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Douglas’ FTPupdate p9 R

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CIMA calls forappointment of

more financeexperts p22 1 HOUR

Women in theprofession: twodifferent paths

to success p18

CIPFA/HMT’s World Class Symposium: full report in this issue

In safehands

theGASETTESPRING 2013 NUMBER 111 The magazine for Government Finance Professionals

Kirstin Baker onthe challenges facing HM Treasury

treasury spring 13 p01 2/4/13 14:51 Page 1

CIMA, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, is the world’s largest professional body of management accountants, with 203,000 members and students in 173 countries.

When you become a CIMA member you will also be a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA). CGMA is the global designation for management accountants.

A CGMA designation tells the world you’re a trusted, expert strategist connecting all aspects of business. Backed by a powerful array of benefits, you can stay connected to the pulse of your profession, become a knowledge leader and join the conversation.

CIMA is the most relevant qualification for business, in both the public and private sectors, developing financially qualified leaders, who are pioneers in business.

To find out more about CIMA visit:

Global designationGlobal opportunities

www.cimaglobal.com/gfp1

Connect with CIMA on

www.facebook.com/cimauk

Contents

theGASETTE 03spring 2013 http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

ABOUT GASETTE ISSUE # 111

Welcome to your SpringGasette. This edition is alwayssynchronised to cover the CIPFA/HM Treasury World Class

Performance Symposium. Hosted once againby Bloomberg at their fabulous City offices, itfeatured the array of star speakers, which hasnow come to be expected of the event. Readthe reports on pages 8–9, or if you couldn'tattend this year why not watch the recordingon the CIPFA website (see www.cipfa.org).

Also in this edition we interview HMTreasury's new Finance Director Kirstin Bakerand find out what our two secondees at M&Shave been doing. There's also a report on theGFP Award 2012 winners and the GFPBusiness Fair recently hosted by DFID in EastKilbride – our first one in Scotland.

After 25 editions as Editor of Gasette, itcertainly looks like this will be my last one. Itreally has been a great pleasure to work with

the production team (Graham, Adam,Polly and Tim) at Armstrong Media/PQmagazine, as well as all the contributorsover the years. However, our biggestthanks go to all the advertisers whoensure that our magazine goes fromstrength to strength without anytaxpayer funding.

Before I finally sign off, I've alwaysbeen impressed by the commitmentand professionalism of individualmembers of the GFP community.You've come in your hundreds tosupport our conferences and events andit's your enthusiasm that has made myjob pleasurable and all worthwhile.

Enough from me. Watch out for yournext Gasette interview with PhillipHammond and Jon Thompson.

Very best wishes,Terry Rogers, Editor

Send your comments to Gasette Editor, HM Treasury, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ. Telephone: 020 7270 5874 (GTN: 270 5874).Email: [email protected]

VIEWS EXPRESSED IN GASETTE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE OFFICIAL VIEWS OF THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE PROFESSION OR HM TREASURY

Editorial services provided by PQ Magazine. Production by Armstrong MediaPrinted by Holbrooks Printers, Portsmouth © HM Treasury 2013

ARMstrongMEDIA

CONTENTS

BRITAIN IN BLOOMBERG

04 NewsHot news from the GFP

07 Accountancy news What’s happening withyour body? Find out here!

08 CIPFA/HMT WorldClass SymposiumOur reporters cover themajor stories from therecent conference

10 Cover storyKirstin Baker interview

13 SecurityCyber crime is a growthbusiness, so just how safe is your network?

14 Values Verus ViolenceMark Wilson volunteered

for a school visit– and found theexperience a veryrewarding andenjoyable one

16 GFP Awards 2012Meet the winners – and thisyear it could be your turn!

18 Women in finance #1 A revealing internationalsurvey from Ernst & Youngpaints an interesting picture

21 Women in finance #2How two women achievedsuccess in their career bytreading very different paths

22 Efficiency driveRecruit more financeexperts, says CIMA

25 FM spotlightCFOs have a part to play inimproving the efficiency ofgovernment finance

26 On secondmentWorking at Marks &Spencer – an update

28 Trainee focus Top tips fortrainees on howto best preparefor those all-important exams

29 Be resilientHow you can develop thisvaluable characteristic

30 Gasette quiz specialTest your brain power, plusour prize picture anagram

Simply world class – pages 8 & 9


News

04 theGASETTE spring 2013http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

THE DEPARTMENT for InternationalDevelopment (DFID) was delightedto host the GFP for its inauguralScottish Business Fair on 16 and 17January 2013.

The event was well attendedwith delegates from DFID’sprofessional and trainee financeteams and many other governmentdepartments including the ScottishGovernment, Transport Scotland,the Ministry of Justice and HMRC.

DFID chose the theme of‘Finance at the centre of decisionmaking’, and the programmeagenda was developed with thehelp of HM Treasury, who sourcedprofessional speakers from PwC,Deloitte, HM Treasury, Hays andKaplan, together with the leadingaccountancy institutes.

The speakers explored a wide

range of topics. These included thecapabilities and skills that will berequired of government financeprofessionals in the future, tools tomeasure and benchmark financialmanagement maturity, and howfinance functions can movetowards being effective strategicbusiness partners. With sessions on

DFID hosts the GFP in Scotland

leadership and mentoring, currenttrends around fraud andcorruption, and a technical IFRSupdate, the programme was giventhe thumbs-up by attendees.

Attendees at this free event alsocollected CPD points, and enjoyedwhat was an invaluable networkingopportunity.

Double winTHE MoD’S CORPORATE Finance &Military Capability Team has wonthe double. We know it walked offwith the Finance Team of the Yeartitle at the GFP awards last year. Butwhat you probably didn’t knowwas that early this year it beat thelikes of Innocent and PwC’s ACCAteam to win the PQ magazineAccountancy Team of the Yearaward. Keep an eye on the officialwebsite for categories and rules forentry to the 2013 GFP awards. Allwe need is 250 words explainingwhy your ‘nominee’ should be oneof our winners – you can meet allof last year’s victors on page 16. Tofind out how to enter seewww.thegfp-treasury.org.

A day in the lifeof Katie Tillyer...“AS A YEAR 11 student withmany important decisionsahead of me, I was veryexcited to spend a day withthe GFP. I learnt a lot aboutthe Treasury and otherdepartments by attending ameeting and speaking tostaff. I found that workingfor the government providesmany more options than I’danticipated and thatdepartment mobility meanswork can be tailored towardsyour interests. I reallyenjoyed my day and woulddefinitely consider pursuinga career in the civil service.”

The International Public Sector Accounting StandardsBoard has welcomed the G20 Finance Ministers’ andCentral Bank Governors’ decision to address‘transparency and comparability of public sectorreporting’. The IMF and World Bank have been calledon to explore the issue and provide appropriateupdates, declaring that “strengthening the public sector

balance sheet is needed to better assess risks to publicdebt sustainability”.

The IPSASB has been setting standards for financialreporting of governments since 2011. Currently, it haspublished a complete suite of 32 standards for theaccrual basis of accounting, as well as one cash basisstandard for countries preparing to move to accruals.

Public sector reporting top of G20 agenda

New GFPappointmentWe welcome Gillian Crooks, whomRichard Douglas has appointed tohelp develop the GFP. Gillian’s roleis Senior HR Business Partner forthe Government FinanceProfession. Gillian (pictured) is onsecondment from HMRC where,prior to work on business and

culture change, she was previouslythe Deputy Director responsible fordeveloping and deliveringthe Tax Professionalismprogramme for HMRC,starting at the merger ofCustoms and theRevenue and culminatingin the launch of the TaxAcademy.

Over the next 12 months Gillianwill be ensuring that our HR

practice covering the FTP areas isexemplary and fully aligned with

Civil Service Reform ambitions.Gillian’s early priorities includereviewing the ambition forthe profession, SCS talentmanagement and

succession planning. Gillian ismeeting with a range of internal

and external stakeholders both tobuild her knowledge of theprofession and the wider context.

THE TRAININGEVENT:

BRIGHTON METROPOLE6th & 7th NOVEMBER For more details go to

www.thegfp-treasury.org

THE OFFICE OF THE GFP PRESENTS...

The MoD’s George Henes with the Finance team’s coveted ‘PQ’


hays.co.uk

We’re the UK’s largest suppliers of staff to the public sector, and leaders in central government finance.With strong relationships across government departments, agencies and non departmental bodies and a team of 300 specialist public sector consultants we are experts at matching the right person with the right job.Our deep understanding of government finance means people trust us with their careers and departments trust us to find the right talent.For more information in how we can help you, contact Kyle Tombleson on 020 7259 8747 or email [email protected]

Leaders In CenTraLGovernmenT FInanCereCruITInG experTIse

SF-5142-2_GFP_2013.indd 1 14/03/2013 10:11

Innovative leadership calls for the diverse perspectives of both women and men. And not just in the boardroom.Despite constituting a significant part of the overall public sector workforce, women remain woefully under-represented at the top table. In only four countries across the G20 do women occupy even a third of the public sector leadership roles.

Our Worldwide Index of Women as Public Sector Leaders highlights issues of gender equity at senior leadership levels in the public sector. Most governments are aware of the benefits of promoting a more balanced gender mix in their leadership ranks and are actively advancing policies to address the gender deficit. But, as our Index shows, there are still many challenges to be addressed.

We welcome a global conversation about the policies, measures and role models that are needed to promote and retain the female talent that abounds in the public sector.

To find out more, including information on our Worldwide Women Public Sector Leaders Network, visit ey.com/government/womenleaders.

