According to the Council of State Governments' surveys of only some state agencies, more than 18 percent of state agencies indicate that high-quality service is one reason why they have outsourced. Carl Monismith, professor of civil engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, has argued that private engineering and construction firms are where innovations in techniques and materials come from. He goes on to claim that state and local governments could dramatically improve road construction, cut maintenance costs, and improve the longevity of street surfaces by outsourcing. Studies of outsourced water and wastewater treatment facilities have proved him correct, showing improved compliance with environmental standards, improved customer service, and cost savings as well. Quality outcomes from outsourcing arise from appropriate safeguards that governments write into contracts.
Consultants have many clients to balance expertise and workloads.
Infrastructure development naturally ebbs and flows, but public employees, protected by civil service, remain at steady levels. When staffing exceeds the workload, some workers are left with nothing productive to do but still get paid. When the workload exceeds the staffing level, some projects are not being completed, imposing delays, backlogs, and costs on would-be users of the new facilities. The problem of having fluctuating workloads but steady staffing levels can be solved through outsourcing, tapping consultants as a resource pool that can adjust to address fluctuating needs. Just as they wrestle with staffing peaks, government agencies also wrestle with meeting project deadlines.