Deloitte's public-sector prowess

Interested in getting involved in the public sector? While certain names in the consulting biz have historically been linked to that space—Booz Allen Hamilton and —Accenture, I'm lookin' at you—a new name has recently risen in status: Deloitte. Of course, Deloitte has been involved in public-sector work for some time now, but it really ramped up its presence in the field with its March 2009 purchase of BearingPoint's federal government unit when BearingPoint filed for bankruptcy in February. That purchase brought in over 4,000 staffers into the Deloitte fold, and helped cement its reputation in the U.S. federal market.

Further demonstrating its commitment to broadening its scope in the government scene, last week Deloitte announced that it had opened a new federal headquarters in Arlington, Va. The new location will serve as a hub for the firm's federal government services unit, and its new Center for Federal Innovation and Center for Cyber Innovation, both of which are scheduled to open in the next few weeks.

Deloitte's growth in the public sector was flagged this week when it was called out for having the fastest growing practice in the global public-sector market by Kennedy Consulting Research & Advisory, in its report, "The Kennedy Vanguard for Public Sector Management Consulting Practices, 2009." Over the past year, revenue from its public sector practice grew 27 percent, bringing in $1.5 billion.

"Deloitte differentiates itself through its branding, emphasis on the client experience, distributed nature of its member firms, and breadth of offerings," said Kelly Matthews, associate research director and lead analyst of Kennedy's Public Sector Consulting Marketplace 2009. "The firm also publishes a wealth of information on the public sector market, further differentiating itself." Kennedy's report also notes that "Deloitte boasts myriad strengths in its Public Sector practice. The firm recruits top industry veterans as advisors and directors, leveraging their deep industry expertise." In addition, "Deloitte's ability to connect with senior officials in government helps it foster long-term government business."

This news is notable, not only for Deloitte's overall brand strength, but also because of the growing interest in public-sector jobs and the increased competition within the public-sector consulting market. And after the BearingPoint acquisition, Deloitte is officially among the biggest public-sector players in the world.