Appendix 9: Consultancy services

Consistent with the Government’s policy to focus available resources on core functions, and recognising the value of the different perspectives that consultants can bring to policy and operational issues, the department engages consultants where it lacks specialist expertise, or where independent assessments or input are considered desirable.

Selection processes
The process used for selecting consultants, both in Australia and at overseas posts, is consistent with the department’s broader procurement policies and the Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines, and is based on the principle of ‘value for money’. Selection methods are as follows:

Public tender: Consultancies are advertised in the daily press. In Australia they are also advertised on the department’s Internet site, and through the services of the Government’s electronic publishing service (www.ads.gov.au).

Restricted tender: A limited number of organisations or individuals are invited to submit quotations for particular consultancies. These firms are identified:

through their expertise in a particular field;
through their involvement in related work with the department or government; and
as representing a particular cultural or interest group.

Direct engagement: Consultants are selected from those identified on whole-of-government endorsed supplier arrangements or competitive tendering and contracting panels. Alternatively, a recognised pre-eminent expert or authority in a particular field may be engaged directly. (Note: in these instances, the consultant’s fees are compared to those in the market, to ensure that value for money is being obtained.)

All business opportunities available through a full tender process, and all contracts (including consultancies) with values over $2,000 entered into in Australia, are published in the Government’s electronic gazettal system (www.contracts.gov.au).

Table 32. Consultancies undertaken during 2000–01

The following table lists all consultants engaged during 2000–01 with a contract valued at $10,000 or more, together with the amount of the contract and reasons for engagement.

