Civil service falls short on accountants

News Article - 07 August 2006
Category: Business

Britain's civil service is lacking trained accountants, according to a new survey.

A study published by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found that while the number of senior civil servants with professional qualifications rose from 28 per cent in 2002, only three per cent, or 104 officials, hold any kind of accountancy qualification.

Civil servants were also lacking in other professional skills, with only 63 holding human resources qualifications, 60 holding teaching qualifications and 128 having equivalent awards in engineering.

The report recommended that a civil service executive is installed to take responsibility of strategic management, including finance, human resources and IT. In addition, it suggested that a new governing body for the civil service is launched.

"We need a new professionalism in Whitehall: one that recognises and rewards professional qualifications as well as generalist skills," said IPPR director Nick Pearce.

"Although Whitehall is improving, and there are many thousands of excellent civil servants, the pace of change is painfully slow. Fundamental reform to the way the service is governed is necessary if we are to make systemic and sustained change."

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