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A few weeks ago, US President Barack Obama asked the US Congress for the authority to consolidate trade and business related parts of the federal government to untangle what he called a bureaucratic maze. He said he wanted to merge six departments and agencies into one, in a move that would effectively eliminate the Commerce Department. “With this authority, we would help businesses grow, save businesses time and save taxpayer dollars,” he said.
Continue reading When President Obama and the CBI both call for consolidation, it's time to take notice.
AMP Capital has been appointed as the investment manager of a major new infrastructure fund being established by Irish Life Investment Managers (ILIM). The new fund – Irish Infrastructure Trust – will target investment in Irish assets including those designated for disposal by the Irish Government and Irish commercial State enterprises and also in new infrastructure projects in Ireland.
Continue reading AMP Capital appointed to manage new 1 Euro billion Irish Infrastructure Fund
Stuart Littleford: What do you think the labour party needs to do to secure a victory in the next general election and do you feel the state of the economy at the moment is the fault of the last Labour government?Debbie Abrahams MP: I think we need to do what we are starting to do around the ‘Refounding Labour Initiative’ which is what we should be doing all the time, engaging with communities and identifying their needs and issues and responding to them in the policies we develop. There is a big push on this now and the shadow cabinet team are going around the country to feed in ideas from local people.
Continue reading Debbie Abrahams MP – GPSJ Interview
Expert Answers, which has an online team of solicitors and barristers, is planning to team up with councils across the country to offer their unique service that allows customers to choose what they pay for their legal advice.
Continue reading Ground-breaking legal service will help councils to help taxpayers
Nearly three quarters of the UK’s leading management consultants believe that the government should hold its nerve and stick to the main planks of its economic policy. The MCA (Management Consultancies Association) has today published the results of The MCA Barometer, a survey of leading figures in the management consultancy industry carried out in partnership with Ipsos Mori.
Continue reading Government should 'hold its nerve' on economic policy say management consultants
Learning and development company, pearcemayfield, is taking action against poor management training by launching a ‘Leading Change Summer School’.
Continue reading TRAINING COMPANY PUTS A BAN ON BORING
Renovo Employment Group is to launch a revolutionary new 24-hour telephone and online career development product, designed specifically to support the new Work Programme, at this years’ UK Welfare to Work Convention. Renovo’s Career Advancement Programme (CAP) is a powerful new service that allows prime and subcontractor providers to deliver a much more cost effective, distance based in work support package to thousands of people returning to work.
Continue reading RENOVO TO LAUNCH BESPOKE DISTANCE SUPPORT PRODUCT
We are emerging from the worst recession in 60 years and plans to repair battered public finances are well underway. The news agenda continues to be dominated by gloomy predictions that further public sector jobs will be lost and service users will suffer. However, Brian Redpath, Director of Public Sector at Nuance Communications asks whether this is the right focus, right now.
Continue reading Innovation on a shoestring
Siemens IT Solutions and Services has appointed a Head of Government Affairs to champion and develop relationships with central and local Government partners and trade associations. Steven Barker will take this ambassadorial role and lead engagements with public sector working groups concerned with standards in procurement, emergent and changing ICT strategies, plus the identification of innovative products, services and solutions.
Continue reading Siemens IT Solutions appointment
Commenting following an announcement that Wiltshire Police Authority (WPA) will receive a 6 percent cut in grant funding in 2011-2012, Christopher Hoare, Chair of WPA said: -Cuts to the police budget for 2011-2012 bring very real challenges to ensuring the continuation of an effective policing service that local people rightly expect.
Continue reading REAL CHALLENGES FROM POLICE BUDGET CUT
The emergency budget has given us the first real indication of how and where the coalition’s major spending cuts are going to occur. Chancellor George Osborne has spelt out the agenda in recent weeks, explaining that, “decisive action to deal with Britain’s record budget deficit” , estimated to be running at £149 billion annually with a structural deficit of £113.5 billion- is the top priority or else the country is on the “road to ruin”.
Continue reading Budget 2010: Major public sector cutbacks are underway, however savings can still be delivered without hitting frontline services
Chief Constable Grahame Maxwell, who is also the Association of Chief Police Officers’ Finance and Resource portfolio lead, said:
Continue reading Chief Constable Grahame Maxwell comments on the budget
-In the short term I recognise that steps must be taken to address the consequences of the recession. These understandably have been framed around a trade off between cuts in public spending and tax increases.
Continue reading Budget Comment: Professor Peter Latchford
The Government’s attitude to public sector pay and pensions is a worrying issue. David Cameron seems to be pushing councils awkwardly down a path they are already addressing. A reduction of payment in pensions will have a crippling effect on the economy and further increases in employee contributions will not serve as an effective solution.
Continue reading Government's attitude to public sector pay and pensions is worrying
Dr John Philpott, Chief Economic Adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) predicts that the coalition government’s deficit reduction measures will stall any recovery in the UK jobs market later this year, result in a post-recession peak in unemployment close to 3 million, and slow any subsequent return to low unemployment.
Continue reading Deficit reduction measures will raise UK unemployment close to 3 million by 2012
‘Doing more for less’ has long been debated in the public sector, but now, the need to cut public spending, has become urgent. The Public Sector is not just facing a painful adjustment to immediate financial issues; it is also challenged by factors that will be impacting us for decades to come – such as our ageing population, our inadequate physical infrastructure, and the need to reskill the nation’s workforce.
Continue reading The Department of the Future
Hot on the heels of Audit Scotland’s timely publication on the need to improve public sector efficiency comes the call for written evidence from the Scottish Parliament Finance Committee on what preparations are required by the public sector to deliver efficient public services during a time of tightening public expenditure. The evidence period extends to the end of March but the key themes are not hard to discern.
Continue reading Can Political Leaders Deliver On Public Sector Cuts?
For many not directly involved in public sector financial reporting the move to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for all public sector entities must feel like finance colleagues creating another self-generating, cottage industry. Shadow accounts, restated balance sheets and further audit reviews leading to the holy grail of WGA (Whole of Government Accounts) seem curious distractions at a time when the public sector is facing huge funding challenges.
Continue reading WGA 'The Wholly' Grail of Public Sector Accounting?
Whilst England’s campaign for world cup qualification in South Africa has been impressive, doubts still remain over some of the key positions. Left side midfield remains a long term problem and the goalkeeper’s spot also now has question marks over it. These remain specialist positions where the limited number of convincing contenders reflects a dearth of talent coming through.
Continue reading Public Sector Leadership Teams: Keeping An Eye On The Financial Football
The news that council chiefs are set to quit amid budget and pension plan changes (Financial Times, Council Chiefs Set to Quit as Cuts Bite, 11 November issue) brings into the spotlight once more the issue of attracting the best and most qualified staff to senior roles when remuneration alone will not cut it.
Continue reading Efficiency through Flexibility
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