Agenda

• Optimising the finance function post COVID-19: A look at the opportunities and obstacles that the rest of 2020 may have in store  
• Accelerating the professionalisation of the finance function to enable the function to take a strategic and active role in shaping and delivering government priorities  
• Joining up and increasing the effectiveness of financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and performance management by embracing the use of emerging technologies such as predictive analytical tools, robotics, cloud-based platforms, dashboard & data visualization tools, automation, and artificial intelligence 
• Developing effective cross government collaboration across audit and counter fraud functions to improve financial risk management and deliver overall value for money by the end of the fiscal year 2021. 

• A comprehensive overview of the UK payment landscape and how payment services, open banking, blockchain, AI and digital currencies, will evolve in the short term and further into the future  
• Discussing the role of public infrastructure in supporting a dynamic and data rich economy and what infrastructure will be needed to keep up with new payment models  
• How to balance rapid innovation with the stability and security required, in which the public sector must operate?  
• Driving industry wide collaboration across government and the private sector and the enablement of effective, efficient, safe and inclusive payments  

Improving Efficiency, Transparency and Effectiveness in Payment Service Delivery  

A Learning Experience from HM Revenue & Customs, Department of Work and Pensions, Cabinet Office and Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, sharing how:  

• The DWP stood up to the challenge of unprecedented demand for services, due to the impact and effect of Covid-19,  processing 1.8million claims for universal credit, 250,000 claims for job seekers allowance and 20,000 claims for employment and support allowance  
• Future technologies are driving a fundamental shift in government finance services and processes?  
• The use of emerging financial technology has made a positive impact for the taxpayer by enabling faster reconciliation, enabling real time visibility and supported the provision of evidence and verification 
• Automating systems has allowed for robust decision making at strategic level  
• Changes to payment systems have delivered procurement process synergies across government departments  
• HMRC is transforming citizen engagement through Making Tax Digital and building a holistic understanding of digital persona’s  
• Departments have leveraged API technology to enable access of information from third parties and to corroborate data  

• Creating a holistic citizen experience by breaking down silos across digital, IT, finance, HR, audit and counter fraud functions and improving front end experience and back end financial tracking capabilities  
• Translating the finance mandate to non-finance people and addressing internal reluctance  
• Discovering how UX is transforming financial management and the direction this will take in the future  
• Designing a seamless financial platform that builds trust and learning how strong data analysis can add significant operational value  

• Understanding what changes were made by local authorities to accelerate payments to suppliers at a time of reduced functionality and Covid-19 and how continuity in the provision of essential public services were ensured   
• Reviewing the deployment of digital first technology across local government and how this has improved citizen engagement  
• Discussing how payment services are improving payment collection and the disbursement of cash  
• Implementing the right technology: A look at the infrastructure needed to enable an integrated cashless solution  

• The Risk Management Cycle: Identifying fraud risks, assessing their impact, prioritizing actions to control and reduce the risk  
• Developing robust internal controls and segregation of duties to mitigate susceptibility to fraud 
• Instilling an anti-fraud culture to encourage openness and overcome a legacy of silence  
• What audit arrangements were in place to maintain transparency and accountability during the Covid-19 crisis 

• Learning how data analytics will help reduce pressure on day to day financial operations by improving cashflow and profitability profiling  
• How big data is transforming fintech and why data analytics is the key to performance and key to improving service efficiency and delivery  
• Maintaining your data standard: Putting in place the right procedures for data governance and ensuring that trust is the key currency for data sharing and efficient coalition between multiple institutions 
• Developing the right framework around the operational value that can be obtained and showcasing the operational capabilities of data science  

Learning outcomes: 

• How cloud-based ERP systems has helped HMRC transition to remote working during the pandemic  
• The governance, risks and control framework necessary for cloud outsourcing  
• How HMRC is transforming the role of finance by using cloud based accounting to support its critical finance operations  and its back-office processes and  implementing new finance, payroll, procurement, expenses, planning and analytics solutions to drive greater innovation and efficiency  

• Understanding how RPA has ensured business continuity in the age of Covid-19 and facilitated welfare transactions  
• Assessing the future of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and what finance leaders expect from this technology  
• Outlining best practice for embedding automation into current workflows, overcoming the biggest challenges in intelligent automation implementation and avoiding failed projects  
• When things go wrong? What measures are in place to rectify errors or false results without leaving people vulnerable?  

• Emphasising the importance of effective financial management in supporting sound decision-making, facilitating accountability, improving and refining planning, and managing organisational risk to delivery 
• Strengthening financial management capability in government and exploring the implications of Covid-19 on the preparation of accounts 

• Understanding how Covid 19 has upended cyber enabled fraud and created a range of new cyber vulnerabilities for central government financial departments  
• Bolstering digital resilience and creating an effective cyber security strategy to respond to fast-evolving threats  
• Lessons learned from high profile breaches in the past decade  
• Working collaboratively with partners across cyber and fraud functions to mitigate risks  
• Championing emerging technologies while maintaining strict security requirements and risk awareness