Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy

About the Panel

The Central Government Panel's remit extends across Central Government departments, agencies and NDPBs and it is responsible for:

• consideration of finance and policy issues as they affect central government;

• responding to consultation/discussion papers and exposure drafts issued by Government, professional and other bodies;

• supporting CIPFA members in central government and promoting CIPFA and its suite of qualifications within central government

• developing, promoting and maintaining best practice, standards and guidelines and the production and dissemination of relevant advice and material for members and employers, on issues falling within the Panel's areas of responsibility; and

• establishing positive and productive professional relationships with Government, government departments and agencies, the national audit bodies, professional regulators, elected representatives and other key decision-makers, and other bodies falling within the Panel's areas of responsibility, and;

• contribute to ensuring that advice, guidance and services successfully developed in one sector or jurisdiction are suitably tailored and systematically made available to others both across the UK and ROI public services, and internationally.

Terms of Reference (common across panels)

1) Support the continuous improvement of standards in public finance, management and governance, particularly in UK local government where the Institute has formal standard setting responsibilities through:

• Anticipating, influencing, monitoring and responding to finance and policy issues;

• Institute policy formulation and implementation;

• Approval (by the Chair where necessary) of Institute responses to Government, professional bodies’ and other bodies’ consultation/discussion papers and exposure drafts;

• Development, promotion and maintenance of best practice, standards and guidelines in accordance with the scheme for institute pronouncements;

• Production and dissemination of relevant advice and material on issues falling within the Panel’s defined areas of responsibility.

2) Generate ideas and opportunities for services and products which CIPFA may develop and deliver to help to improve public service organisations.

3) Develop strong institutional relationships with Government and other relevant bodies to enable the accountancy profession to work in a more efficient way and to present its views more effectively.

4) Deliver the Panel objectives through:

• Taking a five centres of government perspective;

• Input to the formulation of panel work plans (and hence CIPFA business plans), monitoring delivery of the work programme and reporting performance to PFMB;

• Monitoring and input to the work of other relevant sectoral or functional/ cross-cutting Panels, as appropriate, on matters of mutual interest;

Quorum requirements

Panels should have the following quorum requirements:

• A quorum is 50% of the panel members. This is required for formal approval of bulletins, guidance and other Institute material. Electronic and paper correspondence from panel members, and presence via teleconference may all be counted towards the 50% quorum.

• Non-quorate meetings may discuss and formally note matters for future report, but have no executive authority.

• Urgent decisions, at the Chair’s discretion, should be dealt with by correspondence.