Public finance systems in Scotland have failed to keep pace with the shift to results-based services taking place across the nation, a report from CIPFA Scotland has argued.
Auditors have criticised Scottish councils’ management of major capital projects after finding most schemes were late and cost ‘significantly’ more than first estimated.
Design principles should be incorporated into public services to help make them more streamlined, relevant and useful, according to a report published today.
Whitehall’s central procurement team has come under fire for the way it chose marketing and advertising agencies to work with over the next three years.
The four ‘whole place’ Community Budget pilots in England show that integrated spending could lead to cheaper and better services, the National Audit Office said today.
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
Ministers today announced the creation of four evidence-gathering bodies to measure the effectiveness of government policies and improve the value for money of £200bn worth of public spending.
More than £70m is being wasted across Whitehall every year because civil servants cannot understand the complex financial spreadsheets and models prepared by their colleagues, it has been claimed.
Health finance professionals should work with their clinical and managerial colleagues to develop accurate costs for the services their organisations offer, Monitor said today.
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
Huge spending cuts and radical changes in the public sector are not only shrinking the existing workforce but making it harder for jobseekers to find positions. As more and more people apply for...
Reforms to the contracts for NHS consultants have brought many of the expected benefits, but hospitals can still improve how they manage senior doctors to improve value for money, the National Audit...
Public bodies in Nottinghamshire received more than 800 applications for an innovative training scheme that allows finance staff to work across different employers
The National Audit Office has warned that funding cuts facing councils over the next two years will pose ‘increasing difficulties’ for town halls, and urged Whitehall to better understand the impact...
Plans to overhaul the audit regime for local public bodies contain ‘serious’ risks and gaps that could weaken accountability for public money, MPs have warned.
CIPFA has urged local authorities to be ‘extremely careful’ if they plan to follow Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles’ advice to use their reserves to close funding gaps.
The Local Government Finance Settlement heralds a ‘very challenging’ phase in the austerity programme, CIPFA has warned, while the Local Government Association called it ‘bad news for services’.
Accountants from across the public and private sectors have called on the government to adopt a long-term industrial strategy and said ministers should stop ‘talking down’ the economy.
Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has accused some councils of scaremongering about funding cuts after it was revealed that town hall reserves have risen by more than a third in the past five...