% Women PublicSector Leaders

Low

High

Canada45%

UK35%

Australia37%

S.Africa33.8%

Brazil32.1%

USA31% Italy

27%

France21.4%

Argentina19%

Mexico14%

Turkey13.6%

Russia13%

China11.5

Indonesia8.7%

S.Korea8.6%India

7.7%

Japan2.5%

SaudiArabia0%

Germany14.5%

Women Public Sector Leaders

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theGASETTE 07spring 2013

Accountancy news

AATPQ OF THE YEAR WINNER

Liina Pukk, an AAT Level 4student from Surrey, hasclaimed the coveted PQ ofthe Year Award 2013. Pukk,

pictured, scooped the prize at the annual PQ magazine awards evening held in London on

Monday 4 February.Profoundly deaf andcommunicatingthrough signlanguage, shestudied AAT atKingston College inLondon. Pukk isextremely deservingof this award having

overcome physical obstacles to pursue a careerin finance. Every year PQ magazine recognisesthose within the accountancy and finance sectorwho have gone above and beyond or who haveachieved remarkable feats. The awards cover arange of categories including distance learner,accountancy college and accountancy team ofthe year.

ACCALEADERS NEED BROAD SHOULDERS

Tomorrow’s CFOs will need to havebroad knowledge across all areas ofthe finance value chain, fromstrategy to performance

measurement, reporting, risk, assurance andcompliance. A new report from the ACCAstresses that finance leaders of the future willneed these skills in order to be able to ask theright questions and ensure the businesses theywork for are on the right track. ACCA CEOHelen Brand explained that the research showsthat recruiters are looking to appoint thecomplete finance professional, and seek outnewly qualified accountants who have both thebreadth and depth of skills. She stressed thatmore than 80% of the CFOs surveyed felt it wascritical that their accountants understand thefinance value chain and how it all fits together.Brand added: “The finance team has to meetthe challenges posed by a post-crisis globaleconomy which isincreasingly volatile,complex andcompetitive. Given thebreadth of financialactivities that financeleaders are nowengaged in, it is hardlysurprising that they arelooking to recruitemployees with abroad range of skillsand understanding.”

CIMARECORD YEAR FOR RECRUITMENT

CIMA has announcedrecord growth figures for2012 as the institute’sglobal footprint continues

to expand. More than 29,000 new studentsjoined CIMA last year, taking the totalpopulation of students and members to over200,000. CIMA enjoyed massive growth in newand emerging markets. A record number of newstudents in Poland and Russia chose CIMA,while Bangladesh and Ukraine saw an increaseof 303% and 235% respectively. Nigeria’snew student numbers almost doubled in2012. The institute’s core markets alsogrew significantly with recordnumbers of new students andmembers in the UK and Sri Lanka,and record numbers of studentssigning up in South Africa andMalaysia. CIMA MD Andrew Hardingsaid: “We have once again seenexceptional growth figures as ambitious schoolleavers, graduates and professionals identifyCIMA as the global qualification that will bestsupport their career ambitions.”

CIPFANEW QUALIFICATION FOR UN STAFF

Courses began last month to train over 150United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) staff from nearly 50 countries in aninternational qualification from CIPFA, helpingone of the UN’s largest agencies to cultivatedevelopment spending around the world. Thisaccountancyqualification is the firstin the world to bebased on InternationalPublic SectorAccounting Standards(IPSAS), standards thatimprove transparencyand accountability inpublic financialmanagement and also allow for greatercomparability between countries and publicsector bodies. The qualification, dealing withpublic services, has been designed to meet theneeds of all public sector finance staff from entrylevel to full professional. At the end of thequalification successful students will be entitledto become full members of CIPFA and add CPFA(Chartered Public Finance Accountant) after theirname. Tuition will be provided in threelanguages – English, French and Spanish – withKaplan Financial acting as CIPFA’s tuition partnerfor the English language students.

ICAEWNOT BEAN-COUNTING NERDS!

More needs to be done to counterthe idea that accountancy is boring,says ICAEW President MarkSpofforth. He is concerned that newresearch shows that graduates think

the profession offers little intellectual stimulusand makes no contribution to society. Heexplains: “Accountants are not seen as ethical orassociated with sustainability issues and aredismissed as bean-counting nerds.” Research

among the eight top-classuniversities in the UK found

77% of final year studentshad never considered acareer in accountancy.Spofforth stresses thatstudents’ perceptions areshaped most strongly by

work experience andinternships. “So views about

auditing being a dull, desk-bound job disappear when they

go out on client visits and see that socialinteraction is a crucial part of audit work,” heclaims. Interestingly, the research also discoveredthat where one parent, especially mum, is anaccountant, then students are far more likely toconsider accountancy as a career.

ICASSALARIES UNDER PRESSURE

Accounting salaries areunder pressure with payfreezes even more

common than they were a year ago, accordingto the CA Salary Survey 2012/13. To counter thisfreeze many organisations are extending the

range of benefits they offer. Thesurvey found that the mediansalary for a manager (qualifiedScottish CA) in an accountancyfirm ranged from just over£40,000 to £60,000, dependingon the size of the practice. As amanger in industry a CA cancommand between £31,000 and£40,000 (in a small business) and

up to £70,000 in a publicly listed company. IanWilkinson of recruitment specialist Wilkinson &Associates said: “This is no surprise, given wherethe economy is right now, and we can expect tosee more of the same next year.” The surveypoints up the differences in the way men andwomen view equality, with 70% of malerespondents believing ‘opportunities are equal’for men and women within accountancy, whileonly 38% of female CAs agreed with thestatement. Just one in four female CAs polledagreed, however, that gender quotas should beapplied to company boards.

http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

HelenBrand


World Class Performance Symposium

spring 201308 theGASETTE http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

Understandingthe numbersThree economists give their personal perspective of the UKeconomy and what needs to happen to get it going again

Jonathan Portes:‘The cheque is in the post’ THE MOST surprising thing about the Budget2013 for economist Jonathan Portes was that“there was no economic significance at all toit”. He was, however, a little critical about whathe saw as the manipulation of the borrowingfigures. In 2011-12, the UK borrowed £121bn,and this year it was down to £120.9bn. But, ifyou drill down the budget papers (4.118/119)you discover that we simply haven’t paid ourbills. “We have told the UN, World Bank andother international institutions that the chequeis in the post,” he ventured. Portes suggestedthat this is not the sort of step change infinancial management we are hoping for!

He went on to say that it is irrelevant to talkabout double and triple-dip recessions. We havehad two and a half years of economicstagnation, and any recovery that is’ happening’is the slowest in recorded economic history.

What is really depressing Portes is the rate ofgrowth, currently estimated to be 0.6% in2013. That is pretty dismal and not enough toimprove public finances. The debt is also set torise until 2016 and 2017, but flatten out in2018. That means deficit reduction has ‘stalled’.

Portes pointed out that in 2010 the deficitcame down because the government increasedtaxes and cut investment.

What explains recent UK economicunderperformance is clear for Portes: • Fiscal policy – predictable results, cutting too

quickly was economically a ‘significant mistake’.• Continued dysfunction of the financial sector.• Hit by commodity process/imported inflation.• Euro zone – self-defeating austerity.

He pointed to the fact that in 2010 theChancellor said he would have tackled thestructural deficit in four years. “He has stuck tothat and in 2013 it is still four years!”

For Portes, what has been really missing is theimportance of investment spending. Investmentstimulus in 2008 helped the UK reduce thedepth of the recession, but in mid-2010 “it felloff the cliff”. While the Chancellor has put up£3bn into infrastructure spending he believeswe should be ‘investing’ more like £30bn.Pointing to other plans he said that no one isleft defending muddling through, but that iswhat we have got. • Jonathan Portes, Director, National Institute for Economic and

Social Research. (See notthetreasuryviewblogspot.com)

Mariana Mazzucato:‘Credit where credit’s due’

Mariana Mazzucato feelsit is time for rethink therole of the state and startto sell the good things itdoes. She said Keyneshad the right idea whenhe said that government“must do things which at

present are not done at all”.She felt that often government and Civil

Servants just don’t get the acknowledgementthey deserve. Large parts of the research anddevelopment of the bio-tech and internetindustries, for instance, has been heavily fundedby government, she explained. She pointed outthat it is a myth that it is always the privatesector that is dynamic and creative.

She gave plenty of examples where theysimple come in after all the hard work has beendone to ‘make the profits’. “Government isnaive on the returns,” she said and emphasisedtouch screen, GPS and voice activatedtechnology were all developed in public labs.

She also suggested that there is no evidencethat R&D tax credits will increase R&D in theright areas. She revealed that Pfizer’s R&D facilityrecently left Sandwich in Kent for Boston, whereit had been offered big public funding.

The US government’s health institute spendsin the region of £32bn a year on research. Thismeans that 75% of all new radical drugs currentcome out of these government labs, not theprivate ones.

Mazzucato, on a roll now, said that the UK’spush for low tax and low regulation made itsound more like a Third World Country.

She felt that the UK needs to put more valuein its Civil Service, in order to attract top talent.Why, she asked, were departments payingincompetent companies to do the exciting thingsfor which government personnel have the skills.She said government digital services didn’t needto be outsourced. Now that went down verywell with delegates!• Mariana Mazzucato is Professor of Economics at the University

of Sussex

Ian Mulheirn: ‘We arepoorer than we thought’There is little doubt for Ian Mulheirn that wehave an economy in stagnation, and we are all infact one-sixth poorer than what we expected tobe today. This is having a profound effect, and ahuge fallout for public services.

For many departments there is going to be aproductivity challenge and some tough choiceslie ahead. For him there are three big problems: • We are poorer than we thought.• Health spending is eating into all other areas ofpublic spending – it is rising by around 5% ayear.• We live in an ageing society with rising statepension costs.