Location/work group	Name of consultant	Description of project	Contract price ($)	* Reason(s) for engagement	** Procurement method	*** Advertising
Corporate Management Division	Gryphon Solutions Pty Ltd	Strategic advice on upgrade to version 4.6 of SAP and SAP HR implementation overseas	58,600	3	b	iii
Corporate Management Division	KPMG Consulting	Review of Common Administrative Services Agreement	28,380	3	c	iv
Corporate Management Division	KPMG Consulting	Strategic advice on foreign exchange risk management policy	37,400	3	b	iv
Corporate Management Division	PricewaterhouseCoopers	Development of a risk management strategy for GST and FBT	27,500	3	b	v
Diplomatic Security, Property and Information Management Division	Bligh Voller Nield Pty Ltd	Professional architectural services for chancery, Shanghai	94,332	3	c	nr
Diplomatic Security, Property and Information Management Division	Carbine Construction	Project management services for chancery, Shanghai	56,104	3	c	nr
Diplomatic Security, Property and Information Management Division	DeMorgan Pty Ltd	Strategic advice on IT security	47,799	3	c	iv
Location/work group	Name of consultant	Description of project	Contract price ($)	* Reason(s) for engagement	** Procurement method	*** Advertising
Diplomatic Security, Property and Information Management Division	Knight Frank Price Waterhouse Pty Ltd	Devise and manage a business continuity plan for the RG Casey building	10,440	3	c	nr
Diplomatic Security, Property and Information Management Division	Property Concept & Management Pty Ltd	Review of domestic property management	47,300	3	a	i
Diplomatic Security, Property and Information Management Division	PSI Consulting Pty Ltd	Strategic advice on evaluation and market testing of DFAT security operations	104,450	1	a	i
Diplomatic Security, Property and Information Management Division	PSI Consulting Pty Ltd	Review, evaluate and develop tender plan for IT mainframe outsourcing	18,288	3	a	i
Diplomatic Security, Property and Information Management Division	Rider Hunt Canberra Pty Ltd	Professional services for chancery, Shanghai	23,625	3	c	nr
Diplomatic Security, Property and Information Management Division	Telsyte Pty Ltd	Evaluation of Request for tender- telecommunications services	90,000	1	c	v
Diplomatic Security, Property and Information Management Division	Walter & Turnbull Chartered Accountants	Strategic advice and modelling for IT consolidation project cost	345,496	3	b	v
Executive Planning and Evaluation Branch	Walter & Turnbull Chartered Accountants	Post-implementation review of GST processing	13,614	3	b	iv
Location/work group	Name of consultant	Description of project	Contract price ($)	* Reason(s) for engagement	** Procurement method	*** Advertising
Market Development Division	Anderson Corporate Finance	Business adviser— EFIC Alliance	830,000	1, 3, 6	b	iv
Market Development Division	Asian Research Centre Murdoch University	Report on Indian Ocean Rim foreign direct investment	47,300	1	a	iii
Market Development Division	Australian Agency for International Development(AusAID)	Report on benefits of open trade and investment among APEC member countries	60,456	6	c	iv
Market Development Division	Australian Agency for International Development(AusAID	Develop e-commerce and paperless trading) seminars for small-to- medium enterprises (SMEs)	190,000	6	c	iv
Market Development Division	Australian Pacific Economic Cooperation Council Secretariat—Australian National University	Advisory services, liaison and business consultations	74,250	3	b	iv
Market Development Division	DBM Consultants Pty Ltd	Report and review of export credit and finance services and survey of Australian exporters and export credit requirements of EFIC clients	21,985	6	b	iv
Market Development Division	-East Asian Business Consultancy Ltd	Research on Korean Food companies	13,800	6	b	iv
Location/work group	Name of consultant	Description of project	Contract price ($)	* Reason(s) for engagement	** Procurement method	*** Advertising
Market Development Division	Ernst & Young	Probity advice— EFIC Alliance	25,000	1, 3, 6	b	iv
Market Development Division	International Financial Consulting	Research, report and advice on export credit and finance services and Australian exporters requirements	120,616	1, 3, 6	b	iv
Market Development Division	International Financial Consulting	Specialist export insurance advice— EFIC Alliance	50,000	1, 3, 6	c	iv
Market Development Division	Kym Anderson and Associates	Report on agricultural trade liberalisation in the Indian Ocean Rim	54,800	1	a	iii
Market Development Division	Praxa Ltd	Statistical analysis and retrieval system (STARS) redevelopment	670,000	2, 3	b	iv
Market Development Division	RBC Inc. Japan	Research—Asian Agrifood project subsistence to Supermarket II—Japan	24,000	3	b	iv
Market Development Division	Tillinghast-Towers Perrin	Research, report and advice on Australian developments in export credit and financial services	218,000	1, 3, 6	b	iv
North Asia Division (EAAU)	Dr Jaime Crispi and Dr Sebastian Vergara	Report on business opportunities in Latin America	17,700	6	b	nr
