Nicola Morton Email and Phone Number

National expert on funding local government including advising on the technical aspects of local government finance and of developing policy. Lead on external liaison on local government finance.Key achievements include:• Managed multi-site team to successfully deliver complex and large scale projects in other policy areas including tools for local authorities, police authorities, fire and rescue authorities and Children’s Trusts. The comprehensive value for money profile tool… Show more National expert on funding local government including advising on the technical aspects of local government finance and of developing policy. Lead on external liaison on local government finance.Key achievements include:• Managed multi-site team to successfully deliver complex and large scale projects in other policy areas including tools for local authorities, police authorities, fire and rescue authorities and Children’s Trusts. The comprehensive value for money profile tool, combining financial, performance and demographic data, is used in audit and by local authorities to improve efficiency and value for money.• Advised on local government finance technical and policy content of external communications. Ensured accuracy of, and consistency in, publications strengthening the external credibility of the Audit Commission on local government finance.• Raised internal knowledge and expertise of local government finance. Show less

Led London Councils’ work programme on a range of local government finance matters including population statistics, revenue grant distribution, concessionary fares, spending reviews and multi-year settlements. Represented London on a number of central government working groups including the Settlement Working Group. Liaised with and briefed senior officers and politicians in local, regional and central government and the media. Commissioned research.Key achievements include:• Led… Show more Led London Councils’ work programme on a range of local government finance matters including population statistics, revenue grant distribution, concessionary fares, spending reviews and multi-year settlements. Represented London on a number of central government working groups including the Settlement Working Group. Liaised with and briefed senior officers and politicians in local, regional and central government and the media. Commissioned research.Key achievements include:• Led successful high profile campaign on population measurement and definition which directly led to changes in the office for National Statistics’, Communities and Local Government’s and Treasury’s work programmes and policy. London to gain in the region of £50 million per year as a result of the campaign.• Significantly raised the profile of the organisation and its work programmes through extensive local and national media coverage.• Improved knowledge and understanding of local government finance in London local government equipping them with the knowledge to influence central government.• Successfully developed a team with no prior experience of local government finance to deliver complex projects including modelling the impact of the structure of the local government finance system and of data changes. Show less

Designed and delivered the government’s first Local Spending Report. Responded to ministerial correspondence and Parliamentary Questions, briefed the secretary of state and other ministers, contributed to budget documentation and wrote ministerial statements for the House of Commons.Key achievements include:• Successfully delivered the government’s first coordinated attempt at making a range of public sector data accessible to local government and the public.• Delivered to an… Show more Designed and delivered the government’s first Local Spending Report. Responded to ministerial correspondence and Parliamentary Questions, briefed the secretary of state and other ministers, contributed to budget documentation and wrote ministerial statements for the House of Commons.Key achievements include:• Successfully delivered the government’s first coordinated attempt at making a range of public sector data accessible to local government and the public.• Delivered to an exceptionally tight timescale with limited resources. Show less

Led and developed a new policy studies unit managing small and large scale projects for central and local government and private sector clients. Responsible for producing expressions of interest, research proposals and responding to framework agreements. Managed a team of permanent employees and a large number of associates.Key achievements include:• Successfully won research contracts and significantly reduced costs.• Significant levels of repeat business achieved.• Surpassed… Show more Led and developed a new policy studies unit managing small and large scale projects for central and local government and private sector clients. Responsible for producing expressions of interest, research proposals and responding to framework agreements. Managed a team of permanent employees and a large number of associates.Key achievements include:• Successfully won research contracts and significantly reduced costs.• Significant levels of repeat business achieved.• Surpassed annual financial targets by the third quarter of the year.• Achieved 100% success rate with expressions of interest.• Led projects and campaigns for numerous public sector clients that successfully influenced central government policy such as the removal of the ceiling from the local government finance system which led to an increase in funding of £4 million (over 3%) per annum for the authority.• Secured an exemption from capping for a group of authorities which improved their financial position. Show less

Successfully secured a variety of short and longer term local government finance projects. Produced analysis, prepared consultation responses and research reports, and presented at seminars for clients, senior civil servants, academics and Members of Parliament.Key achievements include:• Pivotal role in a successful challenge on the 2001 Census which led to the population estimate being increased by 23.8 thousand (12.5%) and a significantly improved financial position for the local… Show more Successfully secured a variety of short and longer term local government finance projects. Produced analysis, prepared consultation responses and research reports, and presented at seminars for clients, senior civil servants, academics and Members of Parliament.Key achievements include:• Pivotal role in a successful challenge on the 2001 Census which led to the population estimate being increased by 23.8 thousand (12.5%) and a significantly improved financial position for the local authority (a £19 million increase in the government’s assessment of the authority's formula spending).• Designed and prepared research and analysis for clients, including the Local Government Association and Association of London Government, which led to changes in central government policy on local government funding.• Successfully demonstrated that local government was passporting education funding. Show less

Produced local government finance briefings for the Director of Finance, research, statistical analysis and resource forecasts. Represented the city council at meetings with other local authorities, and senior civil servants from central government departments. Managed and supervised professional external researchers commissioned by the city council.Key achievements include:• Contributions used to influence central government, develop the city council’s £1 billion budget, and in… Show more Produced local government finance briefings for the Director of Finance, research, statistical analysis and resource forecasts. Represented the city council at meetings with other local authorities, and senior civil servants from central government departments. Managed and supervised professional external researchers commissioned by the city council.Key achievements include:• Contributions used to influence central government, develop the city council’s £1 billion budget, and in publications.• Increased the funding available to the authority through a systematic checking and querying of data used in the local government finance system.• Chaired a group of senior local authority officers. Chaired a political level national seminar. Show less

• Responsibility for designing and conducting a large-scale research project.• Designed and maintained a database and conducted all data input and statistical analysis.• Published a paper in a leading American journal, and presented the research to both technical and non-specialist audiences.

Assisted with the teaching of statistics to undergraduate students, including teaching students how to perform statistical tests on relevant software.

• Developed strong numerical and customer services skills.• Coordinated and executed financial transactions for customers and the bank.