Amidst the billions spent by government - from a failing Test & Trace system to scandalous PPE purchasing - one industry seems to have profited more than most from the chaos of Covid: consultancy firms. THREAD.
Public data shows that at least 50 UK or US consultancy firms have been brought in to advise the government on Covid projects, costing almost £200 million to the taxpayer:
92% went to 10 firms - Deloitte, Boston Consulting, PA Consulting, Accenture, Price Waterhouse Coopers, McKinsey, Ernst & Young, KPMG, Baringa Partners, and Cambridge Consulting - winning £184+ million contracts between them.
Many contracts, especially for smaller consultancies, focused on specific pandemic responses, like IT services. But the bigger contracts, critics argue, could often have been implemented more effectively and cheaper by civil service or NHS staff.
Consultancy Deloitte won £96m of contracts in total, including (as reported by @opendemocracy), £39 million for “services” relating to Test & Trace. That amount wasn’t even listed in public contracts, but was buried away in departmental spending figures. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemocracyuk/deloittes-test-and-trace-bonanza-this-is-how-much-the-british-public-has-paid-them-so-far/
Deloitte’s COVID ‘bonanza’: this is how much the British public has paid so far

The government has given the giant firm £40m to oversee 'failing' Test and Trace – with no sign of any contract. So just what are they doing for the money?

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemocracyuk/deloittes-test-and-trace-bonanza-this-is-how-much-the-british-public-has-paid-them-so-far/
Deloitte were reportedly charging staff rates as high as £2,360 a day - roughly what many nurses earn a month. https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/over-1000-deloitte-consultants-on-test-trace-with-some-earning-daily-what-a-nurse-earns-a-month/09/10/
Over 1,000 Deloitte consultants on test & trace with some charging daily what a nurse earns a month

The London Economic"That's as much as many nurses earn in a MONTH. Scandalous. Kick them out. Give the funds to the NHS."| News

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/over-1000-deloitte-consultants-on-test-trace-with-some-earning-daily-what-a-nurse-earns-a-month/09/10/
On top of this, of the further £100bn being ploughed into the mass testing ‘Operation Moonshot’, it’s been reported that this massive sum ‘has been divided up among a number of private entities, including Boston Consulting Group and Deloitte’

. https://www.consultancy.uk/news/25610/government-moonshot-programme-will-cost-uk-over-100-billion
Government Moonshot programme will cost UK over £100 billion

The UK Government has drawn up plans to carry out up to 10 million covid-19 tests a day by early next year as part of a huge expansion of its national testing programme.

https://www.consultancy.uk/news/25610/government-moonshot-programme-will-cost-uk-over-100-billion
MP Clive Lewis called this ‘operation’ “potentially the biggest NHS privatisation in history” adding "why not give the contract to the NHS?" https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/deloitte-gets-another-huge-covid-contract-for-crazy-plan-to-test-millions-each-day/
Deloitte gets another huge COVID contract – for ‘crazy’ plan to test millions each day

Operation Moonshot could be the biggest NHS privatisation in history, and civil servants are shaking their heads in disbelief.

