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What is the relationship between governments and consultants?

Adam Shaw continues his recce behind the curtain of the billion dollar management consultancy industry. In this episode he finds out when consultants and the state started working so closely together, and asks if that partnership has become a little too tight.

Be it getting man to the moon or rolling out the Covid vaccine, consultants have worked closely and successfully together. Bringing in expertise at the right time can be vital and cost effective. But how justified is the criticism that consultants are hollowing out the civil service, are they worth the billions we spend on them and are they ever conflicts of interest?

Adam sees a revolving door of consultants, business and government spin before his eyes; he traces the fine line between implementing policy and shaping it and asks if we are living in a consultantocracy, at risk of the industry undermining our democracy.

With contributions from: Tamzen Isacsson, CEO of the Management Consultancies Association, Matthias Kipping, Professor of Policy at the Schulich School of Business, Andrew Sturdy, Professor in Management at The University of Bristol, Chris McKenna, Reader in Business History and Strategy at the Said Business School, historian Antonio Weiss and authors Rosie Collington and Eric Edstrom.

Producer: Sarah Bowen