That means even if you can raise productivityin public services it seems implausible that doingso could go far enough. For Mulheirn thatmeans universal services will come under threat.It will be a basic choice between higher taxes ordismantling the ring fence. And, this choice is nomore than 10 years away.• Ian Mulheirn, Director, the Social Market Foundation

treasury spring 13 p08,09 2/4/13 14:57 Page 28


World Class Performance Symposium


What are the leadershipbehaviours that need to beadopted to drive performancefrom the top? Lord Browneoffered some insights

CUP HANDS, HERE comes Cadbury! Those of acertain vintage will recognise the famous TVadvertising slogan of yore, but for Lord Browneit was more a case of ‘clap hands, here comesCadbury’. He used the example of the giantconfectioner (along with that of US counterpartHershey) to illustrate his thoughts on drivingperformance. He told delegates that the twocompanies provided models of how to manageincentives, set targets and lead effectively.

Regarding incentives, “pay and promotion areonly the beginning”, he said. “Most peoplewant to do a good job and to be appreciated.Human beings like to be treated as humanbeings.”

He added: “People will work hard if they areproud about what they do and are thanked for

it. I don’t believe Civil Servants arethanked enough for what they do bytheir managers and masters.”

He cited the example of Hershey:“If they paid a 20% dividend toshareholders then they would paystaff a 20% bonus.” This sent a signalto staff that they were valued andrespected, said Lord Browne.

On targets, the former BP Chairbelieved they were “now treated withsuspicion”. This was often becauseclear, achievable targets were not set, he said.Those at the top should “make clear what youwant - and then let staff achieve it. But thetarget must be a meaningful one that can bemeasured. At Cadbury this led to individual staffbeing paid by results.” This went against thegrain of collective wage agreements, he said,but sent a message of “real and lastingcredibility” about the management.

However, Lord Browne was quick to point outthat heads of organisations must show realleadership. “Direction is important, and people

must be clear about their goals. Theyneed to know where they are headed,why they are headed there, and the partthey must play in the journey.”

Leaders must sometimes take bigpersonal risk. Lord Browne tolddelegates that in 1997 he accepted thedanger of climate change – at the timehe was head of one of the world’sbiggest fossil fuel companies. “It was arisk, but it put BP on the right side ofthe argument,” he told delegates.

Small acts of leadership can have bigconsequences, too. For over 50 years, said LordBrowne, George Cadbury took Sunday schoolclasses for adults. He did this without fanfare,but it demonstrated both his commitment to hisemployees and great leadership qualities. CivilService leaders can learn from his example, saidLord Browne – if they want the sweet taste ofsuccess.• Lord Browne was BP Group Chief Executive from 1995-2007.

He is the Government’s lead non-executive director and member

of the ERG, and a cross-bench member of the House of Lords

AN “AWFUL LOT of progress isbeing made” – but there is stillplenty of work to be done. Thatwas the message to GovernmentFinance Professionals from GFPboss Richard Douglas when hegave a ‘one year on’ review atCIPFA’s WCP. Describing progress inthe various strands of the FinanceTransformation Programme, nowunder the auspices of the GFP’sFinancial Leadership Group,Douglas outlined some of thehighlights which included: • The Financial and CommercialAwareness strand, led by theMinistry of Justice’s D-G FinanceAnn Beasley, had road-tested anew Civil Service Learning SCSfinance and commercial trainingmodule at the MoJ and theDepartment of Health. “The pilotshave been a great success,” saidDouglas. “This was central toputting finance at the heart ofdecision making for all civil

servants. My aim is for all SCS todo this training.”• A new Operating Model forFinance, looking to share expertbest practice better, is beingdeveloped, overseen by HowardOrme, D-G Finance at BIS. It isdesigned to balance the needs ofboth central departments andarm’s length bodies, said Douglas.

• In terms of Value for Money, thefocus post-Budget is on the 2015-2016 Spending Round. DavidWilliams (D-G Finance, Ministry ofDefence), has been working closelywith the Efficiency Reform Group(ERG) while planning for thespending review in June, andembedding departmentalefficiency plans.

Douglas told delegates: “We areworking in very challengingcircumstances, delivering spendingcontrols while maintaining thedelivery of services. We have a longway to go, but I believe we arebuilding firm foundations on whichto build.”

Douglas cited a Civil ServiceWorld survey on attitudes tofinance. He said: “Some 53% ofthose surveyed said they thoughtfinance was valued by seniormanagement, while 37% saidfinance was a high priority. Weneed to get these figures to100%.” He added: “We also needto develop better metrics, and tothis end the 17 largestdepartments are committed toimplementing CIPFA’s Model forassessing financial management.This helps departments to improveby giving benchmarks of relativeperformance, and provides anevidence base for where they aredoing well and not doing well.”

Douglas concluded bychallenging FPs. He said: “Theenvironment around us is alwayschanging and the challenge getsgreater every day. What we needto ask ourselves is, are we goingfar enough fast enough?”

Financial transformation- a year of change

Management insights: a confection

Lord Browne



AS A RELATIVELY small policy-focuseddepartment, the Treasury’s key strength is itsstaff. Exposed to a wide variety of situations andtasks, the best develop an all-round expertisethat enables them to switch seamlessly betweenroles.

Kirstin Baker is the epitome of this all-rounder.Now responsible for overseeing the Treasury’sfinances and corporate services and a memberof the Treasury Board, she has deep reserves ofexperience including working as a senior policyofficial in the Treasury, heading the teamresponsible for co-ordinating public spending,and managing many of HMT’s interventions inindividual banks in the wake of the 2008 crisis.

Her almost 20-year career in the Civil Servicewas recently interrupted by a year’s maternityleave; she returned to the fold in January to hernew position to replace Julian Kelly, who is nowDirector, Public Spending, at HMT.

COMPETITON POLICY“I’m lucky in that I’ve done lots of differentthings,” Baker told Gasette. “Initially, I joined theForeign Office, focusing on Europe. Working forthe European Commission I specialised incompetition policy and led on some bigdecisions on airline alliances. I also worked in theEuropean Secretariat in the Cabinet Office, co-ordinating EU policy within the UK.

“Gradually, over time, I worked more onfinancial and economic issues. I was interested inworking at the Treasury and got the opportunityto come over on secondment to project-managethe 2004 Spending Review. I really enjoyed itand wanted to stay in Treasury. I then worked incorporate finance and became Head of GeneralExpenditure Policy, developing expertise inpublic spending and acting as a key adviser to

ministers on themanagement of thepublic finances.”

The most turbulenttime in Baker’s career –and one with the mostpressure and thesteepest learning curve– was to follow. Sheexplains: “By 2008 Iwas looking for a newchallenge. I becameHead of the NorthernRock ShareholdingTeam, just after thenationalisation of thebank. I thought it wasgoing to be aninteresting if relativelyquiet job. Over thesummer of 2008 the crisis got worse, and myrole gradually expanded, working oninterventions in some of the other banks –Bradford & Bingley and the Icelandic banks thatcollapsed as well as the recapitalisations of RBSand Lloyds.

“It was a real crisis point – we were workinglate into the night and every weekend for atime. Subsequently, I was part of the leadershipteam for the Asset Protection Scheme,particularly working with Lloyds on a package ofsupport and negotiating pricing and state aidclearance with their senior management.”

While a stressful period, Baker appreciated theexperience. “None of us were prepared for whathappened, because nothing similar hadhappened before,” she says. “Treasury is nowmuch better prepared were we to face a seriousbanking crisis again. We’ve got contingency

plans, and staff havedeveloped significantexpertise. In 2008 wewere dealing with theunexpected and theunknown. It was a verydemanding time – we

were designing and delivering interventionsunder immense time pressure. It was a steeplearning curve for all of us. But it was a veryfulfilling time, working with a really good teamof people who were very motivated andcommitted, going well beyond what wouldnormally be expected of them and doing anamazing job.”

FRESH CHALLENGEIn 2010 it was time for a fresh challenge, withthe worst of the banking crisis over. “I was keento get out of Treasury for a while,” says Baker.“So I went on secondment to the ScottishGovernment, managing work on infrastructureinvestment and capital planning and on businessengagement.” This gave Baker a chance to getmore involved in the detail of managingspending and to experience different ways of

Kirstin Baker, the new Finance and CommercialDirector at HMT, tells Gasette about her careerto date and the challenges that lie ahead

Interview

Makingexperiencecount

treasury spring 13 p10-12 3/4/13 11:02 Page 28


Interview


working. “It was good to get out of Whitehalland get a different perspective. There is a morecollaborative culture in Scotland and a sense thatyou need to bring everyone with you to getthings done. It was an interesting change fromTreasury and I worked with some great people.”Not one to let the grass grow, Baker also turnedher attention to a more personal challenge –getting the CIMA qualification.

“I had a bit more time, and I’d been thinkingabout getting a qualification that dealt withfiscal, financial and accounting issues. I thoughtit would be useful to have, to help in my career,and would consolidate my existing knowledge.”

Remarkably, Baker passed the qualification injust two years. “I did it off my own bat. I foundthe Strategic exams easier, because of my workbackground, but the nitty-gritty, having toproduce a set of accounts, I found moredifficult.”

On a career level the CIMA qualification hasalready opened doors for Baker –without it shewouldn’t have landed her current role.Furthermore, she believes it is important thatfinancial skills inform the Treasury’s work as bothan economic and finance ministry.

“On the economic side, if you look at some ofthe things we are doing to promote growth, likethe housing measures announced in the Budgetor the infrastructure guarantee scheme, theseinvolve complex financial transactions, and youneed financial as well as economic expertise inorder to design those.”

ANNUAL BUSINESS PLANNINGBaker said while the Treasury has a very strongnetwork of economists, “traditionally thefinance ‘cadre’ has felt a little less well loved”.She said: “One of the things that I’m keen toencourage is that we do have a strong financenetwork, and that we bring people in differentroles across the department into the financialcommunity.”

