Geoff Heath

Biography

I have been a Fellow in Public Sector Accounting at Keele University since August 2010, having previously been a lecturer in accounting. I came to Keele in September 2002 from Staffordshire University, where I was an academic for many years. Before that I worked in National Health Service finance, where I qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant. I have a degree in Politics and Sociology from the University of Kent, a PGCE from Liverpool University and a Lic. Phil (Soc. Sc.) by publication from Luleå University, Sweden.

Research and scholarship

My research interests concern resource utilisation and management, performance evaluation and accountability in the public sector. I have been engaged for some time in collaborative research and evaluation projects in health, social care, community safety, urban renewal and localism.

I was a member of the committee of the British Accounting Association Public Services special interest group from 2008 - 2015.

Funded Research

• 1995 - 1997 Evaluation of Gladstone/St. James Urban Pilot Project 
• 1995 - 1998 Study of Effect of Standard Spending Assessments on the Major Cities 
• 1997 - 2000 Study of Approaches to Resource Allocation and Performance Evaluation by Health Authorities 
• 1999 - 2002 Evaluation of Sustain and Reablement (social care) projects 
• 2000 - 2003 Evaluation of Stoke-on-Trent Targeted Policing Initiative 
• 2002 - 2004 Study of Emergency Ambulance Use in Staffordshire 
• 2005 - 2007 Evaluation of a Detention Officer Outsourcing Project
• 2014 -          Study of Local Partnerships at a local authority

Supervision

I recently supervised to completion a PhD thesis into New Public Management and HRM in Universities and also one on the implementation of International Reporting Standards in Libya. I am interested in supervising further theses on the following topics:

• Performance management in the public sector
• New approaches to budgeting and costing in the public sector
• Management control in the emergency services.

Editorship

I became a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Emergency Services in 2011.

Teaching

Before retiring, I taught at all levels of higher education from BTEC, through undergraduate and postgraduate levels to professional (including final stage ACCA and CIMA). My main teaching areas were management accounting, management control and public sector accounting.

At Staffordshire I was head of the accounting field, which entailed membership to the Committee of Heads of Accounting. I have participated substantially in quality assurance and held numerous course directorships at both Universities. Similarly, I have played a major role in the design, validation and implementation of many key courses and in accreditation. I have also participated significantly in reviewing course proposals, internally and externally.

I was Chief Examiner for the ICSA Local Government Financial Management paper, 1993-4 and an External Examiner at the University of East London, 2003 -2007.

In 2001, as part of the Tempus Public Administration and Financial Management Programme, I delivered an intensive course on 'Performance Measurement in the Public Sector' to senior Albanian civil servants in Tirana.

Further information

I was a member of the CIMA North West Midlands branch committee for more than 30 years, being branch president, treasurer, secretary and careers and education officer at various times.

I was the treasurer of the Staffordshire Credit Union and on its supervisory committee. I am currently the treasurer of the Financial Inclusion Group, North Staffordshire. In 2013 I was awarded a Social Entrepreneurship award grant from UnLtd in conjunction with the Credit Union, to facilitate the user of personal budgeting accounts. I am also on the committee of the North Staffordshire Community Food Network.

Institutional and professional membership

I am a member of:

• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
• British Accounting Association (and Public Services and Inter-Disciplinary Perspectives special interest groups).
• Management Control Association.