Key Points
Consulting firms providing services to governments oftenfind themselves underattack from various quarters.Rare incidentslikethe oneinvolvingPwC Australiamakesuch attacks more vociferous and critical.Even well-intentioned Indian public commentators have, at times,joined this chorus.Whilecriticisms, even if misdirected and ill-informed, should always be welcomed,it is important toanalyse anyperspectivethatcriticsmight overlook...
When it comes to consulting firms advising the public sector, the criticisms often adopt a broad and superficial view..
They tend to club disparate events across different regions and time-frames, creating a perception of consulting firms as conspiratorial entities with supernatural influence over governments..
Often, bureaucrats ask for major strategic deliverables on short notice, and consulting firms oblige, sometimes going way beyond their original scope of work..
Moreover, if even one advice from the thousands that consulting firms provide on a regular basis leads to some unintended consequences, then critics and public intellectuals make consultants the scapegoat without providing any alternative...
