The following advertisement appeared on the website of the National Health Service Careers section.

Management accountant working for the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement

(CPPIH). This type of post will involve working closely with the head of finance, to establish systems and processes to enable the timely and accurate delivery of monthly management accounts and budget information. The postholder will be involved in the annual budget setting process, provide ongoing support and direction for the budget holders as well as investigating and reporting on variances. They will also be involved in ad hoc projects and reports, such as contributing to the five-year business planning processes. The employer in this example is looking for candidates to be an active finalist or qualified accountant with experience of delivering a financial management service. Alongside expertise in computerized finance packages and proven analytical skills, an ability to demonstrate strong interpersonal, planning and team working skills is required.

Questions

1 How might management accounting in public services differ from management accounting in profit-making organisations?
2 The advertisement refers to ‘financial management service’. What kinds of financial management are mentioned in the detail of the adverstisement?