Public Sector

Innovating the Public Sector for the Good of the Community

A full suite of services to future-proof the public sector


We are committed to helping the public sector through a range of economic challenges that include high inflation, a lack of government funding and political instability.


Income across all three sources of revenue for local councils has fallen by 17.5% in the decade between 2010 and 2020. The largest depreciation is from government grants, which have been cut by 40% in this window — reduced from £46.5bn to £28bn. This depreciation in funding has been further impacted by inflation, a rise in living costs —leading to more homelessness — the pandemic, and the escalating costs of social care.


Cambridge Management Consulting is committed to helping the public sector reverse the decline of local services and social care in our communities. We have designed a set of advisory services to support the public sector through the current economic climate. These pillars are backed by leading experts and include services for Cost Reduction, Networks & Innovation, Cyber Security, and Sustainability.


We have a dedicated public sector team who are experienced at transforming world-class institutions, navigating financial challenges, and pursuing the social and economic potential of the green economy.

Our team helped build a modern network for Bristol University; led on the Bristol City Leap project, a partnership which helped make Bristol the UK's greenest city; and we are supporting Peterborough Council with city-wide decarbonisation schemes.

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Collectively we have


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Case Study

Cyber Security


Cambridge MC was approached to conduct a comprehensive cyber capability maturity assessment for a major UK academic institution, leveraging a team of experts with technical understanding and frontline experience in cyber defence. Our team carried out a thorough evaluation through a series of tests, interviews, and artefact examinations. Unlike conventional assessments, our strategy focused on actionable insights which were tailored to the unique operational context of the institution. 


The assessment was structured around recognised capability categories, informed by the team’s extensive experience defending against cyber attacks. The methodology was particularly effective for its sensitivity to the institution’s risk appetite — balancing cost, risk, and investment to propose solutions that were unique to their situation.

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How we help our clients

Our team of experts has decades of experience providing Public Sector assistance to governments and other institutions

Local & Regional Decarbonisation

Our experts combine advanced analytics with deep expertise in environmental strategy to support you in decarbonising your public systems and operations — heat networks, energy systems, transport, supply chain and more.

Procurement for the Public Sector

Through the deployment of digital tools and agile strategies, we can assist you at every stage of resourcing your Local Government body, including negotiation, contract management, supplier selection, and cost reduction.

Human Resources for Local Government

Our holistic approach to HR combines advanced technology solutions with strategic insights to streamline HR processes, enhance data-driven decision-making, and improve overall operational efficiency and workforce resilience in your Public Sector bodies and institutions.

Capital Projects

Designed to maximise project outcomes using data-driven multi-year planning, comprehensive risk management, robust governance, and digital enablement.

Recruitment for Public Activities

Our tailored service operates on a transparent, fixed fee model, eliminating any financial uncertainties and aligning with your budget requirements, helping to identify the most suitable candidates who can drive significant value to your organisation.

Planning

It is extremely resource-intensive to plan for large-scale infrastructure, urban planning and policy development in the Public Sector. Outsource some or all of the project management stages to a bespoke PMO and we can help you simplify this process at every stage.

Property & Investment

Designed to meet the specific needs of public and educational institutions, our Property & Investment service is a cornerstone service for organisations looking to enhance their physical assets to future proof their long-term success.

Process Transformation & Change Management for Technology

By employing strategic assessments, technology integration, and process improvement, we can support you in both the planning and delivery stages of your public projects and programmes to streamline change initiatives, increase revenue, and maximise ROI.

Local Authority Trading Companies (LATCo)

Sitting on the fence between the Public and Private sphere, LATCos have access to a much wider market and audience. We can assist you to maximise your revenue and reach in both sectors.

Digitising the Public Sector

It is just as important for Public Sector bodies to build a resilient and scalable digital backbone as it is for Private Sector businesses. Our digital practitioners drive innovation, efficiency, and sustainable growth, paving the way for a secure, digitally enabled environment.

Social Care

One of the main priorities for Public Sector bodies, if not the most important, is maintaining Social Care for children, adults, and the elderly. We have experts and resources to plan effective investment strategies for financial resilience.

Cyber Resilience for Public Bodies

We focus on embedding robust security measures into the foundation of your IT systems, ensuring that resilience against cyber threats is integrated into the architecture of your technology environment.

Local & Regional Transport

Harnessing advanced analytics, planning methodologies, and stakeholder engagement strategies, we assist in creating comprehensive transport strategies and funding initiatives that enhance user experience, reduce environmental impact, and support regional economic growth.

