Annual Report 2005–06
Consultants and competitive tendering and contracting
Consultants
The policies and procedures for selecting and contracting consultancies, and approving expenditure in relation to consultancies, are set out in the Clerk’s Instructions, which take account of the Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines, the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 and regulations, and Senate standing order 25(18), relating to approval of consultants for committees.
During 2005–06, the department entered into five new consultancy contracts, involving total actual expenditure of $127,950. In addition, three ongoing consultancy contracts were active, involving total actual expenditure of $221,610.
During the year, the department paid $283,725 (inclusive of goods and services tax) for consultancy services. Table 6 provides details of consultancy contracts valued at $10,000 or more.
| Consultant name | Description | Contract price ($) |
Selection processa | Justificationb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Valuation Office |
Valuation of departmental assets |
17,600 | Direct sourcing | B, C |
| Professor J Davis | Review of committee role and function |
10,780 | Direct sourcing | B, C |
| Walter Turnbull | Business continuity management plan |
87,780 | Open tender | B, C |
| Total | 116,160 |
| a | Explanation of selection process terms drawn from
the Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines (January
2005): Open tender—a procurement procedure in which a request for tender is published inviting all businesses that satisfy the conditions for participation to submit tenders. Public tenders are sought from the marketplace using national and major metropolitan newspaper advertising and the Australian Government AusTender internet site. Direct sourcing—a form of restricted tendering, available only under certain defined circumstances, with a single potential supplier or suppliers being invited to bid because of their unique expertise and/or their special ability to supply the goods and/or services sought. |
|---|---|
| b | Justification for decision to use
consultancy: A—skills currently unavailable within agency B—need for specialised or professional skills C—need for independent research or assessment. |
Total expenditure on consultancies decreased by $32,928 from the total for 2004–05, due to a small decrease in the contracts let for the financial year.
Competitive tendering and contracting
The policies and procedures for conducting tenders and contracting and for approving expenditure are set out in the Clerk’s Instructions. All contracts with a potential value greater than $80,000 are open to a competitive tendering process through AusTender.
While not required to comply with the Senate Order for Departmental and Agency Contracts, the department chose to list all its contract details on the internet in accordance with the order.
