A dark garage, a few silhouettes bent over files, and ideas that, at the time, raised eyebrows. What could have been just a marginal hobby has stealthily woven itself into the arteries of the planet.
Today, it is impossible to ignore the shadow cast by these pioneers: they have entered morning conversations, weigh on institutional decisions, and even shape collective practices and values. By what strange twist could such a discreet adventure have inscribed itself in the march of the world? This narrative intrigues, and the revelations capture attention.
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Discreet origins: understanding the early steps of an unknown influence
The rise of consulting firms with public authorities has unfolded away from the spotlight. In the early 2000s, Paris still observes these specialists with a distant eye: they are approached with measured caution, and only certain ministries or state operators take the plunge. The model, straight from the Anglo-Saxon world, begins to infiltrate the French administrative apparatus, driven by names like American Management Systems. Their trajectory, from rise to integration into CGI, sheds light on the transformation of an entire sector.
But the tempo is accelerating. The UGAP sets up framework agreements to simplify the lives of administrations, while the DITP orchestrates inter-ministerial markets. A new way of dialoguing between public and private is taking shape. Missions, long reserved for strategy or reorganization, are expanding: crisis management, digital transformation, health policy, or pension issues. The AP-HP, Public Health France, the CNAV – all become regulars.
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- Between 2018 and 2021, the use of consulting firms doubled, surpassing the symbolic threshold of one billion euros in 2021.
- Consultants slip into the heart of decisions, sometimes joining ministerial teams on a nearly permanent basis.
The distinction between consulting and public action blurs. Consultants write strategic notes, sign deliverables on behalf of administrations, and handle confidential data sets. Even so-called “pro bono” missions or those related to sponsorship weigh in the balance: they serve as a springboard to establish themselves in spheres of influence, where visibility sometimes matters as much as the invoice.
How did a local dynamic transform into an essential global force?
The story of consulting firms is no longer limited to a few Parisian circles. Their expansion now aligns with the contours of a global public transformation. They assert themselves during major reforms: during the health crisis, for example, they lead the vaccination campaign, reinvent information systems, and support public strategies at the European level. Consultants, integrated into teams, participate from within in the development of policies, even producing reports stamped with the ministerial logo.
This grip relies on mastery of sensitive data and the ability to suggest structuring directions for the state. Firms no longer merely execute: they guide, decide, and sometimes steer. This proximity raises questions: conflicts of interest, revolving doors, back-and-forth between high civil service and consulting. The HATVP attempts to establish rules, but the separation remains vague, with many bridges.
Alarm signals are multiplying in the Parliament and the Court of Auditors. The Senate launches an inquiry commission, and the Court expresses concern over the risk of dilution of public decision-making. Several bills emerge to enhance transparency, regulate these practices, and better protect the state’s strategic resources.
- Consulting firms intervene even in the design of public policies.
- The traceability of interventions remains uncertain: many deliverables bear no identifiable signature.
As the international dynamic asserts itself, vigilance becomes the watchword. Who is really steering the direction taken by our institutions? The thread of influence tightens, ready to snap or redraw, for a long time, the face of public decision-making.