Hi, I am an ex-accenture consultant who spent just under 3 years in the government operating group. I took a 20 month sabbatical to work in the media. I would like to go back to public sector consulting but doing more change management/strategic work. What are my career options? Would it be better to go work in a government department and then rejoin a consulting group or rejoin a consulting group and specialise. Are there any other public sector consultants out there? What firms have a good reputation for central government work?

The opportunities now seem to be for public sector consultants who can demonstrate 'industry'-specific knowledge and experience i.e. public sector managers going into consulting. The first of your two options sounds better to me, but look for a permanent rather than a contractor role to get the most from it.