Future Finance Optimising management of the public sector ...

Future Finance Optimising management of the public sector finance function

Future Finance | Optimising management of the public sector finance function 2

Future Finance | Optimising management of the public sector finance function

Table of contents

Overview

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Report summary

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The Changing Landscape of

Public Financial Management

7

Improving the impact of

the Finance Function

13

Conclusion

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Appendix

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All data, outside of referenced 3rd party sources, is copyright Deloitte University EMEA CVBA. When citing the material, credit Deloitte, and link back to the report, located at Deloitte.ie/futurefinance

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Future Finance | Optimising management of the public sector finance function

Overview

Financial management in the public sector is complex. Multiple, sometimes conflicting, short- and long-term priorities must be addressed. Prudent budgets, managed borrowings and tax policies need to be balanced against support for economic growth, investment in infrastructure and increasing demands for public services.

Over the last decade, European governments have had to manage these tensions in the face of great financial turmoil, globalisation, demographic change, technological disruption, and more uncertain policy environments (for example, due to Brexit).

In response, fiscal spending and policy have come under continued scrutiny and significant transformations have been made to public balance sheets.

In this context, government financial managers ? whether in central finance ministries or departments and agencies are being challenged to support financial planning, budgeting and forecasting. They must also assess the financial impact of policy proposals and capital investment programmes. Flexible finance operating models, enhanced analytical capabilities and new skills are key to providing this support.

In this report we examine how the public sector finance function is evolving in an economic environment that has changed significantly over the past 10 years. We also present what senior financial managers in government regard as the challenges and opportunities for delivering services efficiently and effectively in the near- to long-term.

Report approach Deloitte has interviewed senior government finance specialists in nine European countries (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, and the UK).

The interviews provided perspectives from finance leaders in functions relating to:

?? Implementation of strategy, planning and budgeting (8 Central Finance Ministries)

?? Management of operational improvements, such as shared services (2 Government Finance Agencies)

?? Connecting financial management to policy and service delivery (2 Sectoral Ministries).

Insights were provided over a 12 month period into: 01. Recent and current challenges 02. Priorities for public finance managers 03. Opportunities to enhance financial

management and finance functions across government.

Using insights from these interviews and from Deloitte's own subject matter experts, the report highlights a range of measures to drive an efficient, effective future finance function.

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Future Finance | Optimising management of the public sector finance function

Report summary

Financial picture A decade on from the onset of the financial crisis, European economies are now in a healthier position. All EU economies have now returned to growth and the EU as a whole has experienced moderate GDP growth, averaging 1.8 per cent over the last five years according to the European Commission)1.

Government budget deficits, which increased substantially to an average of 6.6 per cent of GDP in 2009 for the EU-28, have largely been brought back in check, and averaged 1 per cent of GDP in 20172. This reflects not only the recovery in GDP growth but also public spending restraint and prioritisation. In the countries surveyed, increases across the board in social spending (primarily healthcare

and age-related expenditure) have been offset by cuts to expenditure on other public sector operations and to capital investment.

Despite government efforts to manage expenditure, public sector debt has risen substantially from 58 per cent of GDP in 2007 to 81.6 per cent in 20173.

Priorities for Public Sector Financial Management

Improving decision support

?? Evaluation of investment

?? Data for decision making

?? Connecting with the rest of Government

Balancing oversight with operational autonomy

?? Preserving reputation with creditors

?? Providing operational flexibility to budget holders

Generating further efficiencies ?? Moving beyond rationalisation

and consolidation ?? Leveraging technology

Measures to improve decision support ?? Improved investment evaluations ?? Data analytics for modelling, planning and forecasting ?? Accrual accounting

Measures to balance oversight and autonomy ?? Performance based budgeting ?? Blockchain for audit

Measures to generate further efficiencies ?? Ongoing efficiency reviews ?? Robotic process automation ?? Cognitive computing ?? Cloud computing ?? Technology to support and monitor

transactions

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