5,000 are to be reported and on the definition of external consultancy and professional services. 1.5.1 External Consultancy The Cabinet Offices standard definition of external consultancy is; "Investigating problems, providing analysis or advice, or assisting with the development of new systems, new structures or new capabilities within the organisation" This does not include staff substitution (ie the use of "consultants" to perform tasks for which skills and resources are not available internally) or "contracted services" (ie the purchase of clearly defined and essentially routine services from an external provider). This definition, and on -going parliamentary interest, is principally in the use of "management" consultants rather than the routine procurement of particular professional/technical services or research. For example, although a "consultant" might be engaged to undertake a specific IT p roject (eg software development and implementation) this would not fall within the Cabinet Office definition, whereas

engaging a consultant recommendations" would.

to

"review

the

Executives

IT

strategy

and

make

1.5.2 Professional Services Professional services cover a vast range of activities and specialist disciplines including design and development of IT, the delivery of contracted out services, such as payroll services or advertising for recruitment of staff, and expert advice on, for example, legal issues. The definition of professional services would include staff substitution. The key services of interest for reporting purposes are advisory services in the area of human resources, financial, legal and management services. If you are in any doubt as to whether or not a particular contract falls within the definition of external consultancy or professional services advice should be sought from SPD. 1.5.3 Contract Details Form The form attached should be completed and returned to SPD:PSA for all contracts meeting the definition of either external consultancy or professional services, when the contracted value exceeds 5,000 (ex VAT). The form seeks the following details: name, department etc details of the officer responsible for managing the contra ct, including a contact tel. number and the date on which the form has been completed; contractor name contractors trading name (if in doubt, the name given in the contract should be used); contractor address - the contractors official address (if in doubt, the address given in the contract should be used); nature of the contract - a brief description of the services to be provided (eg "review of management planning systems for ??" or "report on training/skills strategy for ??"), in cases of doubt as to whether the contract meets the definition a fuller description should be provided; contract value if known, the actual value should be provided. If this is unknown at the time the contract is awarded, a best estimate should be provided. If the estimate turns out to be inaccurate or if the contract value changes, a suitably amended form should be submitted; date awarded the date on which we accepted the suppliers tender. contract duration - this seeks the duration of the contract (estimated, if necessa ry); was the contract placed competitively? were competitive quotes/tenders sought? This seeks a yes/no answer and, if yes, basic details of the competition (eg "telephone estimates sought from 3 providers" "advertised in trade press and Government Opportunities and awarded following formal tender process"); if no, reason for single tender action if competitive quotes/tenders were not sought, the justification for award by single tender should be provided (this should be as recorded on file for audit in spection purposes);

is any of the information commercially confidential? it is envisaged that the information gathered will need to be published from time to time in response, for example, to PQs. If any of the information provided is genuinely commercia lly confidential, the justification should be set out here. 1.5.3 Returning the Form Once the form is completed it should be saved and given the Contractors name. It should then be returned to SPD Policy Branch. Returns are only required in respect of contracts meeting the Cabinet Offices definition. However, as the information collected centrally will be used in order to answer PQs, it is very important that data is complete and accurate. If you are in any doubt as to whether or not a particular contract falls within the definition advice should be sought from SPD. FIRST STAGE 1.6 Obtain Authority The key elements of the First Stage are that authority has been given the go ahead and that what is to be achieved through the use of external consultants has been clearly defined. Bear in mind that you should only seek the services of external consultants if you are absolutely certain that the knowledge or expertise required is not available in-house . Scottish Executive Changing to Deliver Support and Challenge Division should always be consulted in the first instance. They will assess possible alternatives to external consultancy - such as using CtD's own services, the services of other internal bodies within the Scottish Executive, or collaboration with other Government Departments or Agencies. When external consultancy is deemed necessary it is essential that sufficient funding is available to meet the costs of the work. The fact that it might be easier to find resources from programme monies to pay f a consultancy than to find or resources in-house is not sufficient justification to hire external consultants. Any consultancy proposal must be shown to be justified and to offer good VFM. The use of external consultants by Departments has been the subject of close scrutiny by the First Minister and minister for Finance and Public Services. As a result, a business case is required for all consultancy contracts likely to cost over 10,000 (exclusive of VAT). Business cases must be approved for contracts likely to exceed 50,000 (exclusive of VAT) by the Minister for Finance and Public Services.

