3. Reliability of spending data

Data on how much the public service spends on contractors and consultants is not always reliable. We sampled data from 3 departments and found one – DE – does not always correctly classify its spending; and another – DH – did not hold enough documentation to confirm the reliability of its data for the period we examined. 

As a result, there is a risk that these departments' annual reports do not disclose the full amount they spent on consultants as required by Financial Reporting Direction 22.

2. Transparency of spending

There is no complete picture of how much public money departments are spending on contractors and consultants. This is because departments only need to publicly report their spending on consultants, and not contractors.

Financial Reporting Direction 22 outlines what departments need to report. However, the public does not have an easy way of knowing and comparing how much departments and the public service spends on contractors and consultants.