How the NAO’s Consultancy Report Reinforces the Need for Better Procurement Intelligence in the Public Sector
Be Connected is built for exactly the kind of challenge highlighted in the National Audit Office’s recent report on the government’s use of external consultants. For years, the public sector has relied heavily on external consultants to fill capability gaps, deliver transformation programmes, and provide specialist insight, but the NAO has made it clear that visibility and control over this spend remain limited.
The report, Lessons learned: the government’s use of external consultants, makes one thing clear — public bodies continue to spend significant amounts on consultancy without fully understanding where duplication exists, what capability gaps are being repeated, or whether value for money is being maximised.
And this is where platforms like Be Connected become essential.
A Billion-Pound Blind Spot
The NAO identifies that central government spent an estimated £1.36 billion on consultants in 2022–23. Yet, surprisingly, most departments only track spend, not the detail behind it. They often cannot:
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See how consultants are used across directorates
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Track repeated contracts with the same suppliers
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Identify when multiple bodies procure the same service
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Understand whether internal capability would have been more cost-effective
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Assess the long-term value created (or not created)
This creates a system where consultancy is often used reactively rather than strategically. The lack of consistent data also leads to variations in contracting approach, duplicated activity, and missed savings opportunities.
In simple terms: departments cannot manage what they cannot see.
Where Be Connected Changes the Game
The NAO calls for better data, stronger oversight, and more informed decision-making — exactly the problems Be Connected was designed to solve.
1. Visibility Across Consultancy Spend and Activity
Be Connected gives public bodies the ability to map consultancy and professional-services contracts across departments, authorities, and sectors. This means procurement leaders can immediately see:
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Where similar consultancy services have been procured elsewhere
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Which suppliers are repeatedly used for the same category of work
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Where duplication exists
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Where money could be saved through aggregation or internal capability development
This level of transparency directly addresses the NAO’s finding that departments lack cross-government insight into consultancy use.
2. Identifying Duplication and Opportunities to Combine Contracts
One of the platform’s most powerful features is the ability to identify duplicate contracts, particularly those that could be consolidated to generate savings. If multiple departments are paying consultants for overlapping work — a common theme highlighted by the NAO — Be Connected allows users to surface that duplication instantly.
CFOs, especially, can use this intelligence to tighten financial governance and reduce unnecessary spend.
3. Supporting Better Route-to-Market Decisions
The NAO notes that departments vary widely in how they procure consultants — sometimes through frameworks, sometimes through direct award, and sometimes outside central guidance entirely.
Be Connected allows users to see the procurement route used for similar contracts elsewhere, helping teams follow best practice, improve compliance, and avoid high-risk direct awards.
4. Enabling Value-Based Procurement
A central theme in your own messaging is “value for value” — ensuring that public money is used to deliver value back to citizens rather than supporting fragmented or inefficient processes.
The NAO report aligns perfectly with this idea.
Be Connected helps ensure that consultancy spend is tied to clear outcomes by giving procurement leaders the insight to determine:
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When consultancy is appropriate
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When internal capability should be developed instead
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Which suppliers provide value (based on contract history across the UK)
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Where knowledge transfer gaps exist
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Where recurring spend signals structural issues
This is what value-based procurement looks like: informed, evidence-driven, and focused on long-term outcomes.
A Strategic Opportunity for Public Sector Bodies
Rather than criticising the use of consultants, the NAO highlights a deeper point: consultants can be extremely valuable — but only when used strategically.
Be Connected helps procurement teams become that strategic “intelligent client” by giving them:
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Better visibility
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Better evidence
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Better decision-making capability
The platform converts fragmented contract data into actionable business intelligence, allowing departments to move from reactive procurement to proactive, value-focused planning.
In short: the NAO has identified the problem. Be Connected is already the solution.