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/deloitte-gets-another-huge-covid-contract-for-crazy-plan-to-test-millions-each-day/
Boston Consulting Group has also done well out of the pandemic. They won two contracts for almost £10 million to provide “digital” and “strategic” support. Their day rate fee? As much as £7,360.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-test-and-trace-consultants-paid-equivalent-of-1-5m-salary-12104028
Boston Consulting Group has also done well out of the pandemic. They won two contracts for almost £10 million to provide “digital” and “strategic” support. Their day rate fee? As much as £7,360. https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-test-and-trace-consultants-paid-equivalent-of-1-5m-salary-12104028
Boston Consulting Group has also done well out of the pandemic. They won two contracts for almost £10 million to provide “digital” and “strategic” support. Their day rate fee? As much as £7,360. https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-test-and-trace-consultants-paid-equivalent-of-1-5m-salary-12104028
Boston Consulting have also won £2.3m from the Dept for International Trade, ‘ensuring the continued supply of priority critical goods’ £4.5 million from DFID for ‘foreign economic-aid-related services”, work on the UK vaccine task force, and £1.6m from the Cabinet Office.
Boston Consulting have also won £2.3m from the Dept for International Trade, ‘ensuring the continued supply of priority critical goods’ £4.5 million from DFID for ‘foreign economic-aid-related services”, work on the UK vaccine task force, and £1.6m from the Cabinet Office.
Boston Consulting have also won £2.3m from the Dept for International Trade, ‘ensuring the continued supply of priority critical goods’ £4.5 million from DFID for ‘foreign economic-aid-related services”, work on the UK vaccine task force, and £1.6m from the Cabinet Office.
Boston Consulting have also won £2.3m from the Dept for International Trade, ‘ensuring the continued supply of priority critical goods’ £4.5 million from DFID for ‘foreign economic-aid-related services”, work on the UK vaccine task force, and £1.6m from the Cabinet Office.
Cabinet Office has reportedly spent £120 million on consultants over the last three years. Between 2019 and 2020 this has risen by 190%, as the UK prepared for Brexit.

https://www.consultancy.uk/news/26032/cabinet-office-regularly-hires-mbb-and-big-four-consultancies
The Cabinet Office has given £21 million of Covid-related work to Deloitte, PA Consulting, McKinsey, BCG, Accenture, and PwC, to carry out things such as running the task force, a counter-fraud initiative, and logistical work as part of the ventilator challenge.
Under Michael Gove the Cabinet Office has, in addition to Covid work, also recently outsourced £180 million to six firms - McKinsey, Bain & Co, KPMG, Accenture, Deloitte, and PwC - for a “strategic programme management” of Brexit. https://bylinetimes.com/2020/10/26/outsourcing-brexit-180-million-cabinet-office-contracts-corporate-giants/
Outsourcing Brexit: £180 Million in Cabinet Office Contracts for Corporate Giants – Byline Times

Huge Government contracts for the delivery of Brexit have been awarded to the same outsourcing behemoths making a mint from Coronavirus, reports Sam Bright

https://bylinetimes.com/2020/10/26/outsourcing-brexit-180-million-cabinet-office-contracts-corporate-giants/
In September, Cabinet Office & Treasury minister Lord Agnew described Whitehall (in a leaked letter to senior civil servants) as being “infantilised” by consultants “depriving our brightest public servants… using similar people at a vastly inflated cost” https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/sep/29/whitehall-infantilised-by-reliance-on-consultants-minister-claims
Whitehall 'infantilised' by reliance on consultants, minister claims

Exclusive: leaked letter from Lord Agnew to senior civil servants demands they rein in spending

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/sep/29/whitehall-infantilised-by-reliance-on-consultants-minister-claims
Such concerns have not held back the wave of consultancy contracts. McKinsey has won £7m in contracts, including advising HM Treasury...presumably on how not to waste public funds.

https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d96379dd-ec24-41e8-bb95-91ae60323271?origin=SearchResults&p=9
Meanwhile, the MoD - praised repeatedly by ministers for their response to the pandemic -spent £2m on management consultancies to help with that response, issued over 10 identical contracts awarded the same day. @allthecitizens obtained spending under FOI:
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/5e6b045b-bc79-47c9-96cd-c7d9fa56f1cf?origin=SearchResults&p=2
Meanwhile, the MoD - praised repeatedly by ministers for their response to the pandemic -spent £2m on management consultancies to help with that response, issued over 10 identical contracts awarded the same day. @allthecitizens obtained spending under FOI: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/5e6b045b-bc79-47c9-96cd-c7d9fa56f1cf?origin=SearchResults&p=2
Meanwhile, the MoD - praised repeatedly by ministers for their response to the pandemic -spent £2m on management consultancies to help with that response, issued over 10 identical contracts awarded the same day. @allthecitizens obtained spending under FOI: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/5e6b045b-bc79-47c9-96cd-c7d9fa56f1cf?origin=SearchResults&p=2
Accenture Plc have also been awarded up to £14m, largely for overseeing Test and Trace and installing a Clinical and Digital Information System in the NHS, including two contracts valued at some £850,000 for 10 weeks work.

