Reports

Leading internal audit in the public sector

The CIPFA Statement on the Role of the Head of Internal Audit recommends how the role operates in practice to deliver high quality internal audit leadership. The aim of this publication is to provide examples of how heads of internal audit are successfully working with their organisations to put the recommended principles into practice.

Let's get together

In 2015, CIPFA held a series of roundtable discussions to identify potential obstacles to successful integration and how those might be overcome. The conclusions emerging suggest, if the best is to be made of such integration, both the Government and local health and social care players need to act now.

Looking forward: medium-term financial strategies in the UK public sector

Having an effective medium-term financial plan makes it easier for an organisation to manage funding fluctuations. This Insight says why financial planning is so important and the benefits it brings.

Manchester Libraries - Research into how libraries help people with loneliness and isolation

This report is based on research that shows how Manchester’s libraries bring many benefits to the communities they serve and are extremely well used, that residents’ health and wellbeing is improved by using the library, and that people feel better when they use their local library.

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Measured resilience in English authorities

In July 2018, CIPFA developed a proposal to publish an index of resilience of English councils, designed to support the local government sector as it faces continued financial challenge.

More medicine needed: the health of health finances revisited

Much has happened, but has anything really changed since CIPFA published The Health of Health Finances in 2015? This Insight revisits the challenges facing NHS finances and offers possible solutions.

Moving ahead with integration

With integration emerging as the great hope for health and social care finances this insight looks at the conditions needed for assimilation to be successful.

Open book contract management: following the public pound

Half of the £187bn the government spends with third parties each year goes on contracted out services. CIPFA argues that the use of open book contract management would maximise the value obtained, share efficiency, strengthen corporate social responsibility and ensure transparency.

Performance tracker: data-driven analysis of the performance of government (2018)

Performance Tracker brings together more than 150 data series to provide a comprehensive picture of the performance of key public services. This third edition expands on our 2017 analysis. This report focuses on general practice, hospitals, adult social care, children’s social care, schools, neighbourhood services, the police, criminal courts and prisons.

Performance tracker: data-driven analysis of the performance of government (2019)

Performance Tracker brings together more than 200 data series to provide a comprehensive picture of the performance of key public services. This fourth edition considers how demand for nine key public services – including hospitals, schools and the police – will change over the next five years.

Performance Tracker 2020: How public services have coped with coronavirus

COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the landscape for public services. In a short space of time, the government has made £68.7bn of fiscal support available to help public services cope with the disruptions caused by coronavirus. Performance Tracker is an ongoing analysis of the performance of public services. As a result of the unprecedented events of recent months, this year’s edition (the fifth) assesses how well five critical services – hospitals, general practice, adult social care, schools and criminal courts – have coped.

Performance Tracker 2021: Assessing the cost of Covid in public services

The 2021 Performance Tracker assesses how nine public services in England – hospitals, GPs, adult social care, police, criminal courts, prisons, schools, children's social care and neighbourhood services – have coped with the coronavirus crisis and what pressures they are expected to face over the next three years.

Performance tracker: data-driven analysis of the performance of government (autumn 2017)

Performance Tracker provides a data-driven assessment of the government’s performance in one crucial area – running public services. This second edition focuses on GPs, hospitals, adult social care, schools, the police, criminal courts, prisons, neighbourhood services and UK visas and immigration.

Performance tracker: data driven analysis of the performance of government (spring 2017)

Performance Tracker provides a data-driven assessment of the government’s performance in one crucial area – running public services. It focuses on five services: hospitals, adult social care, schools, prisons and the police.

Place-based asset management: managing public sector property to support aligned local public services

An introductory guide to place-based asset management that presents the main concepts of a collaborative approach to managing property assets. It will help senior decision-makers in local public services to understand the drivers for collaboration on public property assets,­ evaluate their public estate and get started on a place-based asset management model of delivery.

Post-COVID-19 scenario planning: a survey sponsored by Unit4

This report brings together the results of research conducted by CIPFA into how local government and others have approached budgeting during the pandemic and how they intend to move forward in a post-COVID-19 world.

Practical issues in the governance of clinical commissioning groups

This Insight is intended to give Clinical Commissioning Group members an introduction to best practice in governance.

Pre comprehensive spending review

Substantial cuts have affected the public sector since the Comprehensive Spending Review in 2010. This CIPFA Briefing looks to the 2015 Spending Review and highlights some of the main areas of concern and key financial risks facing public services in the medium term.

Principles for section 151 officers working with LEPs

The partnership between local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) and local authorities is an important one. This keystone outlines the principles the section 151 officer role for LEPs should meet when instilling good and proportionate financial governance.

Principles of effective communication in financial performance reporting

This guidance builds upon the work carried out by CIPFA as part of its Telling the Whole Story consultation of effective reporting and effective communication principles set out by the Financial Reporting Council as part of its reducing complexity project.