Thanks to all of you who played our Christmas quiz. Congratulations go to our winner, Jonathan Tymms of Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Group, who achieved a perfect score and wins £150 in M&S...
Between financial controversies and more fundamental questions about sustainability, the academies sector is crying out for transparency, writes Rachel Willcox.
With the date for the UK’s departure from the EU approaching local authorities are drawing up contingency plans. But do they have the cash to fund them? Dominic Brady investigates.
An organisation can only be as good as the people that work there, so make sure yours are topping up their talent and maximise your return on investment with these tips from CIPFA’s Brendan McCarron.
Between cuts and process inefficiencies, there is a strong case for bringing criminal justice into the digital age. But with the system already at breaking point the jury is out on the odds of...
Dickensian debtors prisons are a thing of the past, but outdated debt collection practices still risk driving the most financially vulnerable into further difficulty. Victor Smart reports.
The police are often the first line of response, but as real-terms cuts continue, how can already ‘badly overstretched’ services possibly offer a response that meets public expectations? Emily Twinch...
Although the Scottish Government has taken a ‘step in the right direction’, panellists at CIPFA’s Public Finance Debate warned the NHS in Scotland is unsustainable. Kerry Lorimer reports.
Managers need to set goals that give team members opportunity to grow without over-burdening them, but this can often be a complicated balance to strike, says consultant Thomas Sullivan.
Amid huge uncertainty about funding services beyond 2020, councils are turning to commercial property as an income stream, but are they managing the risks? Rachel Willcox reports.
The government’s announcement of mandatory pooling of local government pension schemes certainly made waves, but, three years on, how are the new mega pools shaping up? Karen Day reports.
Although most countries are united in the desire to shift to accrual accounting, many fail in their aim. But there are some simple ways to keep the process on track, says international public...
Vivienne Russell reminds us what happened in Liverpool in 1985 when the city council tried to set an illegal budget after Labour’s Dawn Butler recently revived memories of the row.
CIPFA and the Institute for Fiscal Studies recently hosted a round tabled debate on the questions and issues thrown up by the government’s fair funding review. Vivienne Russell reports.
Rob Winter brought in a new approach to embed good governance and control for the South Yorkshire Police that was simpler to use and would provide management information. Simone Rensch...
Huw Vaughan Thomas, former auditor general for Wales, talks to PF’s Vivienne Russell about how the Wales Audit Office has evolved and the implications of the country’s new fiscal...
Ethics are the building blocks of professional practice. With financial probity hitting the headlines, CIPFA surveyed hundreds of staff, and found some alarming results. Vivienne Russell reports....
Mentoring is a flexible, cost-effective way to improve staff skills and workplace wellbeing. Business school professor Max Neal gives some top tips to avoid tripping up.
With questions being asked about the future of the Public Works Loan Board, PF takes a look at some of the other ways local authorities can raise funds.
As the public sector enters a second wave of digital development, the impact on the finance profession – on working practices, the skills and roles required – is set to pose a significant challenge.
Britain’s favourite national institution is 70 in July. Alison Moore looks at whether the PM’s promise of a £20bn birthday present is enough to secure its future.
