The Role of Large Management Consultancy Firms in Global Public Policy

The formation of global public policy takes place in diverse fields populated by a range of different actors. One important, but neglected group of actors is large management consultancy firms. This chapter examines why and how such firms have been able to exercise influence over global public policy. Emphasis is placed on their reputational power, their organizational structures which enable them to use and develop expertise and the importance of their social networks amongst other elite actors. The chapter illustrates these themes through a case study of the REDD Initiative sponsored by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. It concludes by outlining a research agenda which focuses on the power of consultancies in this arena, but also recognizes the limits to this power.