The aim of the infrastructure code isn’t just to help councils finish their Whole of Government Accounts. It should also to help them manage their assets better
Focusing spending on the front line is understandable in a time of scarce resources. But neglecting the information systems you need to assess policy costs and benefits can be a false economy
In straitened times, public sector leaders have to look at their services with fresh eyes. This can mean tearing up the rule book, a frightening prospect for many staff. Managers must be encouraged...
It’s not just national governments facing debt crises and ratings downgrades. Local and regional authorities worldwide have been in meltdown, as the credit squeeze hits. But some are starting to...
Ministers talk the talk on local financial freedoms. But without the right to vary both taxation and service levels, town halls will remain at the mercy of Whitehall
David Cameron’s attack on public services in Wales hit a raw nerve. For evidence is mounting that Welsh collaboration gets poorer results than English competition, argues Malcolm Prowle
Deficient accounting by governments has been one of the causes of the sovereign debt crisis. So what can be done? Finance experts recently converged on Vienna to find a solution to this long-standing...
The new Public Finance International website is now live. Providing news, opinion and information covering developments affecting government accountants, auditors, regulators and policy makers across...
It used to be hard to gather all the information needed for monitoring and planning services. But now we’re in the Big Data Era, things are set to change
Delegation done badly can cause frustration, demotivation and failure. Done well it can help you, your staff and your organisation. Pam Jones shows you how to let go and lighten the load
Security is vital for local authority investments and that means managing the range of risks entailed. CIPFA’s recent study shows what councils are doing to protect their funds
The Health and Social Care Bill is meant to help clinicians provide patients with better integrated local care services. But a growing chorus of critics think it will have the opposite effect. Who’s...
As schools chief inspector and top education mandarin, Sir David Bell has never shrunk
from challenging the status quo. Now as Reading University’s new vice-chancellor, he is taking his reforming...
As the UK feels the pain of the harshest austerity package since the war, don’t expect any letup in George Osborne’s March Budget. Better get used to the new normal, says Tony Travers
Winning friends and influencing people is more vital than ever in today’s challenging and uncertain work environment. Fiona Dent explains how to go on the charm offensive to get people to co-operate...
Whole Place is the new Total Place, as community budgeting helps both town halls and Whitehall free up their fiscal thinking. So are the chances of joined-up spending better or worse in an era of...
The good news is that the government is scrapping the much-hated Housing Revenue Account from April. The less good news is that the Treasury, not councils, could still end up in the driving seat
As head of the Government Finance Profession, Richard Douglas is overseeing big changes to Whitehall’s financial management. He tells PF how he combines that with his day job at the Department of...
