London councils will continue to pilot business rates retention next year but at the lower rate of 75%, rather than the 100% they trialled in 2018-19, the draft local government settlement revealed...
Finance teams are key players in supporting digital transformation projects, which could allow public sector organisations to provide faster and better quality services, says not-for-profit Eduserv’s...
Housing accountants must be careful about how they charge rents next year - a leap year - or they could find they lose out on income or break the rules, says the chair of CIPFA’s housing panel Ken...
If it wants to avoid another Carillion-style disaster, the government should urgently review the health of the outsourcing market, says Sarah Nickson of the Institute for Government.
The prime minister’s hard-line stance on migration did nothing to endear her to already fed-up and over-worked public sector staff, argues Russell Hargrave.
Councils will not be able to build the homes needed unless we also address how we train and expands the construction industry workforce, argues think-tank Localis’ Bethanie Roughley.
CIPFA has issued a new statement of professional practice but local action is equally important in the fight against corruption, says the institutes’s Don Peebles.
The Government Counter Fraud Awards provide the perfect opportunity to not only celebrate the best public sector initiatives but also learn from them, says CIPFA counter fraud manager Marc McAuley.
A digitally enabled NHS promises to transform medical treatment and patient experience but needs a major cultural shift in procurement and commissioning, argues consultant Colin Cram.
High streets are no longer the bustling community hubs they once were, but decline doesn’t have to be terminal, says Cathy Parker of the Institute of Place Management.
Focusing discussion on the productivity problem is not helpful, says Nigel Wilcock of the Institute of Economic Development. We should look at how to incentivise capital investment and training.
Once departmental budgets are set the Treasury loses interest, says David Walker as he reflects on the NAO’s broadside at government planning and spending.
It’s a political choice that a fifth of our population live in poverty, says Mary-Ann Stephenson, director of the Women’s Budget Group. It is time for the government to acknowledge its mistakes and...
Optimism bias is a common problem that threatens local government’s financial sustainability. Risk assessments need to be credible, transparent and thoroughly stress tested, says CIPFA’s Jo Pitt.
Brexit could usher in one of history’s occasional political realignments, with two new parties emerging from the chaos, says the Daily Telegraph’s chief leader writer Philip Johnston.
Public sector accountants need to start shouting out about what is happening in their sector locally in such a way that their voices are heard nationally, argues the WLGA’s Debbie Wilcox....
The Welsh Government has worked hard to protect frontline services from the effects of austerity but there is still more to do, the Welsh cabinet secretary for finance Mark Drakeford says.
As the public sector wrestles with looming funding gaps, John Thornton asks if the technology that has revolutionised trade for small businesses could lend a helping hand.
Public systems should not be regarded as machines but as gardens that require cultivation rather than control, argues Adrian Brown of the Centre for Public Impact.
The world of local government finance has seen massive changes in recent years, but updated guidance is available to help bridge the gap, explains consultant Peter Worth.
If we are to stand any chance of breaking the ‘necklace of neglect’ encircling swathes of the UK, we need a heavy-hitting minister to fight for a non-metropolitan urban agenda, says Peter...
