Sharing the Gain: Collaborating for Cost Effectiveness:

This ‘how-to’ guide has been written to help public service bodies to take advantage of collaborative working opportunities and reduce their costs. Sharing the Gain provides advice and practical tools to help manage the whole lifecycle of developing and running shared public services.

We hope that our report will enable councils and other public bodies to take a proactive approach to collaboration initiatives, which, in turn, will help protect services against the impacts of funding reductions. Although this work has particularly focused on district councils, it is relevant for all that have an interest in partnership working for the delivery of public services.

The report has arisen from a partnership between CIPFA and the Society of District Council Treasurers (SDCT). The project is supported by the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) through the West Midlands Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (RIEP).

To download a copy of the report please click here.

After The Downturn - managing significant and sustained adjustment in public sector funding:

CIPFA and SOLACE have produced a paper which identifies the strategic options open to public bodies to address the budget and funding constraints.

The global financial crisis and resulting economic downturn have made reductions in UK public spending inevitable. Leaders of all of the major political parties have acknowledged that cuts are unavoidable and as a consequence it is clear that the forthcoming General Election will be fought in large part on the question of how reductions should be achieved and where they should fall.

The Pre-Budget report 2009 and Prime Minister's Putting the Frontline First plan for more efficient public services have added to the already considerable debate about public spending and reform.

Click here to download the publication.

Click here to download the press release.