If you’re dreaming of a career in management consulting, there’s a good chance you’re drawn to the opportunity to work with high-profile companies in industries like media, consumer tech, and finance. However, most of the biggest consulting firms also do extensive work consulting for public sector institutions. Public sector consultants do high-impact work for major cities, states, and even the federal government. Government and public sector consulting is an excellent way to make a concrete difference while also enjoying all the perks of a consulting career. In this article, we’ll look at the top public sector consulting firms and the kinds of work they do, so you can decide if working in this industry is right for you.
Top 10 Public Sector Consulting Firms
Accenture Public Sector Consulting
We’ve listed Accenture as our top public sector consulting firm and we’re not the only ones—Accenture was also named a leader in the IDC MarketScape: European Professional Services for Data-Driven Government 2022 Vendor Assessment. The firm was singled out specifically for its efforts in helping public sector organizations use data-driven intelligence to improve efficiency, delivery of services, decision-making, and even designing and instituting policies. Accenture’s public sector services touch on virtually every aspect of government, including defense, social services, public health & safety, mail delivery, urban sustainability, transportation, infrastructure, education, and even border services.
Bain Public Sector Consulting
Bain is the highest-ranking of the Big 3 consulting firms on our list. With the firm’s economic and financial expertise, they help governments and public sector institutions on every level, from managing operational costs to helping organize economic development and guide federal spending. The services Bain public sector consulting Bain most specializes in include economic development, privatization, change management, cost and service-quality improvements, organizational design, and IT infrastructure.
BCG Public Sector Consulting
BCG emphasizes innovation and agility in its public sector consulting, helping organizations transform outdated hierarchical and bureaucratic models to make them leaner and more responsive to the complex challenges of the modern day. It also focuses on digital transitions, implementing new technologies like AI and blockchain. The main services BCG public sector consulting offers are economic development, defense and security, re-skilling workforce, cities of the future, digitizing government services, infrastructure, mobility, and the space sector. The firm also runs the Center for Public Impact, which oversees the effects of the firm’s work and its clients’ transformations.
Deloitte Public Sector Consulting
Deloitte is well-known for its proprietary research, which it employs in the Government & Public Services department to drive resilience, sustainability, and effectiveness for government and public sector clients. The main areas Deloitte public sector consulting serves are central government; defense, security, & justice; health & human services; and infrastructure, transport, & regional government.
EY Public Sector Consulting
Ernst & Young serves clients at every level of government, focusing on helping them use technology and data to improve the effectiveness of the services they offer citizens. The primary services EY offers public sector clients include cybersecurity, strategy and transformation, risk, supply chain and operations, customer and growth, finance, organization and people, technology, and sustainability.
McKinsey Public Sector Consulting
As another Big 3 consulting firm, McKinsey marshals its extensive resources to conduct groundbreaking research, which the firm draws on in helping government and social sector clients improve the services they offer and respond more effectively to complex challenges. The firm emphasizes the end-to-end nature of its public sector consulting, “from diagnosis to delivery.” The main areas of McKinsey public sector consulting services include cities & infrastructure, defense & security, digital & analytics, economic development, education, global public health, philanthropy, and public finance.
ICF Public Sector Consulting
ICF public sector consulting works with a variety of clients, including US federal agencies, EU governments and organizations, US state and local governments, and international development organizations. ICF divides its public sector consulting services into three areas: people and technology, program planning, and domain expertise. The firm especially touts its work in helping clients leverage cutting-edge technology to improve services and meet modern challenges.
Huron Public Sector Consulting
Though not as well-known as some of the other names on this list, the Huron Consulting Group serves clients in federal, state, and local levels of government. Some of its most important work involves serving federal health systems. The primary services offered by Huron public sector consulting include business operations, care transformation, consumer transformation, digital, organizational transformation, research enterprise, and strategy & innovation.
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Publicis Sapient Public Sector Consulting
Publicis Sapient is a global firm serving clients primarily in the US, Europe, and Australia. The firm is over 30 years old and in that time, they’ve established a reputation as leaders in using cutting-edge technology to optimize results, a reputation they continue to earn through its public sector work. Publicis Sapient public sector consulting focuses on four areas of service: data science, digital transformation, IT modernization, and digital public engagement.
Alvarez & Marsal Public Sector Consulting
Alvarez & Marsal public sector consulting serves clients in the areas of federal, state and local government; not-for-profit; health & human services, and education. Its primary public sector services include crisis management, improving citizen services, operational improvement, financial management innovation, and third-party fiduciary services.
Conclusion
Federal government spending now accounts for 20% of the global economy, and that doesn’t even account for spending at the state and local levels. Further, government and public sector organizations are on the front lines of responding to the most pressing challenges of our times. A career in public sector consulting can offer the opportunity to work with some of the most high-impact and high-profile projects available in any industry. If you’re interested in a consulting career that enables you to make a real difference in people’s lives, consider applying to one of the public sector consulting firms in this article.
Additional Resources:
- Top 10 Defense Consulting Firms
- Top Consulting Firms of 2023
- Top 10 Boutique Consulting Firms in US
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