Commenting on today’s release of the Office for National Statistics Public Sector Finances report detailing the increase in the budget deficit and public sector borrowing, Penny de Valk, Chief Executive of the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) said: “It is clear that whichever party wins the election will faces an uphill battle to reduce public sector debt without making sweeping cuts to key frontline services.
“Our recent research ‘Leading change in the public sector’ saw a real enthusiasm among public sector managers to respond innovatively to budgetary constraints, and identified clear opportunities to reverse underperformance and transform service delivery.
“But innovation doesn’t just happen overnight, and whoever gains power after May 6 will need to relax centralised controls over public sector service delivery if creative solutions are to be encouraged.
“The good news is public sector managers are up for the challenge. But in order to drive innovation and turnaround poor performance, managers need ongoing support and development to ensure they have appropriate knowledge and skills, and the confidence to use them.”