In her new role, Baker sits on the TreasuryBoard and has just taken part in thedepartment’s annual business planning round.She says: “I’ve been impressed with the qualityof information we now have and I think therehas been a huge improvement in recent years.We now get finance and HR information on amonthly basis as well as reporting to ERGquarterly on a range of indicators, and we’re

setting up a Management Information Unitwithin the corporate centre in Treasury tostreamline production of some of thisinformation. We’re getting better at it; I thinkthere’s been more focus from the top on theimportance of management information, fromsuccessive Heads of the Government FinanceProfession, and also from Treasury ministers.”

She added that the current economic situationhas put a focus on improving managementinformation. “It was there before, but nowwe’re all living with reduced resources, and areduced number of people. We need to makesure we have the relevant information, so wecan understand the cost base and makeinformed decisions about prioritisation.”

The GFP has a “really important role to play”going forward, says Baker. “Financeprofessionals have a key role to play in drivingefficiency and lots of parts of Government areinvolved in quite complex transactions, whetheras part of procuring services or in supportingbusiness, so it’s really important to have thefinancial skills to help advise on these areas.

“And things like the graduate training schemeare vital in attracting good people intoGovernment. A lot of graduates looking at thelabour market will find the opportunity to getmore qualified while getting paid to do a jobvery attractive.”

She said finance professionals now have muchmore ownership of the financial managementimprovement agenda than in the past. They arethe experts, she said, and finance directors andthe Finance Leadership Group in particular arenow responsible for setting the agenda. “It’s awork in progress, but it is a much healthiermodel than the Treasury telling people what todo,” she said.

So how does Baker relish her role inpotentially bring challenge to the decisions ofthe Treasury Board? “The Board generally acts ina collaborative way – coming in, I’ve beenimpressed,” she laughs. “It’s a good mix ofpeople with a Treasury background, and thosewho have come from outside. It’s a good team.All the Directors-General are aware of the fiscalsituation, so it’s not the sort of situation where

Continued on page 12

‘One of the things that I’m

keen to encourage is that we

do have a strong finance

network, and that we bring

people in different roles

across the department into

the financial community’


Interview


Making experience countyou’re having to convince D-Gs of the need toprioritise – we are all realistic about the resourcesavailable.”

The financial challenges facing Civil Servantsaffect both boardroom and shop floor, andfinance professionals across the piece are facinga uniquely difficult set of circumstances. Themantra remains ‘using taxpayers’ money wisely’,so what skills and attributes are most of value?

“Flexibility is key. That’s probably always beenthe case, but it’s only going to become moreimportant, especially for those just coming in [tothe Civil Service] and starting their careers. Youneed to be ready for change; don’t think ofyourselves as a finance professional with anarrow focus – think about where your financeskills can add value. I’d encourage people do arange of things early in their careers. Broadenyour horizons and get experience in differentroles or different departments before deciding tospecialise.

“You need to be able to think outside the boxand apply yourselves to different things. Thosewho fill the senior positions in the future will bethose who have a range of experience and cansee the bigger strategic picture as well asunderstanding the financial detail.”

On a personal level, Baker is adjusting toworking part-time for the first time in her career,following the birth of her son in 2012.

“I work three days a week, which means Ihave to prioritise more than I did when I workedfull time. I share management of the CorporateCentre Group in Treasury with our HR Director

and I’m lucky to have a good team of DeputyDirectors and excellent administrative support, allof which makes my job manageable. But I’m stilllearning how to get everything done in the timeI have. It is a good discipline though – knowingyou have a limited time in the office each weekreally focuses you on getting the importantthings done. And spending four days a weeklooking after a toddler helps me keep work inperspective.”

Baker says she doesn’t have a long-termcareer plan. “I like to take on differentchallenges, but I honestly can’t say what I’ll bedoing in 10 years’ time,” she says. “At themoment I’m just focused on doing my best inthis job.” What is certain is that she is enjoyingher new role, and is relishing the challenges itwill inevitably bring.

Continued from page 11

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PQ jobsYOUR JOBS BOARD WWW.PQJOBS.CO.UK

‘I’d encourage people do

a range of things early in

their careers. Broaden your

horizons and get experience

in different roles’


CYBER SECURITY has entered the general public’sconsciousness following a number of high-profileincidents affecting household name brands. At thesame time, the threat to economic prosperity posedby cyber crime has pushed the topic up theboardroom and political agendas. The bi-annualPwC Global Economic Crime Survey published inNovember 2011 saw 26% of all respondents havinghad a cyber crime committed against theirorganisation in the last 12 months. Eight per cent ofthese respondents were public sector entities andthe trend is only increasing in terms of the averagecost and impact of breaches experienced by UKgovernment organisations.

This has brought cyber crime from a position ofstatistical insignificance in previous surveys to thirdplace in terms of prevalence, eclipsed only by morefamiliar sources of economic crime such as assetmisappropriation and accounting fraud.

While cyber security is a national issue that hasrequired the establishment of a specific programme,there are also operational issues faced bydepartments in implementing their own cybersecurity functions. The annual UK Cyber SecurityBreaches survey, that PwC prepares in conjunctionwith the Department for Business Innovation andSkills, highlights that UK government departmentscurrently spend 6% – 8% of IT budget on cybersecurity with little or no increase in spend

anticipated this year. This puts governmentdepartments behind the likes of financial services,telecoms and manufacturing, which each budgetaround 10% of IT budget for cyber security. Tocompound this budgetary challenge, the PwC UKCyber Security Breaches Survey 2012 indicates that80% of large organisations do not formally evaluatethe effectiveness of information security spend, so itis unclear what value this level of spend represents.

Focus on cyber security as a departmentaloperational responsibility within the public sectorhas fallen off the radar, with the main NationalCyber Security Programme grabbing the attention.Departments, though, are on the front line of thesecurity mission, handling significant quantities ofpersonal and sensitive information on a daily basis.The drive for efficiencies through the Digital byDefault strategy and the clear demand for shiftingthese services online from the public has steered thepublic sector to become a highly digitally integratedgroup of entities with much of its underlyinginfrastructure or information manipulationoutsourced to private sector third parties.

Worryingly, our research indicates thatthe most senior people withinorganisations are not placing enoughemphasis on the importance ofmanaging the real threats that cybersecurity presents, with nearly half ofBoards not reviewing the threat morefrequently than annually. Is cyber securityon your risk register? If not, why not?

As a result we recommend publicsector organisations should re-evaluatethe cyber security situation they are in byasking the following questions:• Organisation and governance: Doyou have an information risk-ledapproach; effective governance for andaccountability to reflect cyber security’simportance to the business? • Threat intelligence: The cyber threatlandscape is changing at an alarmingrate. Do you have the capability toacquire and act on threat intelligence?• Security culture and behaviours: Asecurity conscious organisational culture,accountability and associated behaviouris one of the most important aspects ofimproving security. How mature is thisculture in your organisation?• Cyber incident response and crisismanagement: Do you have the abilityto respond to inevitable incidents quicklyand effectively and in a way that protectsyour reputation, brand and other assets?• Monitoring and detection: Asperimeters become more porous,attackers more sophisticated andcompromises inevitable, monitoring anddetection become necessary and,arguably, the most effective defence. Iseffective monitoring in place?• Strong defences and IT hygiene: Doyou have mature and embedded secureconfiguration, patch management, anti-virus defences, privilege management,authentication, mobile security andchange management?

MITIGATE RISKHaving comprehensive answers to thequestions above, along with annualmeasures of effectiveness, will helpensure that the budgets available forcyber security are spent wisely andactually mitigate the risks theorganisation is experiencing.

Ask the Senior Information Risk Officerwhat actions are under way to ensurecyber security is dealt with and whatassurance can be provided to the boardthat the organisation’s cyber risk is beingmanaged at this critical time. • Andrew Miller is Director, Risk Assurance Services at

PwC. Contact [email protected]

Just how safe is your network?Andrew Miller poses the question– and quotes some frighteningstatistics concerning cyber crime

KEEPINGSAFE AND SOUND


Security



Values Versus Violence


IN THE AUTUMN 2012 issue of Gasette,Sharon Evans wrote about how theValues Versus Violence scheme is helpingchildren understand money and howvaluing employment is important if weare to prevent children being drawn intocrime. She explained how GFP volunteersgoing into schools are welcomed byteachers and highlighted the positivereaction that volunteers can expect fromthe children.

After an afternoon in schoolvolunteering to talk to children about myprofession I was impressed both by thechildren’s enthusiasm and what a positiveexperience it was. The visit was part ofthe Value Versus Violence’smissdorothy.com learning programme,which teaches children to valuethemselves and others. An importantpart of the programme is meetingoutside visitors. As a first time volunteer Iwasn’t quite sure what to expect when Iwas met at the door by three Dot Comambassadors, who greeted mebeautifully and made me feel verycomfortable.

It was the children’s job as Dot Comambassadors to tell me what they learnfrom the missdorothy programme. Theprogramme helps children aged 7-11

learn how to value themselves and howto value others and so make betterchoices and decisions. They learn aboutthe value of money as part of theprogramme, and each child receives theirown journal in which they can writeabout all the things that are important tothem.

Volunteers from GFP are helpingteachers with the value of money sectionof the journal, and helping childrenunderstand how money can keep yousafe or make you unsafe depending onhow you handle it. The idea is to helpprepare children for real life, and also togive them an opportunity to hear fromadults other than their teacher aboutwhat life is like and particularly what lifeis like in the workplace.

The children were very interested infacts and figures, and because I am fromthe Identity and Passport Service theywanted to know how many passportswere made and sent out each year, andother key facts about the Agency. I talkedto the children about why I enjoyedworking in finance and how you canmove around to lots of different posts ifyou have transferable accounting skills.

I also talked about my work before Ijoined the Identity and Passport Service,

which included finance roles in civilengineering businesses, and the childrenwere fascinated by the size and scale ofthe projects that I was involved in.