Location/work group	Name of consultant	Description of project	Contract price ($)	* Reason(s) for engagement	** Procurement method	*** Advertising
North Asia Division (EAAU)	Economic Development Associates	Report on business opportunities in Latin America	25,805	6	b	nr
North Asia Division (EAAU)	Professor P.J Sanguinetti	Report on business opportunities in Latin America	11,804	6	b	nr
North Asia Division (EAAU)	Professor Renato Flores	Report on business opportunities in Latin America	14,024	6	b	nr
Public Diplomacy, Consular and Passports Division	Alliance Consulting Group Pty Ltd	Develop training modules for passport staff overseas	44,625	3	c	iv
Public Diplomacy, Consular and Passports Division	Alliance Consulting Group Pty Ltd	Develop and design passport booklet	64,600	3	c	iv
Public Diplomacy, Consular and Passports Division	Australian Bureau of Statistics	Develop a projection model for passport issues	10,491	3	c	iv
Public Diplomacy, Consular and Passports Division	Deloitte Consulting	Develop a strategic plan for Passports Branch	82,260	1	b	iv
Public Diplomacy, Consular and Passports Division	Ernst & Young (Canberra)	Probity advice for Australian television (ATV) tender	26,800	3	c	iv
Public Diplomacy, Consular and Passports Division	Exceed Systems Integration Pty Ltd	Develop and test consular case management information system	21,000	2	c	iv
Location/work group	Name of consultant	Description of project	Contract price ($)	* Reason(s) for engagement	** Procurement method	*** Advertising
Public Diplomacy, Consular and Passports Division	Fulton Technology Pty Ltd	Re-development of passports receipting software	10,909	3	c	iv
Public Diplomacy, Consular and Passports Division	Malcolm Long & Associates	Strategic advice on ATV tender process	27,910	3	c	iv
Public Diplomacy, Consular and Passports Division	Worldreach Software	Strategic advice for consular systems	13,863	2	c	iv
Trade Negotiations Division	Access Economics	Study on the implications of an Economic Free Trade Agreement— Australia and Singapore	25,000	3	a	i
Trade Negotiations Division	Catherine Hawkins	Develop biotechnology and intellectual property training handbook	14,250	3	b	iv
Trade Negotiations Division	Centre for International Economics	Strategic advice on the impact of a Free Trade Agreement—Australia and the United States	98,500	3	b	iv
Trade Negotiations Division	The Apec Study Centre— Monash University	Study on implications of a Free Trade Agreement—Australia and the United States	90,000	3	b	iv
Beirut	Michael Dunn & Co. SAL	Property services— new chancery lease	45,741	1	c	nr
Copenhagen	Bang & Regnarsen Lawyers	Legal advice on embassy property leases	13,685	3	c	nr
Location/work group	Name of consultant	Description of project	Contract price ($)	* Reason(s) for engagement	** Procurement method	*** Advertising
Copenhagen	Birch and Krogboe A/S	Advice on technical fitout of chancery	23,698	3	c	nr
Ho Chi Minh City	Freehill Hollingdale and Pale	Advice on chancery lease agreement	10,969	3	c	nr
Lisbon	PLMJ & Associates	Advice on property and labour law	35,119	3	c	nr
Lisbon	Knight Frank	Advice on chancery lease agreement	15,797	3	c	nr
Lisbon	Scott Levitt Ltd	Advice on selection of contractors for property fitout	39,659	3	b	nr
London	Smee’s Advertising Ltd	Design of touch screen for public area	17,271	3	c	nr
London	Barry Derbyshire	Design Internet website	46,409	3	b	nr
London	HSBC Actuaries and Consultants Ltd	Review and report on locally engaged staff pensions	23,062	3	c	nr
London	Employment Conditions Abroad International	Evaluation of locally engaged staff job structures	16,200	3	c	nr
New York	People and Strategy	Evaluation of locally engaged staff job structures	40,000	5	c	nr
Location/work group	Name of consultant	Description of project	Contract price ($)	* Reason(s) for engagement	** Procurement method	*** Advertising
Ramallah	Amara Architects	Project management for the design and fitout of office	50,980	3	b	nr
Santiago	William M. Mercer Ltd	Review locally engaged staff local salary and benefits survey	13,398	1	b	nr
Tokyo	Hay Management Consultants (Japan) Co Ltd	Review of locally engaged staff job evaluation, market testing and transition strategy	148,700	3	b	nr
Zagreb	Vukmir	Legal advice, new chancery lease	12,098	3	c	nr
Total			4,555,862

* Reasons for engagement	** Procurement method	*** Advertising
1 need for independent study	a open tender	I opportunity—Australian press/journals
2 need for rapid access to latest technology & experience	b restricted tender	ii opportunity—local press/journals
3 lack of in-house resources (incl. specialist knowledge/skills not available in dept/office/post)	c direct engagement	iii opportunity—government gazette
4 limitations on executive time		iv contract—elsewhere
5 need for a change agent or facilitator		v contract—government gazette
6 recognised Australian/world expert uniquely able to contribute to program		nr contract—not required (overseas post)

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Appendix 9: Consultancy services