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-government-defends-use-of-consultancy-to-lead-roll-out-of-uks-new-contact-tracing-app-12053085
Accenture Plc have also been awarded up to £14m, largely for overseeing Test and Trace and installing a Clinical and Digital Information System in the NHS, including two contracts valued at some £850,000 for 10 weeks work. https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-government-defends-use-of-consultancy-to-lead-roll-out-of-uks-new-contact-tracing-app-12053085
Accenture Plc have also been awarded up to £14m, largely for overseeing Test and Trace and installing a Clinical and Digital Information System in the NHS, including two contracts valued at some £850,000 for 10 weeks work. https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-government-defends-use-of-consultancy-to-lead-roll-out-of-uks-new-contact-tracing-app-12053085
Accenture Plc have also been awarded up to £14m, largely for overseeing Test and Trace and installing a Clinical and Digital Information System in the NHS, including two contracts valued at some £850,000 for 10 weeks work. https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-government-defends-use-of-consultancy-to-lead-roll-out-of-uks-new-contact-tracing-app-12053085
While the value of consultancy contracts seems high, the total is likely higher. Our figure doesn't include existing framework agreements, like a £200 million group award found by @allthecitizens, spent over 3 years with Deloitte, KPMG, and PwC involved.

https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:124997-2020:TEXT:EN:HTML&src=0
It’s worth noting that, since 2010 80,000 civil service positions have been cut. MP Meg Hiller has described it as Whitehall outsourcing to consultancy firms “bread and butter work that the government should be doing” https://www.businessfast.co.uk/government-spends-56m-on-consultants-to-help-with-coronavirus/
In recent years, the ‘Big Four’ consultancies, which dominate the UK (PwC, Deloitte, E&Y, and KPMG) have donated £5.7 million to the 3 major parties:
PwC- £2,466,743
KPMG - £2,425,649
Deloitte - £696,239
EY - £109,194
In recent years, the ‘Big Four’ consultancies, which dominate the UK (PwC, Deloitte, E&Y, and KPMG) have donated £5.7 million to the 3 major parties:PwC- £2,466,743KPMG - £2,425,649Deloitte - £696,239EY - £109,194
In recent years, the ‘Big Four’ consultancies, which dominate the UK (PwC, Deloitte, E&Y, and KPMG) have donated £5.7 million to the 3 major parties:PwC- £2,466,743KPMG - £2,425,649Deloitte - £696,239EY - £109,194
In recent years, the ‘Big Four’ consultancies, which dominate the UK (PwC, Deloitte, E&Y, and KPMG) have donated £5.7 million to the 3 major parties:PwC- £2,466,743KPMG - £2,425,649Deloitte - £696,239EY - £109,194
In recent years, the ‘Big Four’ consultancies, which dominate the UK (PwC, Deloitte, E&Y, and KPMG) have donated £5.7 million to the 3 major parties:PwC- £2,466,743KPMG - £2,425,649Deloitte - £696,239EY - £109,194
While such cash donations have dropped off in recent years, the major consultancy companies have pivoted to providing hospitality and giving remuneration for speaking engagements. With millions won in pandemic contracts, it seems they have much to speak about...
We are not suggesting anything done is illegal, but if this rise in government-by-consultancy concerns, follow @allthecitizens and read our thread below to find out how to help get involved with holding this government to account... https://twitter.com/allthecitizens/status/1319601008457154565?s=20
You can follow @allthecitizens.
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