Quite a few people have reached out to me expressing concern that a consultant previously involved in reforming Bermuda’s public education system has now received another Government contract, this time relating to road safety.

According to a report by The Royal Gazette’s chief reporter Sarah Lagan, Keren Caple of Third Story, formerly Innovation Unit Australia/New Zealand, was awarded a six-week contract worth $17,250 to advise Government on coordinating its road safety initiatives. This is the same consultancy that received approximately $8.4 million in education-related contracts over five years.

Now, I understand the concern. At first read, I had quite a few questions myself. Given the public criticism surrounding education reform, how was this consultancy selected for another Government contract? What expertise does it bring that isn’t already available in Bermuda? And most importantly, what exactly are taxpayers getting for their money?

To be fair, Government says the contract is about coordinating existing road safety initiatives rather than providing technical road safety expertise. I appreciate that clarity. But it doesn’t eliminate the need to explain why an outside consultant is necessary when several Government departments and agencies are already working on road safety. This is where I believe the conversation needs to go beyond consultants and politicians.

We regularly criticize Government for spending millions on outside consultants, and sometimes rightfully so. But what about those already employed within the public service who are responsible for delivering these services? Are they being given the resources and support they need? Do they have the necessary expertise? And if they’re not delivering what’s expected, who is holding them accountable?

I don’t believe it’s fair to automatically blame public servants without understanding the circumstances. Sometimes the problem may be leadership, insufficient resources or decisions being made above them. But if that’s the case, those responsible need to be willing to say so. And Government needs to be equally transparent about why it believes outside assistance is necessary.

We can’t keep having conversations about consultants without examining the systems they’re being hired to support. It’s easier sometimes to criticize politicians and consultants than to question people we know and like. But accountability shouldn’t depend on personal relationships.

And I keep coming back to another question. Are there really no Bermudians outside the public service with the experience and ability to help develop these strategies? If there are, are they being given a fair opportunity to compete for Government work?

I understand that consultants can bring valuable expertise. I’m not suggesting Government should never hire them. But there should be a clear purpose, measurable deliverables and accountability for the results.

This isn’t a personal criticism of Keren Caple or any other consultant. It’s about Bermuda and Bermudians getting value for the money being spent. We have serious challenges in education, road safety and other areas affecting people’s lives. Too much money appears to be going out while too little progress seems to be being made. At some point, we have to ask whether we’re investing in solutions or simply paying people to keep developing plans.

I continue to believe that if we focused more on hiring, developing and retaining the right people, we wouldn’t need to rely so heavily on outside consultants to perform work that should be within our own capabilities.

Enough is enough. Taxpayers deserve to know what they’re paying for, why they’re paying for it and what results they’re getting.