The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) has released its Public Sector Productivity Toolkit.
It said the practical resource aimed to help professionals, managers, and leaders across government departments and public service organisations strengthen performance, improve efficiency, and enhance outcomes to deliver greater public value.
Productivity growth – the primary driver of long-term improvements in living standards and wellbeing – has stagnated in the UK since the 2008 financial crisis, a trend further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that total public service productivity fell by 0.7% in the three months to June, marking the sharpest decline since late 2022. Despite increases in 2023, 2024, and the first quarter of 2025, it remains 3% below its pre-pandemic levels, with the UK continuing to lag behind other advanced economies.
“Every part of the public sector is under pressure to deliver more while reducing costs to keep public finances sustainable. Unfortunately, public sector productivity results post-pandemic have been very disappointing. A comprehensive transformation of public services is urgently needed, and that starts with shifting to outcome-based performance management that aligns strategy, people, processes, and technology,” said Andrew Harding, FCMA, CGMA, Chief Executive of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
“Our new toolkit is designed to help public sector leaders, managers, and finance professionals tackle productivity challenges head-on. It offers practical guidance and tools to align strategy with delivery across services and departments. CIMA’s research highlights a lack of integration as a key barrier to productivity – this toolkit helps users identify those gaps and build a performance-driven culture.”
Slow growth in public sector productivity is estimated to cost the UK economy £80 billion annually, a figure that could rise to £170 billion by 2030 if left unaddressed. A renewed focus on strategic productivity in the public sector is essential to ensure public services remain financially sustainable, resilient, and trusted in an era of rapid change, the organisation said. Doing so would not only boost economic growth, help address challenging public finances, but also encourage innovation, create employment opportunities, raise skill levels, and drive social progress across the UK, it added.
To help address these productivity challenges, the toolkit offers practical tools, checklists, and frameworks to help professionals across finance, HR, operations, and strategy measure, manage, and enhance productivity.
It is structured around eight core areas:
- Defining productivity in public services
- Strategic planning and alignment
- Governance, accountability, and reporting
- Improving productivity tracking and measuring outcomes
- Finance as a catalyst for change
- People and organisational culture
- Leadership and management practice
- Digital technology and AI
