We need more clarity and brevity in financial statements if they are to meet the needs of users. But too often public bodies play safe and fail to consider the 'materiality' of the information...
Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has sent an inspection team to examine allegations of governance failure, poor financial management and fraud at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Public sector productivity will need to improve to maintain services amid continuing government cuts, the head of the government finance profession has said.
There are currently ‘inexplicable’ differences in pay across the civil service that need to be examined as part of the government’s deficit reduction programme, a senior Treasury figure has said.
Management decisions based on hunches and intuition resemble 17th century medicine – witchcraft with added leeches. So, asks Alasdair Robertson, how do you assemble a business case that appeals to...
CIPFA chief executive Rob Whiteman has called on ministers to preserve current governance standards in local government rather than allow them to be eroded further
CIPFA is to take over the Audit Commission’s counter-fraud work when the watchdog is wound up next year and establish a national centre of excellence in counter-fraud, it has been announced today
The number of people employed in the public sector fell by 159,000 to 5.5 million in the last three months of 2013 following the reclassification of the Royal Mail after privatisation, the Office for...
Public sector employers expect an improvement in the jobs outlook over the next three months, with more expecting to hire staff than are anticipating shedding posts, a survey has found.
When work/life balance is upset by longer working hours, snatched breaks and increased stress, your energy reserves can drain over the working day. Angela Muir offers advice on how to replenish your...
Plans to abolish the Audit Commission remain on track to save £1.2bn over ten years, the Department for Communities and Local Government has stated today.
Scotland’s public finance professionals should not wait for political permission before innovating to reform and improve service delivery, Finance Secretary John Swinney told the CIPFA Scotland...
Management costs in local authorities, including some finance functions, have increased by 10% in the last decade, with poor monitoring now hindering attempts to cut spending, the Audit Commission...
Ongoing reforms to financial management in government are intended to improve management accounting and place finance professionals at the heart of Whitehall decision-making, senior figures have said.
A majority of finance professionals working in non-profit organisations would like to see an international standard for financial reporting in the sector introduced, according to research from the...
Parliament should be given greater opportunity to scrutinise the funds raised and spent on green energy schemes through levies on electricity and gas bills, MPs said today
The number of people employed in some public services will fall by as much as 40% as a result of the government’s deficit reduction plan, an Institute for Fiscal Studies analysis has revealed.
It can be lonely out there for local government digital leaders. Is it time to invest in a Whitehall-style support network, to drive forward digital change?
Finance professionals in public sector bodies must drive efficiency programmes in their organisations to ensure services are protected from ‘really challenging’ funding cuts, the head of a government...
