Disappointment at the slow progress of the Public Finance Initiative may be premature. Explanations for stunted growth such as ‘the traditional methods of the public and private sectors are difficult to overcome’ may be wide of the mark. The Treasury estimates the total projects at the turn of the century to be £10b.This figure is challenged by the Private Finance Initiative Journal survey of 500 projects which found the total value of deals to be £15.8b. 

The Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) has announced a ‘Service to the Public’ awards programme for 1998. The programme is a joint venture with KPMG Centre for Government and a Malaysian partner.