With planned spending cuts and increased efficiency gains to be made across the public sector, the future of public sector’s support services looks uncertain. However, for accountants there’s a real opportunity to demonstrate value and to be seen an indispensable resource.
Accountants can position themselves as the professionals to manage the cuts; after all accountants play a big part in providing high quality financial advice so organisations make the right decisions and implement those decisions effectively – these aspects have to be the key focus of the finance function going forward.
clearly demonstrate how they have added value to their organisation and appreciate the strategy of the department.
Many central government and local government employers are under increased scrutiny to manage their funds appropriately, which has led to the need for a range of positions from project/finance professionals who manage funding/grants and conduct spend analysis to auditors. Now that the Government’s White Paper on the NHS has been published, things will become clearer however, despite the health service being ring-fenced, there will be massive budget pressures which will inevitably require expertise to manage.
A new enthusiasm is likely to be placed on shared services to ensure they are as effective as possible, potentially creating roles at all levels.
It’s highly likely that public services may need to recruit specialist skills to get through the tough times. In some cases there may not be enough resource to manage the workload, particularly to ensure that service levels aren’t affected. And with the likely changes to services, change management and business transformation skills are likely to be in growing demand.
It’s not an easy time for employers as they need to balance the short term pressures of cutting back on training & development costs for example while creating an effective, healthy workforce for the future. However, it’s crucial that the right skills are in place and developed for now and for whatever the future holds.
Those looking to move roles or develop their skills need to clearly demonstrate how they have added value to their organisation and appreciate the strategy of the department. It’s also those who have a flexible approach who will be able to manage working in a changing environment.
