The information is as follows:
(a) Directgov spent the following on contractors:
(i) 2007-08 £3.0 million
(ii) 2008-09 £7.4 million
The estimated spend on contractors in 2009-10 is £8.2 million.
It should be noted that the increase from 2007-08 to 2008-09 was to deliver programmes such as website convergence and cross-government service transformation. The percentage of Directgov’s budget spent on contractors remained the same.
Contractors are required to fill short-term posts and posts where it has not been possible to recruit permanent staff due to their specialist nature.
(b) There were no strategic adviser costs incurred in 2007-08 or 2008-09.
The strategic adviser costs for 2009-10 are included within the spend shown for that year. This is a short-term post and providing the information separately would allow the individual’s day rate to be calculated which is both commercially sensitive and considered to be personally identifiable data.
Contractor posts are tendered to ensure Directgov obtains high quality candidates and achieve value for money. This is underpinned by benchmarking the rates and charges to ensure they are within benchmark guidelines. Directgov also negotiates day rates and margins in line with, if not better than, than standard government contract rates.
Directgov is working across Departments to enable transformation of digital public service delivery and has the potential to enable Government to make substantial savings in shifting from traditional to digital channels and for those channels to be used.