It was an very positive experience. Thechildren were so genuinely interested andhad so many questions. I have nohesitation in recommending theexperience and would encourage othersto get involved in this very worthwhileinitiative.

WHAT THE CHILDREN SAID…“It is great having people come intolessons and talk to us,” said one of thechildren. “It is really fun to hear fromother people, not just our teacher. That’sthe great thing about the missdorothyprogramme, we get to talk to lots ofvisitors and we look forward to it.”

Wendy Phillips, who is seconded tosupport the programme in London andfunded by the Mayor’s Fund for London,added: “The input from volunteers hasbeen great. The children love hearingabout the work they do and it helpsthem make sense of their learning. Theyunderstand why they are learning mathsand budgeting and how it fits into thebigger picture of work. But you neverknow what questions are going to beasked. One year-three pupil who wasonly seven put his hand up in a sessionwith a volunteer from HMRC and said:‘What’s going on with Harry Redknapp’stax then?’ You couldn’t help laughing,but the volunteer was very professionaland said unfortunately he couldn’tdiscuss individual cases!”

GFP supports Values Versus ViolenceUK (VVVUK), the organisation thatcreated the missdorothy.comprogramme. There have been a numberof GFP volunteers support lessons, butVVVUK is always looking for morevolunteers. You can volunteer to Adopt aSchool and talk to the children or fundraise for the programme, which costs £5per child. Sir Gus O’Donnell and IanWatmore have been among the CivilServants who have supported thelearning programme and GeoffMerchant a volunteer from CabinetOffice, spent more than six years helpingthe organisation create strategy for anational roll-out of materials.

Back to schoolMark Wilson, Financial Controller at the Identity and Passport Service,talks about his time as a volunteer for the Values Versus Violence charity

Sharon Evans andNeil Evans of VVVwith children whohave participated inthe programme. Thephoto was taken atthe GFP TrainingEvent at Brighton inNovember


Copyright © 2012, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

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GFP Awards 2012

spring 201316 theGASETTE

All the winnersWho walked off with the prizes at the GFP Awards night? Well, meet the stars of the show!

Outstanding Contribution to theProfession The Government OlympicExecutive Finance Team, theDepartment for Culture, Media andSport

Project Team of the Year TheEfficiency & Reform Division, theDepartment for Education

Personality of the Year Martin Rowlands, Her Majesty’s Courts& Tribunals Service

Innovation in Government TheAdmin Consolidation Team, theDepartment for Business, Innovation &Skills

Government AAT of the YearKatie Kibble, Ministry of Justice

PQ of the Year Bandhu Pratim Das,the Skills Funding Agency

NQ of the Year Sherie McLean,Department for Work & Pensions

Finance Director of the Year Sue Ketteridge, Director of Finance,Maritime & Coastguard Agency

Unsung Hero Dale Coxon, Ministry of Defence

Sustainability Award The GreenIT/Finance Team, HMRC

Mentor of the YearStephanie Smith, OFSTED

Finance Team(s) of the Year • The Corporate Finance & MilitaryCapability Team, Ministry of Defence• The Finance, Planning & PerformanceTeam, Treasury Solicitor’s Department

Effective Leader of the YearAmanda McFeeters, Head ofAccounting & Finance Unit, HomeOffice

Head of Profession’s Award forLifetime Achievement David Reeves, Ministry of Defence

GFP Special Award Steve Freer, CEO CIPFA

ROLL OF HONOUR

Prize guys: the winners show off their awards in Brighton

Katie Kibble, left, the GovernmentAAT of the Year


treasury spring 13 p16-17•• 3/4/13 11:14 Page 28

AAT is a not for profit organisation with over 120,000 members worldwide. AAT is a registered charity. No.1050724.

We can fill the skills gap in your finance team

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The professional bodyfor accounting technicians0845 863 0795 aat.org.uk/goldstandard

“AAT is the gold standard in financequalifi cations.”

Visit our website to hear the full story

Joanne Watts Head of Accounting Services Hertfordshire County Council

Funding may be available via apprenticeships

If you are facing the challenge of improving productivitywith fewer resources, then AAT has the solution.Our cost effective training builds practical skills andknowledge, bringing immediate results to the workplace.

AAT qualifications can fill the skills gap in your financeteam today, and our professional membership will keepyour organisation one step ahead for the future.


GFP Awards 2012


BRIGHTON’S HILTON METROPOLE was the venue forthe 2012 GFP awards, which were co-hosted bySharon Evans and Lizzie Greenwood-Hughes. It wasanother record year for entries and the list of winnersshows the great diversity of the GFP family.

Among those who came out on top was KatieKibble, the Government AAT of the Year. She worksfor the Ministry of Justice, and at a local level getsinvolved in planning and running award ceremonies,so it was a very nice surprise to turn the tables onher. For once she wasn’t asked to move furniture orhelp with the washing-up afterwards!

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to DavidReeves, who has a long history of supporting the GFPagenda both within his department (MoD) andcorporately at HM Treasury. David was also a strongchampion for the profession and for wider financialtraining across Whitehall.

Occasionally the GFP also makes a special award tosomeone who has made a significant personalcontribution to the profession. This year was such ayear and that special person was Steve Freer, CIPFA’sCEO. He was both surprised and visibly moved by thehonour.

The GFP awards give departments a uniqueopportunity to shine. The call for nominations for the2013 awards will be coming soon, so keep an eye onthe website and, of course, keep reading Gasettemagazine. Just in case you forgot the websiteaddress is www.thegfp-treasury.org.

Martin Rowlands of HMCourts & Tribunals Service

hot-foots it to the stage

David Reeves picks up his Lifetime

Achievement award

Steve Freer with Head of the GFP Richard Douglas

treasury spring 13 p16-17•• 3/4/13 11:14 Page 29

Volunteer to adopt a schooland talk to children about the

value of your profession.

You can make a difference in just one day.Contact [email protected]

VVV ad 2/4/13 17:21 Page 20


Women in finance

this figure, with the numbers of femaleleaders in the following six countries inthe Index hovering at around one-third.

The United Kingdom appears in thirdplace in the Index with 35% of publicsector leadership roles filled by women,reflecting the positive action that hasbeen taken over the past few decades.However, women represent 66% of theUK public workforce and so clearly, moreprogress needs to be made to supportwomen advance their careers.

Lord [Gus] O’Donnell, a former UKhead of the Civil Service and CabinetSecretary, says the results from the UKpublic sector are “good, but we couldand should do better”.

The public sector leadership results arebetter than those for our electedpoliticians. Although almost a third ofleaders in the public sector in the UK arefemale, our numbers of female ministersand women in Parliament are lower thanin Canada, Australia, South Africa,Argentina, Germany, Mexico, France andthe US. “All political parties are on recordas saying they want to increase the

proportion of women in Parliament. Butit’s just not happening,” says LordO’Donnell.

So, what is the gender mix at the topof the Government Finance Profession?Actually, the position closely mirrors thebroader national landscape. In the top 17spending departments, three out of nineDirector-Generals are women and threeout of eight Directors are women.

At Ernst & Young, we believe thatdiverse teams can lead to better decisionsand results. Diversity of approaches,points of view and thinking contributestowards improved performance and inthe Government Finance Profession, weneed this now more than ever.

Governments around the world arefacing up to a rapidly changing world.Shifting demographics, urbanization andclimate change, as well as the lingeringeffects of the financial crisis, demandgreat leaders at the decision-makingtable. Unleashing the talent of womencan bring powerful positive change andincreases the likelihood of betteroutcomes for us all.

Across the globe there are manywomen leaders in the public sector whohave a great story to tell. We inviteGassette’s women readers to join us atwww.ey.com/government/womenleadersto be inspired by the lives and ideas ofsome public sector women leaders whohave joined Ernst & Young in this globalinitiative.• Thanks to Ernst & Young for this article

Ernst & Young’s latest survey reveals the true picture of gender equality across governments internationally

IN OUR GLOBALIZED world diversity isseen not only as an ambition but crucialto delivering more effective governmentand increased economic competitiveness.But while diverse teams are proven tostimulate innovation and new ways ofproblem solving, there is an increasingacknowledgment that much workremains to be done before governmentsand business become truly representativeof the societies in which they operateand serve.

Most governments are aware of thebenefits of promoting a more balancedgender mix. Unfortunately, as in othersectors, the gender distribution acrossleadership roles in government is notrepresentative of the number of womenin the community, in the public sectorworkforce and in higher education.

Ernst & Young’s survey of senior publicsector roles across G20 countries showsthat only four of them reached even30% representation of women inleadership roles, despite womenconstituting a significant part of theoverall public sector workforce in manycountries.

Even in Canada, the country thatranked number one in our Index, theyaccount for only 45% of its public sectorleaders. No other country comes close to

Where arethe women?

1st Canada 45.02nd Australia 37.03rd United Kingdom 35.04th South Africa 33.85th Brazil 32.16th United States 31.07th Italy 27.08th France 21.49th Argentina 19.010th Germany 14.511th Mexico 14.012th Turkey 13.613th Russia 13.014th China 11.515th Indonesia 8.716th South Korea 8.617th India 7.718th Japan 2.519th Saudi Arabia 0.0

2012 G20 Index ofWomen as PublicSector Leaders


treasury spring 13 p19• 3/4/13 11:29 Page 11

Women in finance


It’s a man’s world. Or is it? Twowomen from very differentbackgrounds and aspirationsilluminate the world ofopportunity that finance opensup to the gentle sex

PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF THE finance world arerarely flattering, possibly less so than ever before.Stereotypes cast a long shadow – unscrupulousbankers with their unfeasibly large bonuses ordull grey men in suits squinting myopically atyawn-inducing rows of figures. And yes, even inthese enlightened times, although the day of thelittle woman meekly holding out her hand forthe housekeeping money is long gone, finance isstill viewed as a domain predominantly presidedover by men.

