Public sector managers have to hold a lot of meetings but too few achieve their intended purpose – making good decisions based on the opinions of those present. Many lack structure and discipline and...
The Treasury is clamping down on annually managed expenditure to cut the welfare bill. A far better strategy, argues James Lloyd, would be to split the DWP into two, with a ministry for working-age...
According to the IMF, we now live in a 'three speed' world, as developing countries overtake traditional front-runners. With the UK and many other nations stuck in the slow lane, David Walker asks...
The Treasury’s plan to cut public sector pension costs by raising staff contributions has been stymied by workforce cuts and a related surge in early retirements
As technology advances and pressure mounts on the public sector to cut costs, virtual meetings are a possible solution. But to work effectively in this uncharted territory, leaders will need to adopt...
It’s all change at the Bank of England with a new governor about to take over the reins and a revised remit from the chancellor. So can Mark Carney deliver, asks James Zuccollo
Local government employees have been hit by a double whammy. Already underpaid and undervalued compared with other sectors, they are now bearing the brunt of public service cuts, argues Heather...
The June Spending Review is going to slice Whitehall’s funding cake so thinly that departments will be left fighting over the crumbs. So how are public services meant to cope, asks Tony Travers
Councils have consolidated the gains made under the first two years of International Financial Reporting Standards. But further challenges lie ahead, says Sarah Sheen
The government’s rush to put services online and get Whitehall tweeting fails to take account of the insecure and dated systems being used in the corridors of power
Disputes and personality clashes are inevitable in every workplace but can be turned to your advantage. Phil Anderson guides public sector staff through the labyrinth of office politics
This month, local authorities face one of their trickiest balancing acts yet. They have to meet the twin challenges of government changes to council tax support and business rates, without losing out...
The controversial ‘bedroom tax’ is the latest in a tsunami of benefit cuts. And with Housing Benefit caps and cuts to disability payments, claimants are feeling the squeeze. Claudia Wood investigates
From April 1, the health service embarks on an uncertain journey as the biggest structural reforms for decades get under way. Richard Lewis considers the risks and opportunities ahead
Health minister Norman Lamb talks to Judy Hirst about the Francis report on Mid-Staffs, Dilnot’s funding recommendations and joining up the dots on social care
Clinical Commissioning Groups are being born at a time of financial and structural upheaval in the NHS. Chief financial officers have a vital leadership role
More government investment in broadband should be a no-brainer for Britain. It would boost the economy and help bring us up to speed with other countries
Negotiating is a vital business skill for all public sector managers and increasingly so for finance professionals. But many end up acting as if they’re haggling over a used car. Matt Copeland advises
The new chief executive takes charge of the International Federation of Accountants at a critical time for public sector finance. He talks to Public Finance about the state of government accounting...
The government’s track record on IT projects is notoriously poor. So is the launch of the Universal Credit going to break the mould or repeat the big, costly failures of the past?
As George Osborne prepares for his Budget on March 20, the loss of the UK's triple A rating is news he could have done without. Colin Talbot asks where did it all go wrong for the chancellor who hit...
On April 1, new internal audit standards come into effect for the whole of the public sector. Creation of this level playing field will bring some changes
The public sector loses billions from fraud each year as criminals exploit technology to further their ends. But IT is also helping the good guys catch up