...Trust & one question - are they productive?
If you can't trust the consultants you have then you have the wrong consultants. Secondly, if they are producing the results you want, then there should be no issue with time. One simple way to see what they are doing is ask for a weekly report. However, the bottom line is that if they are producing the results that you (and your manager) expect or want, there should be no issue with time.