Consultants as Public Servants? Upholding Public Values in Central Government Agencies‘ use of Private Consultants

Research problem and specific questionsThe overarching question for this project is how inclusion of private consultants in government agencies affects public values.

The project explores an understudied part of the public sector´s consulting use: when authorities contract in consulting services. Contracting in means that private consultants work side by side with the employed staff.

As employment conditions differ between the public and private sectors, contracting consultants to public workplaces means that two value systems and cultures meet and mix.

We want to examine the conditions for maintaining the public ethos values such as legality, transparency and accountability, in such a situation.

We ask the follwing research questions: How do public agencies take public sector values into account when making decisions on hiring consultants to work for them, i.e. when ‘contracting in’ services?When consultants are contracted in, what measures are taken to integrate them into workplace norms, and to what extent are they perceived as part of the organisation?What, if any, is the difference in the role conceptions and workplace ethos of consultants and public servants in the same public workplace?Data and method To study this, we use several methods: partly a survey to all government authorities, partly semi-structured interviews with public employees and private consultants, as well as document studies.

The material will be analyzed using statistical methods and content analysis. Societal relevance and utilisationThe proposed project has high societal relevance. Well-functioning public institutions are crucial to maintaining trust in the functioning of democracy. We contribute new knowledge that is fundamental to democratic legitimacy.

The increasing number of private consultants within government agencies means that we need to know more about possible consequences for our democratic governance.Plan for project realisation During year 1, we analyze the state authorities´ handling through a survey study and by studying procurement documents.

This lays the foundation for the interviews in year 2 with the consultants contracted to work in a sample of agencies as well as the interviews with the control group of public servants. In the third year, the collected material will be analyzed and articles will be written.