A troubled housing body is to pay consultants at least £1250 a day to review its performance as a landlord. Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) could end up paying Financial Information Company Ltd up to £75,000 for a month's work, an insider said.
One critic of the deal said GHA's leadership was "not up to the job".
GHA's future is thought to be in doubt following a turbulent few weeks for the organisation, which provides services to 63,000 tenants and 26,000 home-owners across the city.
Two of GHA's senior managers - Donna Stevenson and Robert Flanagan - quit recently, while the body was also criticised by the Scottish housing regulator.
The watchdog's report into GHA claimed that the organisation had "not set a clear purpose and direction that key stakeholders understand and support".
The social landlord was also urged to establish better relations with key stakeholders, such as Glasgow City Council and the Scottish government.
It can now be revealed that the GHA's response to the report has been to hire a London-based consultancy firm to draw up a "strategic review".
A leaked report shows that the GHA will pay the company £36,250 for 29 days, at a daily rate of £1250.
The total figure excludes VAT and six "contingency" days.
It also excludes expenses, which are listed as travel, hotel and subsistence, printing and postage, as well as other undefined "direct costs".
One insider with a knowledge of the housing sector said the GHA could pay the FIC team up to £100,000 for just over a month's work.
As the current crisis grows pressure has increased on GHA's £180,000-a-year chief executive Taroub Zahran.
It is also understood that members of the GHA board may stand down at the organisation's forthcoming AGM.
Bill Butler, the Labour MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, said: "I sincerely hope GHA, in hiring these consultants, have not gone beyond what is considered normal in terms of fees, as it seems the fee is roughly double to what I'd expect.
"I hope the job they do leads to an organisation better able to meet the demands of tenants."
Bill Kidd, the SNP MSP for Glasgow, said: "The fact that the GHA is spending that amount of money is not good. This money should be used for the benefit of tenants.
"It seems to be staggering from one crisis to another. The leadership is not up to the job."
A GHA spokeswoman said: "The Scottish housing regulator, as part of the audit published in June, asked us to carry out a strategic review of options for our future.
"As a result independent consultants were appointed last week.
"The review under way will seek direct input from GHA's tenants, as well as stakeholders, including our funders, the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council.
"It is aimed at finding a way of moving forward, with tenants, partners and stakeholders, to deliver the best possible future for tenants in Glasgow.
"We will be managing all costs associated with the review closely."
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