1.7 Define Objectives Business Case Once the funding has been approved, it is necessary to prepare a business case where a consultancy project is expected to cost more than 10,000 (excluding Value Added Tax (VAT)) or where, regardless of value, the business impact is potentially substantial. Whilst the business case need not be elaborate, the following issues must be considered and recorded: the purpose of the pro ject or assignment (the terms of reference could be used); the benefits to be derived and when they are likely to accrue; the expected deliverables;

the proposed project management arrangements, including confirmation that a sufficiently senior, experie nced and competent project manager is being assigned to the project; the proposed division of work between the consultant and in -house staff; the expected costs of both the consultant and the in -house effort; confirmation that financial resources are available to meet the estimated cost of the consultancy; a systematic assessment of the alternatives other than consultancy which have been considered; how evaluation of tenders will be undertaken; and how eventual consultants' recommendations will be considered and implemented.

The business case should provide sufficient information to judge that the project tackles a problem of real importance to the Scottish Executive, whether it has the support of those staff who need to be committed if the project is to be successful, and that the business case has been properly prepared and is convincing. 1.8 Terms of Reference When the business case has been passed to the Changing to Deliver Division and approved by Ministers and the broad outline of the project approved, the work which is to be undertaken will need to be clearly defined, via agreed terms of reference. This is probably the most crucial stage in the procurement process. Incomplete or unclear specifications will almost inevitably lead to an unsatisfactory outcome and often to increased costs in order to put things right. All staff involved should know why a project or assignment is being undertaken and be clear about the benefits and deliverables they wish to achieve. Wherever possible, the terms of reference should be output based. In other words the terms of reference should specify service standards rather than prescribe how the work is to be done. This places the onus on the tenderers to demonstrate how they will achieve such standards. Terms of reference should be drawn up that cover, for example, the following points: the background to the project; the project's aims, objectives, and expected benefits; how the project will be controlled and managed; where the project will take place (if the pro ject is to be undertaken mainly on Scottish Executive premises); the project timetable with details of the required deliverables (such as interim and final reports and/or systems that will be delivered), and any particular standards of quality assurance to be met; the skills and experience that the consultant will be required to demonstrate; (where appropriate) the arrangements through which "skills transfer" from the consultant to Scottish Executive staff should occur, and for ensuring that skills transfer is rigorously monitored; and provide a Scottish Executive contact point with whom the consultant can discuss the requirement in further detail.

If the project is a straightforward one with clear goals and specified tasks which the consultants are being asked to provide, then the terms of reference can be defined in house using internal skills and expertise and, where appropriate, relevant historical information. Alternatively as a first step, you can talk to a number of consultants about how best to achieve the desired outcome. If you do this stay firmly in control of the process. Do not allow the proposition to be broadened unnecessarily, but use the discussions to enhance

your thinking. Make sure that the consultants you approach fully understand your reason for speaking with them and that they are aware that this is the first step in a full and open competitive tendering exercise. If it is a major project then you might want to consider commissioning an initial scoping study to help with the definition of the requirement and the development of the specification. Remember, the requirements should be defined as outputs not inputs wherever possible. 1.9 Select Staff A project manager must be appointed at an early stage to develop the contract monitoring plan. The plan should include details of: the outputs and monitoring information required; quality assessment; key milestones; meetings; and payment schedules.

