Part 3: Management and Accountability (continued)

Date

Consultants

Consultants are engaged to investigate or diagnose a defined issue or problem; carry out defined research, reviews or evaluations; provide independent advice; and provide information or creative solutions to assist the Treasury in its decisionmaking. The most common reasons to engage consultants are:

  • unavailability of specialist in-house resources in the timeframe allowed;
  • the need for an independent study or review; and
  • specialist skills and knowledge not available inhouse.

Providers of consultancy services are selected through open tender, select tender, Direct sourcing or panels. These processes are detailed in the note to Table 8.

During 2009-10, 103 new consultancy contracts were entered into involving total actual expenditure of $5,168,788. In addition, 38 ongoing consultancy contracts were active during the 2009-10 year, involving total actual expenditure of $2,332,114. These amounts include GST.

Annual reports contain information about actual expenditure on contracts for consultancies. Information on the value of contracts and consultancies is available on the AusTender website www.tenders.gov.au.

Several consultancy contracts let in 2009-10 were valued at $10,000 or more (refer to Table 8 below).

Table 8: List of new consultancies over $10,000 in 2009-10
Consultant name Description Contract price $ selection process(1) Justification(2)
ACTSAFE Australia Pty Ltd Provide ergonomic
assessments/evaluations,
rehabilitation and
occupational health and
safety training		 $36,000 Open tender A
Acumen Contracting and
Recruitment Pty Ltd		 Work with Macroeconomic
group on its database
project		 $440,000 Panel A
AON Consulting Pty
L limited		 help with superannuation
and managed investment
product disclosure
statement design project		 $212,000 Direct sourcing A
Australian Government
Solicitor		 Provide constitutional
advice about implementing
soft compulsion		 $10,000 Direct sourcing A
Table 8: List of new consultancies over $10,000 in 2009-10 (continued)
Consultant name Description Contract price $ selection process(1) Justification(2)
Australian Government
Solicitor		 Provide legal advice on
employee share schemes		 $10,000 Panel A
Australian Government
Solicitor		 Provide legal advice on
private health insurance		 $10,000 Panel A
Australian Government
Solicitor		 Provide legal advice to the
financial advisory service
spanel		 $10,000 Panel A
Australian Government
Solicitor		 Provide legal advice on
recommendations from
the australia’s Future tax
System Review		 $10,067 Panel A
Australian Government
Solicitor		 Provide tied legal services
on managed investment
trusts		 $10,332 Direct sourcing A
Australian Government
Solicitor		 Provide legal advice on the
financial advisory services
request for tender		 $11,000 Panel A
Australian Government
Solicitor		 Provide legal advice in
adoption/referral provisions
included in the draft
national consumer credit
Protection bill		 $11,153 Panel A
Australian Government
Solicitor		 Provide tied legal advice
on the national broadband
network		 $11,825 Direct sourcing A
Australian Government
Solicitor		 Provide legal advice on
interactions between taxing
non renewable resources
and international free trade
agreements		 $12,820 Direct sourcing A
australian governmen
tSolicitor		 Provide legal advice on
external dispute resolution		 $14,170 Panel A
Australian Government
Solicitor		 Provide constitutional
advice on division 50		 $15,000 Direct sourcing A
Australian Government
Solicitor		 Provide constitutional legal
advice on the national
health and hospitals
network		 $16,365 Direct sourcing A
Australian Government
Solicitor		 Provide advice on the
Research and developmenttax incentive		 $21,929 Panel A
Australian Government
Solicitor		 Provide legal advice
on taxing issues on
international trade
agreements and
constitutional issues		 $23,000 Direct sourcing A
Table 8: List of new consultancies over $10,000 in 2009-10 (continued)
Consultant name Description Contract price $ selection process(1) Justification(2)
australian government
Solicitor		 Provide constitutional legal
advice on stamp duty carveout in amendment power		 $24,000 Direct sourcing A
australian government
Solicitor		 Provide legal advice on
credit Reform Package		 $29,536 Panel A
australian government
Solicitor		 Provide legal advice on
