Nix Consultants

Mark Thoma, among Others, doubt the efficiency of Government outsourcing many of the aspects of governing, something which has been growing fast since the mid-1980s. They criticize the lack of competitive bidding in Contracting, poor supervision, and poor quality Work and Product from the practice. This is standard fare, but examination of Numbers in the Contract business would serve far better to stain the practice. Some idea of the situation can be explained in this manner: Several Constructions have been built costing some 400% of Contract Costs, when including Feasibility Studies, Environmental Studies, excessive Consultant Fees, poor Management requiring Recovery efforts, and the Profit share on each aspect of the Construction. Some Specialists and Consultants present daily fees in excess of the Weekly salaries of Civil Servants who they replaced. Multiple Positions could be filled by Government Employees whose required Training would cost less than the presented monthly fees. Little of the outsourced Work done today even matches the quality of service previously supplied by Government employees; if such a thing can be believed.

Mark Thoma states a more discriminatory process should be used to determine what should be handled by Outsourcing, and what should be retained by Government employment. It is the primary question: What should the Government buy, and what should the Government produce? The Answer may seem complex, but it is very simple; the Government should produce all technological equipment which it uses plus all Construction which presents a Security hazard. The Government should purchase only Finished Products, and then only after they have been tested for Quality.

Consultants should be replaced with a Civil Service University, with Colleges in Personnel Management, Cost and Budget Analysis, Program Efficiency, and Bursar Techniques and Regulation. Requirements for Enrollment would be employment in the Civil Service, previous Collegiate degree or Work experience, and the written advocacy of three levels of his supervisors. Students would draw their previous salary through the estimated 10-month Courses, and his Graduating Salary will be determined by his academic performance and Job placement. The University would want a national campus (I would suggest a Work conducive area of low Construction Costs), Courses should run between March and November, present a consistent Enrollment for 50,000 Students, and present mandatory on-campus Housing for Students and their families. Students may apply for more than one area of Study, but they must work an interim Work year between Courses. lgl