It should also include an action plan showing how it is proposed to implement the consultant's findings and recommendations. For complex or expensive projects, a project board or steering committee may be required. Project managers must possess appropriate competencies and expertise consistent with their role within the process. If no-one is available with that expertise, this raises serious doubts about how effectively the contract can be managed. In these circumstances, consideration should be given as to whether the whole consultancy project is capable of being implemented successfully and co st effectively. If the nine critical success factors, referred to earlier, cannot clearly be satisfied, you should not proceed. A clear chain of command should also be in place. Within the staffing structure, project managers should have direct access to a senior member of staff who has authority to make decisions. Ideally, they too will be part of the contract management team. The whole team must be fully conversant with the aims and objectives of the project. You should ensure that the Scottish Executive can be confident of achieving VFM by allocating sufficient resource to managing the contract throughout the whole period. SECOND STAGE 1.10 The Procurement Process The key elements of the procurement process are: inviting tenders; evaluating the tenders r eceived; and awarding the contract. The outcome of this stage should be a signed contract so that work can begin. SPD is the lead body for consultancy purchasing within the Scottish Executive and they, or an alternative purchasing group (such as the Scottish Priso n Service (SPS) Purchasing Unit), must be involved in the process. SPD:P O will offer advice and guidance on the statement of requirements, the selection of consultants to invite to tender, the tendering and contract award processes and the scope for Post Tender Negotiation (PTN). Tendering for external consultants involves the following main steps: deciding whom to invite to tender and how;

preparing and issuing the Invitation to Tender (ITT) amid agreeing the evaluation criteria; assessing the t enders and producing a shortlist; PTN if appropriate; interviewing the shortlisted organisations (where appropriate); making the final selection; and awarding the contract.

1.11 European Communities (EC) Directives You will need to determine whether the EC procurement directives apply to the contract. If you are buying consultancy advice and the value of the contract or a series of contracts is likely to exceed the thresholds provided in then the Directives will apply, please refer to the Scottish Procurement Directorates Policy Manual SPD will be able to . assist you in ensuring that the EC procurement rules are correctly applied. It should be noted that many procurements above 100,000 are likely to be subject to the detailed procedures in the EC Procurement Directives. The most common procedure will take a minimum of about 3 months from advertisement to choice of supplier, and this can easily extend to 8 months in more complex cases allowing for clarification of specifications, supplier set-up time, etc. Failure to appreciate the EC obligations sufficiently in advance is not itself an acceptable reason for reducing normal timescales. 1.12 Collaborative Projects You should actively look for opportunities to mount collaborative projects There is wide scope for Departments and Agencies to work together thereby reducing overall costs and achieving additional savings. Assessing whether a joint approach is feasible should form part of your procurement strategy. 1.13 Identifying which Consultants to Invite to Tender When the decision has been made to employ external consultants, it is important to identify those, which are likely to be able to provide the most appropriate mix of knowledge and expertise. The prime areas for consideration are: technical ability, quality and likely value offered rather than the price charged, although price remains important. Getting the right consultant is also about recognising that an effective relationship must be based on mutual trust and respect, which is part of the recipe for a successful assignment. There will be more chance of failure if the relationship between the staff of both parties is poor. This is fundamental to a successful consultancy project and you will need to ensure that the contract allows negotiation on the make-up of the consultancy team if the personal chemistry does not work. It is Scottish Executive procurement policy that contracts are let as a result of competitive tendering. Competition helps to promote efficiency and economy, but the form of competition must be appropriate to the value and complexity of the project and the risks associated with it. Competitive tendering will minimise the risk of conflicts of interest for consultants, particularly where they are in a position to generate more work for their organisation. Moreover the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) assert that consultancy contracts should be let by competition. Consultants can be selected in one of two ways. Firstly by open competition, whereby interested parties identify themselves in response to an advertisement. Alternatively (and provided that the EC procurement directives do not apply), a list can be drawn up

