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MENTION phrases like ‘public sector’ and ‘temporary staff’ in the same sentence and most people immediately start making negative assumptions.

It’s all too easy to think of sensational headlines pinning the blame for another medical mishap on ‘short term agency staff.’

In fact, at a time when the public sector is being asked to do more for less and is under enormous pressure to deliver real value for money, the reverse is almost certainly true.

Interim managers in the NHS and other areas of the public sector are using their experience and knowledge to manage change, and to deliver the savings which the Government is demanding.

The current economic climate – and the consequent need to reduce costs whilst at the same time maintaining front life services – is probably the most challenging which the public sector has faced.

Many managers suddenly find themselves having to think the previously unthinkable.

That’s why so many public sector bodies are looking at interim management solutions – whether it’s meeting a temporary need while an existing manager is off work, or whether it’s bringing in a manager (or team of managers) to manage a specific project or deliver a particular outcome.

Many of the interim managers now being employed within the public sector have no previous experience in the sector – which is increasingly being seen as an advantage.

With the public sector having to look at new ways of doing things, managers who have previously worked in the private, or not-for-profit sectors can bring fresh insights and give the public sector access to previously untapped expertise.

What sort of projects can interim managers tackle in the public sector?

The list is long and varied, and covers every position from chief executive downwards.

You might, for example, see an interim CEO brought in to oversee the merger of NHS trusts – or to try and turnaround a trust which is failing.

With many interim managers having a private sector background, they can also facilitate joint ventures between the public and private sectors, which looks likely to become an integral part of public sector planning over the term of the current Government.

There’s no doubt at all that the public sector faces major upheavals over the next few years.

Fortunately the expertise, experience and commitment which interim managers can bring will help the public sector to manage this change effectively, and ultimately, to deliver the results which everyone wants to see.

This article was presented by InterimPartners.com. For more information on Interim Management Consultants, visit their website today.