Effective public services - a fresh approach
Lord Reid of Cardowan

John Reid is the most experienced Cabinet Minister of modern times. He has held ministerial posts at Cabinet level including Secretary of State for Health, Secretary of State for Defence, Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. His experience is unparalleled in terms of his range of portfolios, and in breadth and intensity of change management across departments. In this keynote presentation, Lord Reid will reflect on recent political and economic developments and will share his views on ways of improving public services.

Challenges for procurement - lessons from Scotland
Alastair Merrill, Procurement and Commercial Director,
Scottish Government

As Procurement and Commercial Director in the Scottish Government, Alastair leads efforts to drive forward public sector procurement reform in Scotland, which delivers greater efficiency, value for money and contributes to sustainable economic growth. During this session, Alastair will describe the transformation of public sector procurement in Scotland over the past five years, the key enablers of successful change, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

A1
Public services and a social enterprise model
Brian Rowntree, Chairman, Northern Ireland Housing Executive

Brian is Chairman of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and holds a number of public appointments. In this session, Brian will consider a number of key issues around new models of public service delivery including CSR limitations, forward planning, social investment and local regeneration, corporate governance, legislative frameworks and social enterprise.

Peter is Director of Finance & Structures in the Scottish Futures Trust, the independent body set up to deliver value for money across all public infrastructure investment in Scotland. Peter will share his experience of the financial and commercial aspects of major public and private sector infrastructure investment projects including innovative projects such as the £300m new acute hospital project for NHS Forth Valley.

A3
Can you be entrepreneurial in the public sector
David Gibson, Senior Teaching Fellow, Management School, Queen's University

David is a Senior Teaching Fellow in the Management School at Queen’s University. David will outline the entrepreneurial skills that public sector managers need to develop and how these skills can be used in an essentially bureaucratic environment. Participants will be challenged to make a difference to the effective use of public funds and improve the operation of their public body.

B1
Sweating you assets
David Bentley, Head of Asset Management, CIPFA

David is Head of Asset Management in CIPFA. He is a Chartered surveyor with over 30 years’ experience in the public and private sectors and is recognised as one of the UK's leading experts on asset management within the public sector. As such, he knows first hand the benefits that can be realised by managing public sector property estates effectively.

During this session, David will address the scale of the opportunity and the business case, agile working and agile workspaces and multi-organisation estate consolidation. He will also share his experience and lessons from the Capital and Asset Pathfinder initiative in England.

David Thompson is an Associate Partner in PwC. Good financial management is at the heart of well run organisations, but how well equipped are finance teams to deliver this? PwC has recently published new research showing how public sector finance functions manage themselves, how this compares to finance functions in the private sector and how this has changed over the past three years.

During this session, David will explore the challenges and evolving role of finance functions, how people and leadership play a crucial role and how finance teams are balancing competing demands.

Perspectives on devolved justice - year two and beyond
Nick Perry, Permanent Secretary, Department of Justice

Nick is the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Justice. He joined the Northern Ireland office in 1991, holding a number of policy and finance roles, as well as being Principal Private Secretary to Mo Mowlam and Peter Mandelson. Latterly he was Director General of Criminal Justice & Policing. The Minister of Justice has a clear vision of reshaping the justice system in Northern Ireland and focusing on these strategic priorities, Nick will set out the Department's role in delivering the priorities, reflecting the political and economic context.

16.20 pm

The man who cycled around the world
Mark Beaumont, Guinness World Record Holder for cycling around the world 

Mark Beaumont holds the Guinness Record for cycling around the world. On Friday 15 February 2008 at 3.30pm, he completed his circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle and arrived back at the Arc de Triomphe 194 days and 17 hours after leaving there on 5 August 2007. The total distance cycled was 18,927 miles through 20 countries. Guinness World Records have verified all the data and confirmed Mark as the new World Record holder by a margin of 81 days.

Mark's story is a personal rollercoaster of mental and physical endurance as well as a fascinating insight into the world we live in. As well as many interesting and amusing stories of 'parched soils and foreign tongues', it is also one of major expedition planning and immense mental and physical endurance. Mark's unique background, latest adventures and future plans make him one of the most sought after and engaging conference speakers in the UK who will inspire those seeking to achieve their professional goals.

17.30 pm

Reception 
 

18.00 pm

Does the public sector in Northern Ireland need an image makeover?
Informal discussion, networking opportunity and dinner