Public Expenditure

The UK's public sector faces a deep fiscal squeeze over the coming decade, with many government departments and public institutions facing real term funding cuts for the first time since the 1990s. This seminar series provided an in-depth examination of the difficult choices involved in managing reducing public spending.

Our project

Analysed contemporary issues in public expenditure management;
Assembled international case studies of large-scale expenditure reduction programmes;
Provided advice to decision makers in managing the fiscal squeeze.

Background

The effective management of public expenditure is a cornerstone of good government. Following eight years of sustained investment in public services the UK is set for a period of fiscal austerity in which public spending will be under tight scrutiny by policymakers and citizens alike.

Planning and delivering high quality public services under these conditions poses unique challenges and opportunities for government.

Key topics examined by the seminar series included:

How to maximize the impact of the operational efficiency review;
Whether the spending review process should be redesigned;
What contemporary administrators can learn from past spending cuts.

Method

A series of Chatham House seminars and private meetings with senior decision makers to inform and be informed by:

Analysis on public finance data, strategies and tactics for managing within limited resources;
Mechanisms for reducing expenditure implications for public services and assessments on the feasibility of large-scale transformation.

Outcomes

Our aim is to improve the quality and efficiency of government responses to fiscal pressures. Findings are disseminated through a set of meeting notes and reports.