“Part of the problem is that womenthemselves don’t realise how much they canoffer the accountancy world,” explained AbigailJones, FMDS trainee accountant at Ofsted.“More men than women still gointo finance, possibly becausewomen see it as a profession forpeople who don’t like people.Nothing could be further than thetruth. Although areas such asforensic accounting may be lesspeople-centred, in BusinessPartnering, and others, excellentinterpersonal skills, in addition tobusiness acumen, are fundamentalto success.

“Many women don’t realise howvaluable their soft skills are. I don’thave the best analytical skills going,but I can talk to people and thatreally matters.”

Abigail argues that finance offersanyone of either gender enormousopportunities if they are “bright andkeen to learn.” Her own route intothe GFP highlights that aptitude,rather than relevant experience, iswhat opens this career door.

After taking a law degree atuniversity, she qualified as a solicitor

and went to work in the USA fortwo years before moving back tothe UK to work in a private practicespecialising in commercial propertylaw.

“That really was a very male-dominated area,” she said. “Someof the men were bombastic andthe few women who had made itwere aggressive, lacked empathyand were reluctant to have otherwomen in the profession. When

the recession hit, I moved to Bristol and took atemporary job at Ofsted in CIE in complianceand then moved to the data team. When I sawan ad for the Government Finance ProfessionScheme, I decided to apply. I’d always likedworking with figures and had enjoyed the taxaspects of law.”

Abigail is working towards her ACCAqualification, which she hopes to gain in 2015.“I am the only female in my office, but there arewonderfully supportive women in my teambased around the country, including our female

LeadingFROM THE FRONT

Abigail Jones

Frances Carter



Training


Head of Finance, in Manchester, and thedynamic is very positive” she said. “My currentmale colleagues have the intellect of solicitorswithout the ego and we all have the sameapproach to work and interact well. But ofcourse we’re luckier in the Civil Service than inmany other industries – equality is a given.”

For Frances Carter, Audit Business Manager atthe Internal Audit Unit of the Department forEducation, getting started in her finance careerback in the 1980s was far more problematic.After significant changes being made to her postas a nursery nurse for a local authority, sheapplied for a job as an Executive Officer with theCivil Service and was told: “I’m really sorry, butthere are only openings in finance.”

The accountant Frances began working forsuggested that she also studied to become anaccountant, but she encountered her first barrierwhen she applied to get on to the bursaryscheme.

“The then Head of Accounting Profession,who was a woman, said that she didn’t know ifshe would support my application as it was a lotof money to train someone when there was achance I’d “go off and have babies” as soon as Iqualified,” she explained. “I must haveconvinced her that I wouldn’t, but I did have tosign an agreement that I would stay workingwith the Department for a period of time afterqualifying, although that was probably true foreveryone. Perhaps she was just testing myresolve... but I’m not convinced.”

Frances, who gained her ACCA qualificationthrough distance learning, is now part of themanagement team in the Internal Audit Unitand is confident that she has never been passedover for promotion because she is a woman.“I’ve taken a variety of jobs to widen myexperience and I tend to be motivated by interestrather than a desire to rise in the ranks,” shesaid. “Sometimes you just outgrow a job and it’stime for the next challenge.

“Women are well represented in mydepartment – the Head of Internal Audit is awoman and so is one of the deputies. TheService is particularly good at allowing careerbreaks and for women to come back on part-time basis. Of course it’s difficult to knowwhether taking that option affects how far theygo in the organisation but it doesn’t seem to bea problem in our department.”

Abigail and Frances are at opposite points intheir careers. While Frances contemplates theprospect of retirement with some relish, Abigailis tempering her aspirations with realism. “I tellmy husband that I want to be the nextChancellor of the Exchequer,” she said. “Butthat isn’t about to happen. It may sound a bitclichéd, but I really want to use my skills to makea difference in the world. Perhaps as the Head ofthe NHS one day. Yep, that would do nicely.” • Thanks to the ACCA for this article

The NHS Foundation Trust is a big believer in staffdevelopment. Helen Rourkeshares her tips on trainingfinance staff of all skill levelsand abilities through a formalqualification

THE NHS FOUNDATION Trust has supported asignificant number of finance staff throughformal training for a number of years. We arestrong believers in career development andencourage all staff to participate in furtherlearning no matter what stage they are at intheir career.

Of the 80 staff that make up our financeteam, a large percentage are qualified throughAAT or another accountancy body. Many haveeither completed or are completing theirtraining across Levels 2-4.

In 2011, we were approached by AAT to beinvolved in a pilot for a Level 1 qualificationcalled AAT Access. We saw this as anopportunity to develop those staff memberswithin our finance department who didn’t yethave a qualification or the confidence to takeon Level 2. AAT Access is a basic introductionto finance and accountancy and is suitable foranyone regardless of age, knowledge orexperience. Essentially, it’s a ‘taster’ for the fullaccounting qualification.

We nominated four staff members to beinvolved in the pilot. Their ages ranged from32-46 and all were from a managementaccounting background. Some had not studiedfor years and others were unsure of what thecourse could offer them. But since completion,all have been more enthusiastic towards theircareer development and have progressed on toLevel 2.

Although it’s still early days, we’ve seen clearresults of our investment. Their attitudes totraining and development have changedsignificantly and clear correlations betweentheir studies and the working environment areapparent.

TOP TIPS TO TRAINING FINANCE STAFF

1Find the right qualification. It’s importantto identify the right qualification for your

staff members so that you can be sure bothyou and they will get the most out of yourinvestment. Most accountancy bodies have a‘skills test’ (such as the AAT Skillcheck) where

prospective students can test their knowledgeand identify an appropriate starting level.

2Find the right training provider. Theway your training provider delivers the

course and supports your students willultimately determine their success. Togetherwith iCount Training, the NHS Foundation Trustdeveloped a model of study where studentsattend classes one day per week at aLancashire Teaching Hospital site.

3Find the right candidate. Identify staffmembers who show potential and a keen

attitude for career development. You want tobe sure your investment is worthwhile in moreways than one. Training those without formalqualifications will not only produce betterskilled workers, but mentors for others to learnfrom in the future.

4Offer support. Keep the conversationopen so you’re aware of your staff

members’ progress and any obstacles theyface. A mentoring programme, using moreexperienced staff members can offer directsupport and increase chances of success.

5Evaluate success. In this economicclimate, it’s important that you demonstrate

your return on investment. Implementevaluation measures from the beginning byhighlighting competencies across differenttasks so that you can evaluate outcomes,demonstrate success and gather support forfuture staff development programmes. • Helen Rourke is Assistant Finance Director at Lancashire

Teaching Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust

Training is the key


Management information


IT IS GOOD NEWS that the debate onhow to improve Whitehall is gainingmomentum. However, although newinitiatives are to be applauded, it isCIMA’s view that no substantial progresswill be made unless such initiatives aredriven by clear and concerted financialleadership.

Last year, CIMA, the Institute forGovernment and Deloitte joined forces toproduce a strategy that would lead tobetter decision making and moreefficient government. This report,Improving Decision Making in Whitehall,focused on how to improve the use ofmanagement information at the heart ofgovernment. It showed that systemicimprovements in managementinformation would only be achievedthrough increased demand formanagement information by seniordecision makers. This, in turn, highlightedthe importance of financial leadership inimproving performance management atthe top of government departments.

CIMA and the Institute forGovernment pursued this subject furtherthrough business reference texts, surveysand interviews, and our findings will bepublished in the forthcoming reportFinancial Leadership for Government.The aim of this research is to provide astructure for opening up the debateabout the role of financial leadership atthe centre of large, devolvedorganisations and to support theGovernment’s work in building ‘a muchstronger corporate leadership model’ asset out in the Civil Service Reform Plan.

The new report makes some importantcomparisons. Firstly, we looked at howfinancial leadership in corporationscompares with the Whitehall model. Wethen compared the UK centralgovernment administration with those ofNew Zealand, Australia, Canada and theUS in terms of how performance ismanaged and how this relates tofinancial leadership. Our research showedthat the role of the finance function insupporting performance management isweaker in Whitehall than in the private

sector and, compared withthe other countries in ourstudy, this weakness isunique to Whitehall.

It is also noteworthy that the UK is theonly country in our study where theorganisation responsible for expenditurecontrol (HM Treasury) does not take leadresponsibility for performancemanagement and, therefore, the Treasury

plays little role in providing performancemanagement support to the Head of theCivil Service. Neither is it responsible forgenerating any cross-governmentinformation to underpin performancemanagement. There is currently no otherpoint at which either financial or non-financial information is brought togetherto form a clear analytical overview of theperformance of departments. Someinteresting initiatives have been broughtinto the equation – such as the CabinetOffice’s Business Plans and the QuarterlyData Summaries – but these have hadlimited success so far.

On cost management, the Treasurytypically acts as a reviewer of otherdepartments’ work but its interest isfocused more around requests foradditional resources or as part of ad hocspending reviews. There is relatively littlesystemic pressure on departments toenhance their understanding of theirown cost drivers and no formal processesof enhancing understanding of cross-departmental cost drivers.

From a CIMA perspective,departmental leadership teams mustbring in more experts from the financeprofession who can analyse and exploitmanagement information. This isprecisely the contribution management

accountants make in the bestbusinesses. They provide the rightinformation and analysis, derivedfrom both financial and non-financialdata, so that CEOs can decide howbest to drive businesses forward.Management accountants have thepotential to become Whitehall’sfinancial navigators.

