Publication - Advice and guidance
Procurement - use of consultants: guidance
Guidance for public sector organisations on the use of consultancy procedures when procuring professional services.
Annex D - consultancy procedures descriptions
Descriptions of types of consultancy
Professional services can be generally defined as services which provide expertise or knowledge to assist in achieving goals or managing projects. Therefore, as consultancy can be broadly defined as provision of advice to fill a knowledge gap, consultancy falls within the definition of professional services (as well as a range of other services).
| Consultancy type | Description |
|---|---|
| Finance consultancy | Advice on financial structures, accounting, control systems, strategies, and operational finance. |
| IT consultancy | Advice on implementation of IT systems, strategies, project development, hardware evaluations, and e-business. |
| Strategy consultancy | Strategic objective advice on high level plans such as areas including corporate strategies, business reviews, performance measurement, product/service design, and process management. |
| Legal consultancy | External legal advice on policy formulation and strategy development, focused on advisory and compliance. This does not include representation in court. |
| Property and construction consultancy | Specialist advice managing, planning and delivering projects. This would focus on property and estates: portfolio management, design, planning, construction, and disposal strategies. |
| HR consultancy | Advice on improving HR practices in areas such as recruitment, retention, workforce planning, HR strategies, and training/education development. |
| Technical consultancy | Advice on technical aspects of a project, namely to apply knowledge to resolve / improve processes / implement technology. This would include technical studies, prototypes, concept development, and project-based technical advice. |
| Marketing and communications consultancy | Advice focused on the development and implementation of marketing strategies, branding, media handling, advertising, and promoting business programmes. |
| Organisation and change management consultancy | Advice relating to the organisational strategy, structure, management and operations to achieve strategy goals. This would relate to advice focused on operations, long-term planning, restructuring, service rationalization and general business appraisal. |
| Procurement consultancy | Advice on general procurement practice such as supplier management and creating and implementing procurement strategies. |
| PPM (Programme and Project Management) consultancy | Advice on support for programme/project management, risk assessment, and ensuring benefits delivery. |
Wider professional services
As noted above, consultancy falls within the definition of professional services. However, below is a list of common professional services which would not be considered as consultancy – please note, this list is not exhaustive. It is essential that the definition of consultancy and the Three Part Test are referred to prior to this.
| Term | Definition | Difference from consultancy |
|---|---|---|
| Audit services | Independent examination of financial statements, internal controls, or compliance to provide assurance of accuracy. | Audit focuses on verification and compliance, while consultancy provides advice and solutions for improvement rather than assurance. |
| Accountancy | Recording, classifying, and reporting financial transactions to produce accurate financial statements. | Accountancy is transactional and compliance-driven, whereas consultancy is strategic and advisory, helping improve financial decisions. |
| Legal services | Professional legal assistance including advice, drafting, negotiation, and representation in legal matters or court. | Legal services include representation and litigation, while legal consultancy focuses more on policy formulation and strategy development. |
| HR professional services | Specialised HR support such as recruitment, workforce planning, compliance, and training. | HR services often involve operational execution (e.g., hiring), whereas HR consultancy focuses on strategic advice and policy development. |
| Staff substitution | Replacing key personnel in a project with equally qualified individuals, subject to client approval. | Staff substitution is a resource management activity, not advisory. Consultancy provides expert guidance, not personnel replacement. |
Contact
Email: scottishprocurement@gov.scot