'Transform to Support'

September 22 2010

With harsh cuts in public expenditure looming, the 'Financial Insights Series' focuses on the role of the chief finance officer with respect to the formulation of corporate strategy and in securing the outcomes the organisation needs to achieve in what will be a testing financial environment.

The series is produced in co-operation with corporate partners PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)

This fourth workshop reflected on the harsh economic climate and the imminence of severe public sector spending cuts.It was accepted that there is an increasing demand for the finance function to transform itself across the areas of insight, efficiency and compliance and control that could better support the wider organisation in achieving waht it would need to achieve in a very difficult financial environment.

As part of the Senior Management Team, the CFO was key to all material business decisions ensuring that fitted the organisation's financial strategy and that the strategy could accommodate them.

The briefing explored the notion of high performing, fit-for-purpose finance functions and how they could be developed to ensure the effective transition of the finance function from one of 'scorekeeper' to strategic business partner.

Faciltators: These workshops are facilitated by PwC senior consultants Donna MacRae and Bronwyn Surphlis.

Background Reading:

  • "A place at the top table? Raising Finance's game in the public sector" - a PwC Public Sector Research Centre publication. Click here to download a PDF copy.
  • "Overview of Finance Directors' Briefings" - June 2010, is a summary of the issues covered by the first three workshops in the series. This is available on request from Kim McKnight, (T) 02890 347400.