of organisations which it is believed can provide the skill and expertise needed. Whichever option is chosen it must be borne in mind that many consultants have their own methodology and will adhere to that approach whether it is appropriate for your project or not. Bidders should therefore be asked to explain how they propose to carry out the work and why that particular approa ch is best suited for the requirements of your contract. The composition of the tender invitation list should be agreed between the customer and SPD:P O. Ideally, a tender list should include a mix of large, well established consultancy firms and smaller, generalist or specialist consultancy firms. If required, SPD:PO will provide details of consultants that they consider might be suitable for the proposed work. SPD has access to a number of sources of information on consultants including: The Treasury's Index of Management Consultants. Scottish Executive's Framework Agreements/Arrangements with selected Information Technology consultancy firms. CCTA The Government Centre for Information Systems), S-CAT services catalogue which lists of Information Technology Consultancy Suppliers. Details of Consultants' performance on previous projects. Information provided directly by Consultants detailing the services and skills they can provide.

1.14 Inviting Tenders Cost is an important factor when deciding which p rocedure to select. For projects costing less than 10,000 (exclusive of VAT) informal price testing may be used instead of formal, competitive tendering. This would generally involve identifying 2 or 3 appropriate consultants, providing and discussing with them the terms of reference, and inviting them to submit by fax or letter details of their proposed resource input (staff and number of days work) and fees for the project. The price testing process should always involve SPD:PO , who will issue the terms of reference and receive the details of resource input and fees. The sponsoring Branch (customer) should be available to discuss the terms of reference in more detail should any of the consultants wish to do so. For projects costing over 10,000, formal c ompetitive tenders must be obtained from more than 3 consultants. This should allow sufficient competition to provide a variety of proposed solutions and costs. The selection of the consultants to be approached should be a joint process with SPD:P O, and te nders should always be invited and received by SPD:P O. The following methods can be adopted for obtaining tenders: formal, competitive tenders can be obtained from 3 or more consultants; or invitations and terms of reference can be issued to around 6 to 8 consultants asking them to submit brief proposals explaining why their organisation is well suited to undertake the work and why they should be invited to submit a formal, competitive tender. An assessment of these brief proposals can then be made, a final selection decision taken and formal, competitive tenders and presentations invited from the consultants who submitted the best 3 or 4 brief proposals.

For projects likely to exceed the EC Services Directive threshold, the tendering procedures must follow the detailed procedures laid down in the Directive s. SPD will provide guidance throughout the tendering process to ensure that the procedures are observed.

It does not make sense to invite a larger number of tenders when it is known that only one or two organisations can fully meet the requirements. If consultants are invited to tender they generally feel obliged to respond in case their refusal stops them from being invited in the future. At the same time a long tender list increases the cost to the Scottish Executive as all submissions have to be evaluated and processed before the right bidder can be found. Enough firms need to be invited to bid to ensure effective competition. If the numbers are unduly limited, the market place could begin to stagnate and new players would never come onto the field. Price in particular will reflect the limited scope for competition and usually tends to go up. It is also necessary to allow adequate publicity of the requirement to ensure open and fair competition and this may require advertising the requirement when it exceeds a value of approximately above 50,000. Allow firms sufficient time to tender. We would be justifiably criticised if only a week were allowed for bidders to respond, and then the evaluation process took months to complete. For single tender projects, tenderers should normally be given a minimum of three weeks to submit their bids. For other projects, tenderers are likely to require at least four weeks to put a bid together. For projects likely to e xceed the EC Services Directive threshold, the time allowed must be the minimum specified in the Directives. SPD's guidance should be sought to ensure that these timescales are adhered to. 1.15 Invitations To Tender (ITT) When inviting tenders, the ITT letter should request that the following information be included in their submission: their understanding of the terms of reference; the consultant's work plan, detailing the timetable, methodology and procedures they intend to adopt; the names and the CV's of the consultants who are to do the work; details of other support provided by the consultant e.g. for ensuring quality assurance and providing project management; details of two reference sites, preferably in the public sector, (and wherever possible , site where the particular staff proposed by the consultant have previously undertaken comparable work) and with whom the Scottish Executive can make contact; confirmation of the deliverables such as reports and/or systems that will be delivered: the number of days input proposed to complete the project, including a breakdown of each individual consultant's proposed input; the fees - both the total cost of the proposed work and a breakdown of each of the proposed consultants daily rates and expenses; and details of the input and requirements the consultant needs from the Scottish Executive in order to undertake the work.

