Qualified finance staff 'essential to efficiency targets' 
As government departments seek significant operational efficiency savings, Ian Carruthers, CIPFA Policy and Technical Director, has stressed that short-term solutions such as contracting out may add to costs in the long term. Speaking in Accountancy Age, Ian said: 'There's a range of models that you can adopt to arrange shared service centres. Contracting out can generate short-term savings but unless it's done well, you can end up with more costs. The reality is that the delivery (of savings) requires real skill. Directors of finance will play a critical role in helping organisations rise to these challenges and make the right decisions for the long-term public interest. 

Impact of local strategic partnerships 
The Government's agenda for local strategic partnerships (LSPs) is likely to have significant impact on future capital projects. The CIPFA Local Government Capital Finance Conference on 4 June in London presents a strategic overview of the current issues in capital investment. The conference also  looks at the new Scottish Futures Trust, as well as the complexities and opportunities associated with initiating UK public-private partnerships in the current economic climate.  

This week in Public Finance: We've seen the future...  
...and it's looking grim. The Treasury's Operational Efficiency Programme reads like a Soviet five-year plan - and is probably about as achievable. Tony Travers wades through Whitehall's radical blueprint for public sector performance management and cost-cutting. 

EVENTS

INTRODUCTORY COURSES

The CIPFA shop is the easy way to purchase publications online. Here you can peruse the range of forthcoming publications, recent publications, and CIPFA bestsellers. For further information please call the Publications Department on 020 7543 5602 or email publications@cipfa.org