I don't need to tell you that in this new age of austerity, the public sector is going through its biggest cost reduction in a generation. For the many freelance consultants and small business owners working with public sector clients, these are uncertain times. For those in full-time public sector employment, job cuts are imminent and the possibility of redundancy is real.
It is because of this that my team at WCL came up with the idea of creating an Association for Public Sector Advisers (Apsa) – a first for the UK. We have a launch event taking place this evening, 8 December, at Westminster Kingsway college in London. The response has been fantastic and we expect over 100 people to attend.
As a specialist advisory practice, formed by a group of experienced professionals who share a passion for better public services delivery, my company is feeling the pain at the moment along with many other small businesses. During the last eight years we've worked with over 400 freelance contractors and consultants – we see the impact these cuts are having on business.
It's at times like these that a strong network is more important than ever to provide support for the thousands of people who earn their living by supporting the public sector, bringing them together to share intelligence and information so that they can provide a better service to their public sector clients in these difficult times.
We wanted to launch Apsa this side of Christmas because many public sector advisory firms are going through redundancy rounds right now. For those advisers who decide to go freelance, it can be a real culture shock – they will need to set up a company, work on their CV and pitch for business. Apsa will be invaluable in this process.
So far we are attracting lots of interest from those who work for or with Whitehall departments, local government, government agencies, the NHS and primary care trusts. This is our key audience but the association will be of value to anyone who regularly works with public sector organisations.
Initially we will be most active in London but we will eventually offer the association to other regions around the country.
Our mission is to:
• Create a strong network of public sector consultants.
• Share intelligence on opportunities in the public sector.
• Provide a voice for the consultant community in the public sector.
• Bring professionalism to public sector consulting through career development.
• Provide routes to market through procurement advice and access to framework contracts.
• Provide advice on starting up as an independent consultant in the public sector.
While these are the most difficult of times, it is our firm belief that those who offer consultancy and advisory services to the public sector provide an invaluable service. Furthermore, I believe we can weather this storm and flourish in the future but we are going to have to be savvy and collaboration will be vital.
• Kieron White is chief executive of WCL, the specialist public sector advisory practice. To find out more about Apsa, email: admin@apsauk.com, call 020 3008 5821 or visit the website: www.apsauk.com (live from 9 December).
