As you have inferred the challenge for public sector organisations is to cut cost without affecting front line services and this can be done in a number of ways of course, examples include reviewing and changing organisation and departmental staffing structures, outsourcing or merging back office functions, implementing strategic procurement plans and rationalising supplier bases, optimising building and capital asset use, and the application of lean methodologies to working processes.

But often the skills and resources do not exist inhouse within public sector organisations to drive programmes of change involving any of the above activities, which of course means recruitment of interim managers with the relevant skill sets can be the right solution. For those of us recruiting into the public sector there are two main challenges, the first is trying to persuade clients that an interim manager will deliver savings well in excess of their headline cost! The second is transitioning candidates with a more commercial, private sector background into public sector efficiency roles. There is still a preoccupation amongst public sector hiring managers to find candidates with the same sector background when there is a strong counter argument to say that private sector interim managers might have an initial cultural learning curve, but could deliver more over length of an assignment.

Answered by Steve Melber on 2010-07-20 20:31:54 UTC

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Hello Steve, thanks for the reply. I agree with what you say.

I think a further challenge is in frameworks to spread the goodness as I am aware that there are loads of outposts all doing good stuff but not sharing.

As to cost, Interims/Consultants should always deliver multiples of their fee but I think in this climate the upfront £50k will become harder and harder to justify.

Answered by Andrew Dobson on 2010-07-21 09:50:13 UTC

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