Once the terms of reference and the invitation have been received, it is likely that the consultants will seek to obtain additional information pertaining to the required work. This is often by telephone but occasionally consultants may request face -to-face discussions. Such discussions are permissible but it is essential that the names of the other tenderers are not divulged and that the budget for work being tendered is not revealed. If after these discussions it becomes necessary to amend the invitation to tender, for example if some critical information is found to have been omitted, then the amendment

must be notified to all of the tenderers. However, care must be taken not to permit amendments that would favour one or more consultants. 1.16 Evaluation of Tenders It is important that you know what you want from the tenderers at a very early stage. If you understand how the bids are to be assessed, then knowing what to ask for in the ITT will be straightforward. The evaluation process must be systematic, thorough and fair and be seen as such. The tenders will always be evaluated against the criteria (weighted where appropriate) which have been agreed and documented before the tenders are opened. Do not confirm selection of the preferred consultants without following up references. Tenders should be assessed systematically against the specific requirements of the project. The main areas that need to be evaluated include: approach and methodology; quality assurance & project management arrangements; experience; staffing and price. The consultants proposed approach and methodology should be assessed to ensure that it is clear and comprehensive and that it demonstrates: an understanding of the problems, needs and constraints; the originality and novelty of the approach; the scope of the project and the requirements of the Scottish Executive; the short and long -term benefits; and the risks involved.

1.17 Experience and Staffing Proposals The size, composition and organisation of the consultants project team should be considered. Bear in mind that consultants use senior staff (Partners and Managers) to market and negotiate projects. Th e tenderers actual proposal for execution of the project may well, however, involve more junior members of the firm with limited project experience. It is important therefore to consider the CV's and track records of the proposed staff to ensure that they have the required skills (technical and interpersonal). This is one of the main reasons for interviewing the proposed staff - in particular the project leader and any others in main or key roles. Contact should be made with two or three of the more releva nt reference sites, which the tenderer has detailed in their proposal. First hand feedback from such sources on overall performance or on the individuals proposed can be a very reliable (and free) source of information. 1.18 Quality and Project Management Consultants should be asked to provide details of their quality assurance proposals, including how the performance of their team will be monitored and how issues arising during the assignment, which may affect the project, will be handled. Project manageme nt issues that need to be considered include: the need for and the composition of Steering Groups; arrangements for day -to-day control of the project including a method of monitoring work and costs against the agreed specification; and the preparation o f a timed project plan with target dates.

1.19 Price It is important to consider the price of a tender proposal in addition to examining the technical and staffing aspects of the proposal. The price should be considered when making the final decision on which firm to appoint. Neither the lowest or highest cost proposal may offer the best overall VFM, and this is what should determine the contract award. Best overall VFM can be characterised as the proposal "which provides the best VFM when the proposed me thodology, relevant experience, price and ability to meet the required timescale are all taken into account". Several factors need to be considered when evaluating price and making comparisons between proposals, for example a consultant may be: offering a special discount to get the work (especially if the Scottish Executive has not dealt with the firm before or they have not won Scottish Executive business for some time); offering more junior, and thereby less costly staff; offering a different mix of experience and input; may have technical backup (e.g. a computer programme) that will save time; may incur lower travelling expenses; and offer a wholly different approach to the problem.

1.20 Interviewing Shortlisted Companies After the assessment of th e written proposals, it is recommended that the providers of the best 2 or 3 proposals be invited to attend for an interview. The purpose of the interview is to clarify and expand upon the proposals and to confirm (or otherwise) the findings of the written evaluation. Issues that should be clarified at this post -tender interview stage include: an assessment of how well the consultant understands the requirement; an assessment of the resources of the consultancy firm (including the availability of replace ment consultants) and the methods it proposes to use; confirmation that the experience of the company and consultants proposed is relevant for the project; capabilities of the staff who will do the work; a thorough explanation of the timescale for the project and the associated costs/expenses; and an assessment of how well the consultant understands the Scottish Executive culture and whether you can work effectively with the proposed consultancy staff.