CIMA’s view is that a central groupfinance function and CFO is anessential prerequisite for strengtheningthe obvious structural weaknesseswithin Government performancemanagement. This represents asignificant opportunity for the financeprofession and the Prime Minister must

implement this change as part of anoverall government strategy. Theresultant performance improvements willnot come overnight; we are at the startof our journey, but there is no time towaste.

Performance management in Whitehall:

A CIMA PERSPECTIVELeadership teams must bring in more experts from the financeprofession who can analyse and exploit management information


© 2013 Deloitte LLP. All rights reserved.

Who helps finance leaders handle the pressure?The demands on public sector finance leaders have never been greater. Deloitte understands

how the roles and responsibilities have changed significantly and become more complex.Be in control under pressure, visit www.deloitte.co.uk

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http://www.thegfp-treasury.org theGASETTE 25spring 2013

Financial management

being different in fundamental waysfrom the public sector, there are somepractices and structures that are worthexploring.

This includes the Chief Financial Officer(CFO) role and Group Finance structure.While roles or structures alone are not apanacea, the CFO and group financestructure have a tradition of supportinggood financial management andcomplex organisations. Most globalcompanies would not exist, far lessthrive, without a CFO operatingalongside the CEO within a rigorousstructure accountable to the board.

Regardless of whether an organisationis in the private or the public sector, is abusiness or government, financialleadership and strong fiscal structures areessential. As Downing Street recentlysaid: “Any major organisation wouldexpect and hope that the chief financeofficer worked very closely with the chiefexecutive.” In our current environment ofstretched public finances this is moreimportant than ever.

ICAEW believes we need a CFO at thecentre of government providing financialleadership in ways that currently does nothappen. By setting this tone from the topwe believe you can equip the nextgeneration of Civil Servants in ways andmeans that are a prerequisite formanaging our deficit and debt. Such atransformation will require both CivilService reform and ministerialcommitment.

As a chartered accountant I believe

that without change, the UK willexacerbate an already difficult period ofeconomic instability and uncertainty. Thisthree-stage reform proposal can helpaccelerate financial discipline acrossWhitehall. We are calling on politiciansfrom all parties to:• Transform the role of HM Treasury intoa more pro-active finance ministry. Itshould take a more rigorous cost/benefitanalysis of policy delivery with regularreviews and have an ability to speed upor slow policy change.• Create a Chief Financial Officer (CFO)to head up this group finance function.This CFO will report to HMT’s PermanentSecretary and to the Chancellor/ChiefSecretary and, ultimately, to the Cabinet.This new CFO would take overallresponsibility for the financial health ofgovernment. The person is likely to haveexperience of commercial groupstructures as many current departmentalnon-executive directors do.• Finally, to empower finance directorsmore generally across governmentdepartments to communicate and equipothers in commercial skills. This willenable the embedding of strong financialdisciplines and financial leadership acrossa new generation of civil servants.

While fiscal transparency is central tothis task, information alone will not beenough. Financial skills, an enablingenvironment and pursuing best practiceis also necessary. Public sector financialmanagement is already changing andICAEW will continue to work withgovernment to help support commercialskills. But more fundamental change nowneeds to happen to ensure taxpayersmoney is spent wisely in the future.

Is there a role for a CFO at the top tablein government? ICAEW Chief ExecutiveMichael Izza believes there is

ROOMat theTOP

The UK FACES tough decisions in thecoming decade. According to the Officefor National Statistics, public sector netdebt was £1,111.4 billion at the end ofDecember 2012, equivalent to 70.7% ofour country’s GDP. Combined withcurrent levels of economic growth, it isnow clear the Coalition’s debt and deficitprogramme will take successiveparliaments to deliver.

We are also living longer as a society.The UK’s population of 65s and over islikely to double to 19 million by 2050.This will mean extra demands on healthservices, social care and pensions. Giventhese trends decisions today, includingthis summer’s Spending Review, will havea profound effect on the public servicesof tomorrow.

ICAEW is developing its thinking onthe financial skills and structures that areneeded to empower policymakers tomake these decisions. Managingtaxpayers money wisely is what ourmembers in the public sector do dailyand it is central to ICAEW’s public interestmandate. We want to support thisfurther. The UK is already a global leaderin public sector transparency. HMTreasury produces an annual set ofconsolidated accounts (the Whole ofGovernment Accounts). The NationalAudit Office scrutinises public spendingon behalf of Parliament and the Officefor Budget Responsibility providesindependent analysis on the state ofpublic finances.

Yet if we want to retain this position,policymakers must pursue best practicenot only from other governments butalso the private sector. And while theprivate sector is not without its faults,

• Michael Izza is Chief

Executive of the ICAEW

treasury spring 13 p25•• 3/4/13 11:21 Page 11

Secondments


SO HOW DID IT GO?The secondments went really well. Sowell, in fact, that Tim arranged for hissecondment to be extended by a furtherthree months. It has been a greatopportunity to see behind the scenes ofone of the UK’s largest and most popularretailers. We’ve worked on someinteresting and challenging projects, hadexposure to a wide portfolio of M&Slearning and development courses, aswell as meeting some really nice peopleand making new friends.

WHAT IS THE KEY THING THATYOU HAVE LEARNT? It has been a great opportunity tobenchmark our skills and abilities againstthose in the private sector. Finding outthat you can contribute and thrive in thatenvironment is a real boost to yourconfidence, particularly when thecontrast is as extreme as the defence andrevenue sectors when compared to aretail environment.

M&S is very good at giving its financestaff learning opportunities and as suchwe’ve had lots of exposure to theirtraining resources including specificcourses on things like ‘commercialnegotiations’. They have a learning weekeach quarter with around 15 sessions,many run in-house. They also have aquarterly finance conference with inputfrom a keynote speaker to help themunderstand the strategic issues for thebusiness.

We’ve also learnt from the specificproject we’ve been involved in. We don’thave issues with contactless payments inthe MoD and revenue isn’t a key part ofour business, but many of the skills andtechniques I’ve learned are equallyapplicable in either sector.

HOW WILL THE SECONDMENTHELP YOUR CAREER? It has given us the opportunity for bothpersonal and professional development.We’ve learnt new skills, broadened ourwork experience and improved ourcompetencies, particularly in areas suchas Communication and Influencingstakeholders. Clearly this means we havemore to offer an employer than we didbefore the secondment and therefore weneed to ensure we make the most of thethings we have learned in our futurecareer.

HOW WILL THE SECONDMENTBENEFIT YOUR DEPARTMENTAND THE WIDER GOVERNMENTFINANCE PROFESSION? Our experience has shown that there’sundoubtedly a lot that the GFP can learnfrom M&S, including the commercialissues of running a large, fast-pacedorganisation, which is geographicallywidespread and investing £750m intocapital and IT expenditure.

Understanding the M&S financialstatements, key performance measuresand projects and how the businessoperates internally in order to provide abig picture understanding of the businessis something we can both take back intoour roles within government.

We’ve also had beneficial exposure tothe importance of an engagedworkforce, appropriate structures andstrong learning and developmentprogrammes.

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND ITTO OTHERS?Yes, this is a great opportunity to gainexperience and challenge yourself in away, which you’d be unlikely to achievewithin the Civil Service. It clearly hasbenefits for us as individuals, M&S andthe GFP as a whole, and participating inthe secondment presents a uniqueopportunity for personal and professionaldevelopment. Many people only managea minimal amount of CPD, but thesecondment offers six months worth ofexposure to new skills, tools andtechniques.

In addition to this, the UK retail sectoris facing some major challenges, withmany brands disappearing from our highstreets.

The secondment offers a ‘behind thescenes’ chance to see how one of theUK’s largest retailers is adapting to thechanging environment, and what it isdoing at a strategic level.

MORE TALES FROM THE

SHOP FLOORIn the last issue of Gasette we spoke to Timothy Gall and Martin Millsabout their secondments at M&S. Here we catch up with their progress

Meet Tim and MartinTimothy Gall ACMA CGMA Tim joined the MOD in 2007 as theFinance Director for the Defence Storage & Distribution Agency(DSDA), where he played a key part in the successful delivery of a£441m transformation programme. Other roles include Head ofCorporate Services and Head of Strategy. Prior to joining the MOD,Tim worked in the private sector and for the Audit Commission.Martin Mills MBA ACMA CGMA Martin joined HRMC in 1977 and iscurrently working as Financial Controller, Personal Tax. He has heldnumerous high-level finance and strategy roles within HRMC andhas contributed extensively to the financial development of adepartment undergoing great organisational change.


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Trainee focus


THIS ARTICLE is intended not for high-fliers but for the student who works veryhard indeed to achieve a pass – that wasme. Many of you will pass by sheertenacity, grafting hard for those extramarks. I qualified by making the best ofwhat I had, and ensured that I performedon the day. I used a few ‘home-made’techniques – here they are.

1Do you get in a muddle the daybefore an exam? Think about resting

up the day before an exam. Your brain willhave absorbed your mnemonics and examtechniques and will not be taking in newdata because pre-exam nerves will simplystop the stream of data in its tracks. Abrain on ‘red alert’ is irritable, irrationaland not interested in knowledge. A goodrevision plan should have meant therewere no gaps or surprises but if you dofind a small area you missed there is adanger you will cram it in, to thedetriment of all of your structured work inthe weeks before. Use this day for gentlereflection.

2Do you feel like just not showingup on the day? A number of times I

felt like not turning up for an exambecause I had convinced myself I wouldopen the paper and have to sit quietly forthree hours, unable to answer any of thequestions. In the 11 papers I sat this never

happened. It is amazing how your mindadjusts when something is unavoidableand there is no distraction – somethinginside told me to get cracking.

3Do your nerves hit a crescendo inthe last minutes before you are

called into the exam hall? If you seeanyone you know at the exam run away –no good will come out of conversation.The chances are they aren’t your realfriends, so don’t worry about hurting theirfeelings! Crucially, avoid people gatheredaround one of those pocket books,quizzing each other. Should you stumbleon this put your fingers in your ears, startsinging loudly and leave the room.

