The Good Finance Director
Model
TECHNICAL – Protect value
- qualified accountant
- central to decision making
- protect and support the
accounting officer
LEADER – Drive value
- strong communicator
- drive and play a central role in
decision making
- people manager
- role model
GOOD
FINANCE
DIRECTOR
STRATEGIC – Add value
- sustainable, long term plan
-shape the future department
and wider Civil Service
- clarity on context
CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT
- commercial approach to
finance
- transformational change leader
- influence and leverage
070515. Good FD
Technical
Protect Value – provide stewardship, propriety and regularity. Protect
departmental and HMG assets
Skill
Indicators
Trusted advisor
at the centre of
decision making
•Gives insight to clear strategic understanding of departmental financial position
•Challenge and influence at the most senior levels within and outside the Civil Service
•Maintain objectivity and independence
•Understand and advise on financial implications of policy and strategy decisions to
support decision making
•Set clear priorities for investment/execution of strategy based on measurable outcomes
which demonstrate success
Protect and
advise the
Accounting
Officer
•Oversee departmental accounts and processes
•Lead finance department, ensuring good financial hygiene
•Support at Public Accounts Committee and other select committee meetings
•Ownership of the control environment - developing and operating a proportionate and
appropriate system of controls
Qualified
accountant
•Strong grasp of government accounting rules
•Able to identify issues where a key initiative is off track and requires attention
•Effective risk management – understand and champion mitigating actions
•Integrity and ethics
•Persuasive communicator of complex matters in simple terms
070515. Good FD
Leader
Drive value – lead the function to ensure the most effective and efficient use
of funds
Skill
Indicators
Strong communication skills
•Highly articulate and credible at the most senior levels across the Civil Service and with
external stakeholders
•A strong and effective voice representing departmental views and those of Government
Finance
•Successfully influence senior stakeholders
•Provide clarity and direction for their people in ambiguous and uncertain environments
Drive and play a central role in
decision making
•Sustains effective network of senior colleagues across Whitehall and beyond and work
collaboratively with them.
•Demonstrates an ability and willingness to make difficult decisions and stand by them and
communicate them to the team and stakeholders as required
A strong people manager and
leader
•Takes shared responsibility for development of talent and improved leadership capability
•Identifies and nurtures talent - develops, coaches, mentors
•Demonstrates self awareness – recognise their own strengths and weaker areas and
recognises impact of their actions
•Pro-actively engaged with and knowledgeable about the work of colleagues on their team
A recognised role model
•A credible and authentic leader who consistently engages and inspires others
•Engage and inspire others to support and work towards their vision
•A visible figurehead for finance who backs and supports the function to enable effective
delivery
•Accessible to the rest of the department
•Approachable and supportive, giving recognition to the work of others
070515. Good FD
Good Finance Director - Leader
Civil Service Leadership Statement
As Civil Service leaders, we take responsibility for the effective delivery of the
Government’s delivery programme and minister’s priorities, living the Civil
Service’s values and serving the public.
Inspiring
Confident
Empowering
About our work and
its future
In our engagement
Our teams to deliver
About the
Government Finance
Function and the
value we create
In our skills, the
Government Finance
Function and our
engagement with the
wider Civil Service
Teams to challenge
and support decision
making
070515. Good FD
Strategic
Add value – create and use insightful financial evidence and analysis to inform
decision making within the department and across Government
Skill
Indicators
Shaping the long term future of the Department
and wider Civil Service
•Engages with the policy debate and nfluences decisions.
•Actively seek opportunities to collaborate with other
departments/organisations within and external to the Civil Service.
•Engage and build effective and relevant relationships with wide ranging
strategic networks across Government and externally
•Provide thought leadership to shape and support decisions and delivery
•Provide clarity on the Department’s role in relation to delivery of wider Civil
Service priorities
•Operate effectively and in a consistent way in ambiguous and uncertain
situations
Drive a sustainable long term financial plan
•Champion a culture of effective strategic finance risk management
•Focus on over-arching strategic aims rather than process
Sense check on departmental issues
•Position finance to work with policy in development of strategic plan and
objectives
•Fully understands and is passionate about the business
•Provides ethical leadership, ensuring strategies and initiatives are consistent
with Civil Service values.
•Politically savvy
•Understand the politics and use this effectively
•Provides insight to departmental objectives in relation to wider civil service
priorities and helps others to understand these interactions and overcome
tensions
•Remain apolitical, operates effectively with different groups
070515. Good FD
Functional Capability
Skill
Indicators
Take a commercial and long term approach to
leading finance
•Develop and sustain effective strategic commercial partnerships with
service providers/ customers
•Maintain a commercial focus demonstrating influence and
accountability over organisational goals
•Able to recognise when outside expertise is required and ensures
transfer of skills
Commercial acumen
•Identify and solve commercial problems working with and seeking
input from commercial partners
•Ensure appropriate levels of commercial capability and awareness in
the finance team in a culture that encourages this.
•Understand the long term impact of outsourced relationships (not
just cheapest provider)
Transformational change leader
•Seeks opportunities for change and efficiency and innovation
•Fosters a flexible and responsive culture.
•Sets clear future vision and direction with drive, pace and
connections to make things happen
•Articulates the need for change (with data) and win hearts and minds
(influence)
Stakeholder manager
•Collaborate with and learn from other functions
•Ensure decisions are based on accurate evidence and reflect varied
advice/viewpoints
070515. Good FD
HMG finance’s role is simple but critical
– to put finance at the heart of decision-making in HMG.
HMG Finance’s Value Proposition
Putting finance at the heart of decision making by…
PROTECTING VALUE
Providing stewardship for tax payers’ funds and protecting HMG assets.
DRIVING VALUE
Ensuring every £ is spent in the most effective and efficient way.
ADDING VALUE
Creating insightful financial analysis to inform decision making.
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