Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

12 September 2007

CIMA North West (the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) and the ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales) are holding an event on 27 September at The Hilton Hotel, Manchester Airport (M90 4WP), to address whether or not it is time to rethink the role of public sector performance measurement. The seminar will include presentations by NHS North West and Manchester City Council spokespeople and will take place from 1.00pm – 4.45pm.

Headlining the Manchester event will be Sir Andrew Likierman, ex CIMA President, director of both the Bank of England and Barclays Bank plc and Professor of Management Practice in Accounting at London Business School. Sir Andrew will outline how public sector performance measurement is under attack from those who say that it undermines values and from those who say that measurement techniques are poor and give rise to dysfunctional behaviour. He will go on to address whether these accusations are true and will suggest that there are some problems, but not necessarily those put forward by the critics.

Mark Ogden, Director of Finance, Capital and Economic Reform at NHS North West will speak about the recent turnaround in financial performance management in the NHS. He will focus on how the NHS posted a half billion pound surplus in the last financial year with references to how some organisations managed the situation better than others.

Andy Crook, Group Head of Corporate Finance at BNFL will go on to speak about what delivering shareholder value means for a commercial organisation that is government owned.

The event will finish with a presentation by Richard Paver, Head of Corporate Services at Manchester City Council on how Local Government is increasingly under pressure to keep down the levels of Council Tax increases and yet improve performance. He will outline how the Treasury is keen to see explicit agreements between central and local government, both at a national and local level, and go on to discuss the reality of this happening from a financial perspective.

Hilary Vaughan, Regional Chairman at CIMA North West, says:
“CIMA North West is delighted to be co-hosting the ‘Time to rethink the role of public sector performance measurement?’ event in Manchester. The seminar is aimed at cutting through the rhetorical spin to address the issues of measuring performance in the public sector and I am sure that delegates will benefit from the practical working experience of our speakers.”

Susan Jee, ICAEW President of the Manchester Society of Chartered Accountants, says:
“The ICAEW works closely with Government, regulators and industry to ensure high standards in financial practise is maintained. We are therefore delighted to help bring the issue of public sector performance management to the fore, helping to address and provide insight into this important issue.”

This event costs £25 per person and is supported by CIPFA (the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy). Delegates wishing to attend the seminar can contact jane.argent@cimaglobal.com.

- ENDS -

Notes to editors

For further information, please contact:
Katie Scott-Kurti
Senior Press Officer, CIMA
+44 (0) 20 8849 2347
Katie.Scott-Kurti@cimaglobal.com

Notes to Editors

1. CIMA (the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) is the only international accountancy body with a sole focus on business.  It is a world leading professional institute that offers an internationally recognised qualification in management accountancy, focusing on accounting in business, in both the private and public sectors. It is the voice of over 158,000 students and members in 161 countries.  CIMA is responsible for the education and training of management accountants who work in industry, commerce and not-for-profit and has more members in the public sector than any other UK based body.  CIMA prides itself on the commercial relevance of its syllabus, which is in tune with the activities of high performance organisations, and evolves continually to reflect the latest developments in global business. CIMA has been nominated as a UK superbrand for a second year in a row this year and for the first time in Sri Lanka.  According to independent research conducted by the University of Bath School of Management, CIMA’s syllabus and examination structure are the most relevant to the needs of business of all the accountancy bodies assessed.  See the CIMA Difference report for further information at www.cimaglobal.com/thecimadifference.  CIMA is committed to upholding the highest ethical and professional standards of members and students, and to maintaining public confidence in management accountancy.  For more information about CIMA, please visit http://www.cimaglobal.com/

2. As a world leading professional accountancy body, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) provides leadership and practical support to over 128,000 members in more than 140 countries, working with Government, regulators and industry in order to ensure the highest standards are maintained.

Our members provide financial knowledge and guidance based on the highest technical and ethical standards.  They are trained to challenge people and organisations to think and act differently, to provide clarity and rigour, and so help create and sustain prosperity.  The ICAEW ensures these skills are constantly developed, recognised and valued.

Because of us, people can do business with confidence.

The ICAEW is a founding member of the Global Accounting Alliance with over 700,000 members worldwide.

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