Director of Finance Network

Are you a director of finance or equivalent in a public body in Wales?

Then you are a key individual in your organisation. Perhaps you would like to increase your influence more generally and beyond your organisation? Would you like to tap into the knowledge and experience of your peers and gain a better understanding of other types of organisation? If so, then becoming part of the recently formed director of finance network should be high on your agenda.

Director of finance network

Wales is facing tougher times – increasing costs, tight budget settlements, reducing capital receipts, but ever increasing citizen expectations for innovative service delivery. By working together effectively the Welsh public sector is better equipped to meet these challenges.

The Finance Leadership Division has been created to help improve financial leadership across the public sector in Wales. It is a Welsh Assembly Government led team largely supported through the European Social Fund and is expected to deliver its objectives over the next two years.

The main objectives of the Division are:

• To establish a community of Finance Directors (the 'Network') to encourage and facilitate joint working, to develop innovative and collaborative approaches to common problems, share best practice, and where possible make sizeable savings across Wales.
• To create and provide support to a Steering Group to enhance the strategic direction and success factors for the Network.
• To design and deliver a Directors of Finance National Conference every six months.
• To develop and deliver a Public Sector Finance Leadership Development Programme tailored for Welsh needs.
• To make collaboration easier and more effective, by providing an environment for building mutual support and trust between Network members.
• To strengthen the communication channels to enhance joint working opportunities across the Network.

The Division aims to show that by working together the finance community can collectively learn and develop financial leadership techniques which in turn will contribute to the transformation of public services in Wales.

An e-resource facility has been developed to provide a communication channel to all Network members to enable them to be kept informed of relevant developments. This will include:

• A discussion forum to enable the sharing of best practice, both within the normal working practices whilst members seek to deliver good quality service to the Welsh public within the current economic climate and to share knowledge and experience as candidates progress through the Finance Leadership Programme.
• A separate area for the Finance Leadership Programme which will be specific for each cohort of the programme. Members of each cohort will be able to share a discussion forum, access the syllabus, timetables and joining instructions, have access to learning documentation.
• An area specific to all events pertaining to the Network, including National and Regional Conferences, workshops etc. This area will enable members to access pre and post event documentation (e.g. joining instructions, agenda, presentations, evaluation criteria etc).

If you would like to become part of this Network and link into the e-resource, please contact the team E: financeleadershipnetwork@wales.gsi.gov.uk