dealing with facilitating
practices		 $33,900 Panel A
australian government
Solicitor		 Provide legal representationat the administrative
appeals tribunal		 $50,000 Panel A
australian government
Solicitor		 Advise on Standard
business Reporting
trademark issues		 $105,000 Panel A
australian government
Solicitor		 Provide general FOI legal
advice		 $150,000 Panel A
australian government
Solicitor		 Provide tied legal services
on challenge  to section 50
of the ASIC act		 $150,000 Direct sourcing A
australian government
Solicitor		 Advise on international
disclosure documents for
guarantee of State and
territory borrowing		 $630,008 Panel A
Barmco Mana
Partnership		 Review treasury building
emergency power system		 $15,628 Direct sourcing A
Blake Dawson Provide legal advice on the
Tax Issue Entry System		 $10,000 Direct sourcing A
Blake Dawson Provide updated advice on
legal compliance issues
for Standard Business
Reporting core services		 $17,410 Panel A
Centre for Public
Management		 Investigate and report on
potential breach of code ofconduct		 $40,250 Select tender A
Clayton Utz Solicitors and
Attorneys		 Advise on improvements to
running Balance Account
System		 $20,000 Panel A
Colmar Brunton Provide market research for
the Superannuation System
Review		 $39,815 Panel A
Col
mar Brunton		 Conduct developmental
research for Standard
Business Reporting
information and education
campaign		 $106,140 Panel A
Table 8: List of new consultancies over $10,000 in 2009-10 (continued)
Consultant name Description Contract price $ selection process(1) Justification(2)
CRS Australia Provide ergonomicassessments/evaluations,
rehabilitation and
occupational health and
safety training		 $31,500 Open tender A
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Analyse superannuation
funds, fees and costs		 $121,000 Panel A
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Develop an SbR
implementation
methodology for large
business		 $488,000 Panel A
Dupont and Associates
Pty Ltd		 Provide ergonomic
assessments/evaluations,
rehabilitation and
occupational health and
safety training		 $40,500 Open tender A
Ecoperspectives Pty Ltd Examine implications of
economic policies in a
Pececonomies		 $43,560 Direct sourcing A
Ernst and Young Advise on implementing the
Resource Super Profits tax		 $12,500 Panel C
Ernst and Young Provide aPec capacity
building workshops ofbest Practice in PPP
infrastructure markets		 $80,000 Open tender C
Evans Smith and Dando
Pty Ltd		 Advise on the australia’s
Future tax System final
report		 $86,548 Select tender A
Famous 5 Pty ltd Design and consumer
test Short Margin lending
Product disclosure
Statements		 $50,000 Direct sourcing A
Geoffrey Lehmann Assist board of taxation
post implementation review
into consolidation regime		 $40,000 Direct sourcing A
Greenwoods and Freehills
Pty Ltd		 Advise on the tax issue
entry System		 $10,000 Direct sourcing A
Greenwoods and Freehills
Pty Ltd		 Advise on the redesign of
the Foreign Source income
attribution rules		 $22,087 Panel A
Greenwoods and Freehills
Pty Ltd		 Advise on the redesign
of the controlled Foreign
company attribution rules		 $23,000 Panel A
Greenwoods and Freehills
Pty Ltd		 Comment on the australia’s
Future tax System final
report		 $25,000 Panel C
Table 8: List of new consultancies over $10,000 in 2009-10 (continued)
Consultant name Description Contract price $ selection process(1) Justification(2)
Gutteridge Haskins and
Davey Pty Ltd		 Undertake childcare
feasibility study		 $15,360 Select tender C
Healthe Work Pty ltd Provide ergonomicassessments/evaluations,
rehabilitation and
occupational health and
safety training		 $40,000 Open tender A
Konekt Provide ergonomic
assessments/evaluations,
rehabilitation and
occupational health and
safety training		 $30,000 Open tender A
KPMG Undertake modeling of
Resource Rent tax options		 $65,777 Panel A
KPMG  — Canberra Advise on implementing the
Resource Super Profits tax		 $12,500 Panel C
Lixstar Pty Ltd Advise on the tax issue
entry System		 $10,000 Direct sourcing A
Michael B Evans Assist the board of taxation
with the promotion and
review of the tax issue entry
System		 $25,000 Direct sourcing A
Michael Scott Donald ACT as consultant to the
Superannuation Review
Panel		 $95,000 Direct sourcing A
open Mind Researchgroup Market research for the
tax reform information
campaign		 $972,763 Select tender A