It should be recognised, however, that price negotiation will not always be desirable, and two or more firms must never be drawn into a "Dutch Auction" (where one tenderer is unfairly traded off against another). Equally unethical is the practice of handing over an unsuccessful proposal to the favoured firm with a request to study it and exploit any useful ideas to finalise their own proposal. THIRD STAGE 1.21 Contract Management The principles which underpin the effective management of any contract apply equally to the management of consultancy contracts . Effective contract management of external

consultants involves the management of all aspects of the relationship between the consultants and the Scottish Executive to ensure delivery of a cost effective solution which meets the contractual agreement i.e., the work required is completed on time, to the agreed contract price,and to the specifications laid down. The key responsibilities of contract managers in respect of any external consultancy are likely to be: agreeing a monitoring plan which sets out a quality system for measuring progress against objectives to ensure successful delivery of outputs and VFM; actively managing the relationship with providers and working closely to minimise the time spent learning about the Scottish Executive. Ensure that consultants are working appropriately; monitoring the quality of the service/output provided and resolving any problems as quickly as possible; facilitating opportunities for skills transfer which, if appropriate, should be an integral part of the contra ct and be subject to agreed monitoring arrangements; actively managing the contract to ensure that consultants remain within budget (in the case of contracts priced on the basis of daily rates); establishing and managing systems for maintaining financial control and certifying invoices; and working with others to agree a plan to implement the findings from the project.

The following paragraphs set out the key issues which need to be addressed once the contract has been awarded to the successful tenderer . 1.22 Working with the Consultant Project managers should be non -adversarial in their approach and should aim to strike a balance between the need for flexibility and openness in all dealings with consultants and the requirement to conduct the contract process with professionalism and adherence to government probity. Continuous dialogue and a joint approach to problem solving through regular and structured reviews should be the aim of the project manager; this should include keeping consultants in touch with any departmental developments and changing priorities which may impact on the assignment and its findings. Issues will arise during the life of the contract. A flexible and positive working relationship, regular review meetings and sound reporting proce dures will together act as an early warning system and should help to reduce any potential risks to the assignment. Project managers should act swiftly in response to problems in accordance with the contract and within the boundaries of their delegated authority. Changes in requirements during the contract should be rare. However, when a change is necessary, the earlier it can be identified the better chance there will be of resolving it to the satisfaction of all concerned. In cases where change necessitates a contract variation, it is essential that project managers follow the appropriate procedures. SPD will be able to advise in such situations. 1.23 At the end of the Project On completion of the project, the project manager should formally sign it off, confirming in writing that they are satisfied that the consultants have properly discharged their responsibilities before final payment is made. The project manager should also complete a project report for senior management, SPD and the CtD, covering the conduct of the assignment, the quality of the consultants analysis and recommendations, the extent to which the envisaged benefits are likely to be achieved, any additional benefits derived, and the total price. This will assist both SPD and CtD in advising other Divsions of the Scottish Executive about appropriate organisations to compete for consultenacy work.

Following completion of a consultancy assignment, the project manager should prepare an action plan for implementing its results, and a senior ma nager, normally at Divisional/Branch Head level, should ensure that effective arrangements are in place for monitoring the implementation.

Annex A Contract Details Consultancy/Professional Service Firms Name Department Division Contact Tel No Date 1. Contractors Name

2. Contractors Address

3. Nature of Contract [e.g. services provided] 4. Contract Value [Estimated or Actual, known]

if

5. Date Awarded

6. Contract Duration

7. Was the contract placed competitively?

8. If Not, reason for single tender action?

9. Is any of the information provided commercially confidential? If so why? When saving this file use the contractors name. Keep the file safe or print out for Audit inspection.

You might also like