Sue Higgins

Sue Higgins: There's a real appetite for devolution – but the government's plans lack clear direction
30 Jun 2016 Commercial
Sue Higgins: There's a real appetite for devolution – but the government's plans lack clear direction

Sue Higgins, who leads work on local government for the National Audit Office spending watchdog, says any government wanting to take forward the government devolution agenda will need to ensure that questions of accountability and resourcing are answered
Challenging ministers is still seen as damaging to a civil servant’s career — the Treasury must do more to support perm secs
25 Feb 2016 Civil Service Reform
Challenging ministers is still seen as damaging to a civil servant’s career — the Treasury must do more to support perm secs

Sue Higgins, executive leader at the National Audit Office, explains why the public spending watchdog decided to look into the relationship between ministers and perm secs – and why the NAO believes the incentives for accounting officers to prioritise value for money are still too weak