4Has your stamina causedproblems? My final exam was a

financial reporting paper with unparalleledtime pressure. I failed it by a couple ofmarks because I flagged before the end.To improve my stamina I did somethingunusual and devised two four-hour mocksfrom past paper questions. While this wasabout as much fun as root canaltreatment it did work in that a three-hourpaper was suddenly not so daunting. Aword of warning though: this needs

discipline and is best done in a sparelecture room or a quiet room at work.

5Does your concentration wane asfatigue sets in? Ask yourself, would

you drive for over three hours without abreak? After several hours with no pausethere is a good chance your brain will startto drift. I suggest not fighting this and seeit as an opportunity to take a couple ofminutes off every hour.

6Do you speed up as the exam goeson? The next time you hear an

invigilator announce, “You have one hourremaining”, notice the trap othercandidates fall into as the scribbles aroundyou become frantic. Do not make anadjustment to your speed on hearing this,try to maintain a constant as best as youcan. Watching my speed took practise;many times I submitted a script thatstarted neat and presentable and finishedrushed. Get used to a pace and tailor it tothe structure of the examination.

7Are you always running out ofpage space and line spaces? In

reporting papers that required pro formalayouts I was forever running out of linesto stick in a balance sheet or having totake the bottom bit of a statementoverleaf. This drove me to distractionbecause at work I wouldn’t dream ofdoing anything so shabby! The main thingthat helped me with this was my choice ofstationery. I stopped using those free blankA4 pads colleges give out in favour ofsomething that represented what I wouldbe given in the exam hall. If this meansyou going out and obtaining a specimenanswer book, believe me, it is worth it,because throughout question practise youwill be getting into the habit of making lifeeasy for you – and, of course, the marker?

8Are you absorbing what yourlecturer says or are you just

focused on the notes they are makingon their tablet? This will not be foreveryone but consider the number ofhours you spend in a lecture room withtutors who are the world experts on thepaper you are about to sit. It is a woollyterm but try to think of them in a holisticway and beyond the subject matter theyare teaching you. What is the first thingthey do when they approach a question?What good habits do they have whentackling tough subject matter? Are theyrepeating themselves and driving youcrazy? If they are then this is deliberate,and the more of these techniques you canpick up either consciously or otherwisecan only be a good thing. • Mathew Dawson is a principal accountant at

Warwickshire County Council

Mathew Dawson offers a personalperspective on what helped get himthrough his accountancy exams

DON’T BE AMUPPET!

treasury spring 13 p28/29 2/4/13 16:46 Page 28


Personal development

THE PUBLIC SECTOR is an uncomfortable placeto be working at the moment: no pay rise foryears, higher pension contributions, more work,fewer people to share the burden – and thesigns are that it is going to continue. And that’sbefore we read all the negative press coverage!

Working in this environment is tough, nodoubt about it. However, it is possible to notonly survive but positively thrive. There arepeople who walk around seemingly unscathedby disasters that unfold; so what characteristicsdo they have that they remain untouched by allthe changes the rest of us are experiencing? Inshort, they have developed personal resilience.But don’t fear, this is not a secret shared with aselect few – all of us can acquire this. In today’sever-changing environment we all need the skillsto be able to bounce back after all that life hasto offer. So what are these? And moreimportantly, how do you get them?

A resilient person has seven attributes:• Emotional regulation – you won’t see themlose their rag.• Impulse control – linked to the above theywill not act on impulse.• Optimism – they tend to be naturallyoptimistic and look on any change as positive,seeking to identify the opportunities created.• Causal analysis – they are likely to have agreater awareness of why things are happeningand not take this personally. If the division is shutdown and they are made redundant, they willrationally accept the reason, not seeing it as areflection on their ability.• Empathy – they are empathetic, able tounderstand what others are experiencing andwhere they are on the change curve.

• Self-efficacing.• Able to use their networks to reachout.

But these characteristics can beyours too. Follow these top 10 tips:1. Develop connections/supportiverelationships Remember the oldadage, a problem shared is a problemhalved? A resilient person will have anetwork of people to help themunderstand what is happening and seethings from a different perspective.2. Accept some crises/change isoutside our control We are allmortals, although one wonders with somepeople. Accept that not everything is in yoursphere of influence; change will happen.Remember you have a choice as to how youreact to change. So choose what will upset youand how you will react. 3. Accept that change is part of life Changeis the only constant. Once we embrace thisconcept life becomes a whole lot easier.Resistance is futile, so why waste preciousenergy trying to cling on to the past; moveforward and embrace the changes.4. Set some realistic goals Change provides anopportunity to reflect and re-establish what isimportant. Setting goals helps in activelyplanning and thinking positively for the future.Visualise it and you’ll make it happen. 5. Be decisive Taking action is a great way todevelop resilience. Resilient people are usuallyaction-oriented. It often doesn’t matter whatyou decide to do; taking some action will moveyou forward. Resilient people are also preparedto try new things if what they’re doing isn’t

working. As Einstein said: “Insanity isdoing the same thing over and overagain and expecting different results.”6. Try to understand your ownexperiences We are all shaped by ourexperiences. How we replay these inour minds will impact on our thinkingtoday. So it is worth reflecting on thepast to help us understand our reactionto what is happening today.7. Develop a positive view aboutyourself This is really important. Manyof us walk around with a fairground‘house of mirrors’ view of ourselves. As

difficult as it is, give yourself a break. Develop apositive view of yourself; there are plenty ofpeople putting us down, without the inner voiceadding to the critics.8. Try to take a longer-term perspectiveWhen something terrible happens, for instanceredundancy, take the long view and put it intoperspective. It may seem devastating now, but itmay lead to new opportunities such as workingpart time, a career change or following yourdream to be your own boss. So when thingshappen, try to move past the immediate impactand think longer term. 9. Stay hopeful and optimistic Changing youroutlook will reap huge benefits; people who seethe glass half-full always seem to have all theluck. Their positive attitude enables them to viewwhat is happening in a positive light. 10. Look after yourself Be kind to yourself andlook after yourself; work but rest and play too.You need some down time. Then you’ll be readyfor all the challenges and changes promised inthe huge reform agenda.

• Manj Kalar is TechnicalManager – CentralGovernment andFinancial Management,CIPFA

When the goinggets tough...You need to be resilient tothrive in today’s high-pressured work environment.CIPFA’s Manj Kalar outlineshow you can develop thisimportant characteristic


treasury spring 13 p28/29 2/4/13 16:47 Page 29

Gasette quiz extravaganza

spring 201330 theGASETTE

QUIZ answer issue 110 The winner: Martin Veale, Forestry Commission Wales. The answer was ‘CROSSWORD’ – the pictures were of GeorgeCole, Tim Rice, Michelle Obama, Ellie Simmons, Wesley Snipes, Bradley Wiggins, George Orwell, Esther Rantzen, Bob Dylan

To find the mystery word in our Gasette Picture Anagram simply take the initial letter from the person’s surname and re-arrange to find a nine-letter word (clue: these are important people). You can find the answers to all the puzzles here (except the

Gasette Picture Anagram) on the GFP website (www.thegfp-treasury.org).

• EMAIL YOUR ANSWERS TO:[email protected], BY 30 APRIL 2013

WINa £25M&S

voucher

The puzzles here are just for fun – and to stretchthe old grey matter. But the great Gasette PictureAnagram (below) gives you the chance to win a

£25 Marks & Spencer voucher!

6 7 3 4 1 5 9 2 8

1 9 5 8 2 6 4 7 3

2 8 4 7 3 9 1 6 5

4 1 9 5 7 3 2 8 6

8 3 6 2 9 1 5 4 7

7 5 2 6 8 4 3 9 1

9 4 8 1 5 7 6 3 2

5 6 7 3 4 2 8 1 9

3 2 1 9 6 8 7 5 4

4 3 1 7 9 2 5 6 8

6 9 2 8 5 4 1 3 7

7 5 8 6 1 3 9 2 4

1 8 3 9 2 7 6 4 5

2 4 5 1 3 6 7 8 9

9 6 7 5 4 8 3 1 2

5 2 9 3 8 1 4 7 6

8 1 6 4 7 9 2 5 3

3 7 4 2 6 5 8 9 1

Get stuck into our our ever-popularsudoku. Below is the solution to thepuzzle that appeared in Gasette 110,Autumn 2012

Odd one out

Which of the numbers is the odd oneout?

Thirsty workIn a busy hour a coffee shop sold threetimes as many Cappuccinos as Espressos.24 more people had Americano thanhad Espresso and three less people hadLatte than had Americano. 36 peopleordered Latte, how many ordered eachof the other three coffees?

Number’s up

What number should appear next in thissequence?309 416 525 636 ?

To the letterWhen each of the following words isrearranged, one of them can be used toprefix all the others, making six longerwords. What are they?

OHM FUEL GUIDE NETRITE AFT MIST

Playing catch up A coach and a car set off from the samepoint to travel the same journey. Thecoach sets off five minutes before the car.If the coach travels at 75km/h and thecar travels at 80km/h, how manykilometres from the starting point will thetwo vehicles draw level?

188263 771

242594

393331 482

Do the mathAssume you are using a basic calculator and press the numbers in the order shown,replacing each question mark with a mathematical sign. Plus, minus, multiply anddivide can each be used once only. In which order should they be used to score 1?

2 ? 4 ? 5 ? 6 ? 9 = 9


Walk on byA man walkssouth for 3miles. Thenwest for 3 miles,then north for 2miles, then eastfor 1 mile, thennorth for 1 mile

In whichdirection and forhow far shouldhe walk toreturn to hisstarting point?

treasury spring 13 pfun 2/4/13 16:48 Page 22

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