Ewen S
Public Finance, (UK), 29 May 1998. Start page: 18 No of pages: 3 Describes the United Kingdom MBA courses available to public sector employees, and the proportion receiving financial sponsorship. Discusses the merits of broad and specialist MBAs, suggesting that broad awareness is very important for accountants who need to learn how to manage change. Reports private sector interest in staff with public sector experience and qualifications as partnership develops between the two. 

Special emphasis has been placed on joint working between the health service, local government, business and the voluntary sector, in the annual report of the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Kenneth Calman. 

Public sector organisations which fail to meet deadlines to tackle the Millennium bug can expect to be tackled by the Government.In her latest quarterly report to Parliament, Margaret Beckett, who chairs the Cabinet Committee responsible for co-ordinating action on the Millennium Bug, points to business and Government working openly together as a key factor in progress so far.As well as Government departments, government agencies such as the NHS and local government are seeing their progress monitored.