Tough times, tough decisions

The recession may have reached its nadir but, for the public sector, major challenges are yet to come. There is widespread agreement that there is an impending crisis in public sector finances, and the impact on local government will be significant. Faced with real and urgent threats in their funding, local authorities have a window of opportunity in which to prepare themselves and take swift action as a key element in their battle to cut costs.  Good workforce planning now will mean that when the upturn comes local authorities will be in the best position to attract new talent and deliver focused and effective public services.

'Talking Points' is a series of opinion pieces produced by PwC's Public Sector Research Centre.