As I write this, the world outside my office window has grown dark, the sky has clouded over and it has started to absolutely thunder down with rain. While in the distance – and I’m not kidding here – a series of police cars and ambulances has roared past along the main road, lights flashing and sirens blaring. Anyone looking for a metaphor to summarise the current financial state of the UK public sector need look no further.
Continue reading “The stormy present”Tag: Public Sector
Strategy isn’t just for the private sector
When we think about strategy, we tend to focus on the commercial sector, where companies have pretty much free rein to invest, restructure and divest in their quest for increased shareholder returns. But strategy is just as important for the public and not-for-profit sectors. If not more so.
Continue reading “Strategy isn’t just for the private sector”Donations, sponsorship and the need for accountability
Donations and sponsorship add up to big money in the public sector. Most hospitals have at least one fundraising campaign. Local authorities have long sought and received corporate funding for roadside planting and summer festivals. You can even sponsor a police car. But as cash flow gets tighter and new sources of income look more appealing, it is important that we think carefully about where the money comes from. Continue reading “Donations, sponsorship and the need for accountability”
It’s a people thing
There is often a tendency to think that any problems within an organisation can be resolved, or any desired improvements made, with the application of a new process or the implementation of a shiny new piece of software. While understandable, this is potentially problematic. Because organisations are not about systems, processes and software – they are about people. Continue reading “It’s a people thing”
From block grant to spot purchasing
I went to an excellent seminar the other day, in which Bristol City Council’s health and social care commissioning team explained key changes in how they are going to fund various organisations around the city. But while the changes make sense financially and in terms of service user choice, they could spell problems for the provider organisations concerned. Continue reading “From block grant to spot purchasing”