WEDNESDAY 13 JUNE 11.15 - 12.45

Workshop 1 - DOES POLITICS MATTER? THE ROLE OF POLITICIANS IN DECISION-MAKING

In a democracy, politicians make the decisions. So why don’t we pay more attention to their role in governance and decision-making and the skills they need?

This workshop will explore:

• How politicians are supported in their governance roles
• The role of political parties in encouraging their members to develop these skills.

Workshop Presentations

None available

Workshop 2 - FINANCING NEW TREATMENTS IN THE NHS

With more and more expensive new drugs and other treatments coming onto the market, NICE has to make the tough decisions about which should be funded by the NHS. Finding the funding for drugs and other treatments recommended by NICE guidance can be challenging for many NHS organisations yet it is more important than ever, now that it is a key part of the Healthcare Commission's Annual Health Check.

This session will look at some of the more controversial decisions taken by NICE and explain why and how these decisions were made, and the implications these decisions have for finance professionals in the NHS and the wider public sector. The workshops will also address what NHS finance professionals can do to ensure there are good systems in place to ensure NICE guidance is fully implemented. We will look at what lessons can be learned by finance professionals working outside the NHS, from how NICE works, and how the NHS responds to its guidance.

Workshop Presentations

None available

WEDNESDAY 13 JUNE 14.00 - 15.30

Workshop 3 - CURRENT FINANCE ISSUES

This workshop will provide an opportunity for directors and finance managers to learn about current finance issues including in particular those facing District Councils. Participants will be encouraged to share problems, experience and best practice with their peers. The workshop will be led by leading practitioners and will cover such topics as CSR07, the 2008 Concessionary Fares Scheme, financial management and accounting, and strategic housing matters.

Workshop Presentations

SDCT Shared Services (PDF 61Kb)
SDCT IPF Presentation (PDF 199Kb)
SDCT Concessionary Fares 2008 (PDF 60Kb)
SDCT Cipfa Workshop National Funding Pressures (PDF 166Kb)
CPA CAA Presentation (PDF 183Kb)
SDCT Workshop agenda 13 June 2007 (Word 36Kb)

Workshop 4 - INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS OPPORTUNITY OR THREAT?

The 2007 Budget announced that from 2008-09 the accounts of central government and other entities in the public sector will be prepared using International Financial Reporting Standards, adapted as necessary. IFRS will apply to Whole of Government Accounts with the consequent need to align local and central government accounting policies. This workshop is an opportunity to hear key players in the standards world discuss:

• What will IFRS mean for the different parts of the UK public benefit sector?
• How are public service issues addressed in the standards setting process?  
•  What are the key issues we should influence?  
  

Workshop Presentations

David Loweth Presentation (PDF 89Kb)
David Watkins Presentation (PDF 77Kb)
Ian Carruthers Presentation (PDF 212Kb)

Workshop 5 - EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP

The need for effective leadership in public and private sector organisations is universally recognised and promoted, but it is hard to define what this means in practice or to develop or change established leadership behaviours. This session will provide some new ideas on how individual finance professionals can take responsibility for their own leadership skills development.

Workshop Presentations

CIPFA OU Workshop Presentation (PDF 367Kb)

THURSDAY 14 JUNE 09.15-10.45

Workshop 6 - SHARED SERVICES

• Hear what you should and shouldn’t be doing from those in the know
• Be better informed when developing strategies and business cases
• Raise your awareness of broader toolsets and approaches, such as lean thinking
• Find out the key questions you should be asking.

Workshop Presentations

Adur Shared Services Presentation (PDF 106Kb)
BT CSD Shared Services Presentation (PDF 416Kb)
Somerset Shared Services Presentation (PDF 3Mb)
St Edmundsbury Shared Services Presentation (PDF 1Mb)

Workshop 7 - ROLE OF THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE: ONE MODEL OR MANY?

'Change is the one constant’ is a hackneyed phrase, but it accurately summarises the pressures on Directors of Finance across the public services faced with a combination of:

• Constant rearrangement of the deckchairs
• Relentless pressure to deliver efficiencies (which the CSR can only increase)
• Thinner, flatter organisational structures, with outsourcing and shared services becoming the norm.

How are Directors of Finance addressing this myriad of challenges? Speakers from across the public services will draw on their own experiences to consider whether the
solution is convergence on a single model or instead different approaches for different
regulatory and organisational settings.

Workshop Presentations

Bill Shields Presentation (PDF 157Kb)
Chris Harris Presentation (PDF 73Kb)
Nathan Elvery Presentation (PDF 189Kb)

Workshop 8 - INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR

The theme of the international seminar is "How the UK can help in improving developing and transition economy country public sector performance".

The international seminar will include presentations on how international aid organisations measure improvements in country public financial management, a country case study on how a country can actually put in place policies to achieve the millennium goals, and a session on how public organisations in this country can provide practical assistance. ALL delegates are invited to attend either some or all of the sessions.

See the International Seminar Programme for further details.

Workshop Presentations

None available