open Mind Researchgroup Market research for the
tax reform information
campaign		 $796,111 Select tender A
Paul binsted Provide corporate finance
and financial markets
advice		 $15,000 Direct sourcing A
Pitcher Partners assist the board of taxation
on the tax issue entry
System		 $10,000 Direct sourcing A
Point Project ManagementPty ltd Provide engineering
consultancy services to the
treasury		 $260,767 Open tender A
PricewaterhouseCoopers Provide advice on
improvements to running
the balance account
System		 $10,000 Panel A
PricewaterhouseCoopers Research compliance
costs for business when
interacting with the tax and
transfer system		 $88,000 Direct sourcing A
Table 8: List of new consultancies over $10,000 in 2009-10 (continued)
Consultant name Description Contract price $ selection process(1) Justification(2)
PricewaterhouseCoopers Provide aPec framework of
guiding principles for
enhancing private sector
infrastructure 		$177,000 Select tender A
PricewaterhouseCoopers advise on research and
development tax incentive 		$15,000 Panel A
PricewaterhouseCoopers Review consumer protection in the travel services market $294,600 open tender C
Professional Financial Solutions Pty ltd Provide consultancy
services to help develop
stochastic asset model 		$10,000 Direct sourcing A
Richard St John Provide consultancy
services for an inquiry into
the need for a statutory
compensation scheme for
investors 		$85,000 Direct sourcing A
Salinger Privacy conduct a privacy impact
assessment for Standard
business Reporting core
services 		$15,100 Panel A
Salinger Privacy Provide privacy services for
Standard business Reporting
core services 		$25,000 Panel A
Serendipity (Wa) Pty ltd advance Personnel Management Provide ergonomic assessments/evaluations, rehabilitation and
occupational health and
safety training 		$29,000 open sender A
SgS economics and Planning Pty ltd Provide advice on State, territory and local
government plan for grocery
retailing 		$65,120 Select tender A
the Shannon company Provide creative agency
services for tax reform 		$2,400,000 Select tender A
Tyers economics Provide a course in
economy
wide modeling 		$
20,000 		Select tender A
University of Melbourne compare competition across
international banking
markets 		$18,000 Direct sourcing A
University of Melbourne Review and advise on draft
report by the australian
Financial centre Forum 		$18,000 Direct sourcing A
University of Melbourne Review and advise on draft
report by the australian
Financial centre Forum 		$19,500 Direct sourcing A
Table 8: List of new consultancies over $10,000 in 2009-10 (continued)
University of Melbourne Provide specialist financial
sector policy advice and
training 		$75,325 Direct sourcing A
UNSW global Pty ltd Provide an overlapping
generations model 		$40,000 Direct sourcing A
Total consultancies over $10,000 $9,149,090

Note: All amounts include GST.

  1. Explanation of selection process terms:
    Open tender - a procurement procedure which publishes a request for tender, inviting all businesses that satisfy the conditions for participation to submit tenders. Public tenders are generally sought from the Australian Government AusTender website.
    Select tender - a procurement procedure which allows the procuring agency to select potential suppliers and invite them to submit tenders (including through multiuse lists). This process may only be used in certain defined circumstances.
    Direct sourcing - a form of restricted tendering, available only under certain defined circumstances, with a single potential supplier or suppliers being invited to bid due to their unique expertise and/or special ability to supply the goods and/or services sought.
    Panel - an arrangement whereby a number of suppliers, initially selected through an open tender process, may each supply property or services to an agency as specified in the panel arrangements. Quotes are sought from suppliers that have prequalified on the agency panels to supply to the government. This category includes standing offers and supplier panels where the supply of goods and services may be provided for a predetermined length of time, usually at a prearranged price.
  2. Justification for decision to use consultancy:
    A - skills currently unavailable within agency;
    B - need for specialised or professional skills; and
    C - need for independent research or assessment.