When they don't have access to the tools, the authority, the documents and the information they need, it makes their job more difficult.
When you go to the doctor, for example, they have to perform a health check to find out what your situation is. If you hide information from the doctor, their diagnosis may not be the best. It won't be adequate. The same is true for our members. They are financial professionals. Most of them are accountants who have done audit work. They know how to do it and they have the required tools, but if they are not given the necessary information and are set aside, they cannot do their job. Why use an outside firm to figure out how to prepare a budget and a carry out a financial analysis when we already have that expertise within the public service?
Our members often tell me about cases where a consultant has been hired to carry out a project, but they are the ones who have to write the report. The consultant does everything, and then they go to the financial officer to ask if it's okay, and the financial officer corrects their work. Ultimately, it's as if the final report had been prepared by the financial officer, since all the changes they recommended were made to the report.
It is insulting to our members to hear that there is a lack of knowledge within the public service, given that external consultants who are hired need to work with them to prepare their report.
Our members must be trusted and given a chance to show their expertise. I'm not saying that consultants should never be used. When there is a lack of knowledge within an organization, it absolutely has to be done, but too often consultants are used automatically.