Innovation & Collaboration between Public Bodies

Projects and Programmes have more impact when they harbour collaboration between different organisations. We can support you in promoting and establishing this in the Public Sector in order to increase innovation and shared resources.

Craig Cheney

Our global Public Sector & Education practice is led by Craig Cheney

Managing Partner - Public Sector

With over 25 years of experience across both the public and private sectors, Craig is Cambridge MC’s Managing Partner for Public Sector & Education. In 2016, Craig became the Deputy Mayor of Bristol, serving in the Mayor’s cabinet with responsibility for Finance, City Economy, Culture, and Property. In this role, and working for the Local Government Association across the country, Craig has developed a consummate understanding of the public sector landscape. He excels at collaboration, business transformation and strategic thinking. 


During his time in the Mayor's cabinet, Craig oversaw over £120m in budget savings though business transformation, restructuring, and service redesign. During this time, Craig sat as a shareholder of numerous council-owned companies, and led a £30m digital transformation exercise which earned Bristol’s recognition as the UK’s top ‘Smart City’. The Bristol City Leap program was a world first, a public/private partnership between Bristol and Ameresco, which will bring nearly £1bn of investment in decarbonisation and sustainability, recognised by government as a model for the rest of the country to follow.


Craig has also chaired the One City Economy Board, which brought together private sector businesses, the voluntary sector, equalities groups, and public sector institutions, supporting a quick recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our team can be your team


Our team of experts have multiple decades of experience across many different business environments and across various geographies.


We can build you a specialised team with the skillset and expertise required to meet the demands of your industry.


Our combination of expertise and an intelligent methodology is what realises tangible financial benefits for clients.

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Our Public Sector & Education Experts

Industry insights


Neon 'Open' sign in business window
by Tom Burton 9 October 2025
SMEs make up 99% of UK businesses, three fifths of employment, over 50% of all business revenue, are in everyone's supply chain, and are exposed to largely the same threats as large enterprises. How should they get started with cyber security? Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME) are not immune to the threat of cyber attacks. At the very least, if your business has money then it will be attractive to criminals. And even if you don’t have anything of value, you may still get caught up in a ransomware campaign with all of your data and systems made inaccessible. Unfortunately many SMEs do not have an IT team let alone a cyber security team. It may not be obvious where to start, but inaction can have significant impact on your business by both increasing risk and reducing the confidence to address new opportunities. In this article we outline 5 key questions that can help SMEs to understand what they need to do. Even if you outsource your IT to a supplier these questions are still relevant. Some can’t be delegated, and others are topics for discussion so that you can ensure your service provider is doing the right things, as well as understanding where their responsibilities stop and yours start. Q1: What's Important & Worth Defending Not everything needs protecting equally. In your personal life you will have some possessions that are dear to you and others that you are more laissez-faire about. The same applies to your digital assets, and the start point for any security plan needs to be an audit of the things you own and their importance to your business. Those ‘things’, or assets, may be particular types of data or information. For instance, you may have sensitive intellectual property or trade secrets; you may hold information about your customers that is governed by privacy regulations; or your financial data may be of particular concern. Some of this information needs to be protected from theft, while it may be more important to prevent other types of data from being modified or deleted. It is helpful to build a list of these assets, and their characteristics like the table below:
Illustration of EV sensor fields
by Duncan Clubb 25 September 2025
Explore the rise of edge AI: smaller data centres, faster networks, and sustainable power solutions. See why the future of digital infrastructure is distributed and intelligent | READ FULL ARTICLE
A close-up of the Downing St sign
by Craig Cheney 19 September 2025
Craig Cheney | The conversation around artificial intelligence (AI) in Government has shifted in recent years. The publication of the UK Government’s AI Playbook represents more than just updated guidance — it signals a huge shift in the government's approach to AI.
Volcano lava lake
by Scott Armstrong 18 September 2025
Discover why short-term thinking on sustainability risks business growth. Explore how long-term climate strategy drives resilience, valuation, and trust | READ FULL ARTICLE
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"We found exactly what we were looking for. We were immediately impressed by their approach - understanding our business and technical requirements in detail"


Paul Brock, CEO BCS Consulting


"We found exactly what we were looking for. We were immediately impressed by their approach - understanding our business and technical requirements in detail"


Paul Brock, CEO BCS Consulting


"We were immediately impressed"

Get in touch with our

Public Sector team today


We are the consultancy with no consultants. There is no substitute for real-world experience. We are a highly collaborative team of senior level executive professionals able to adapt to any business challenge, however niche, however challenging.

+44 (0)1223 750335

info@cambridgemc.com

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Case Studies


Our team has had the privilege of partnering with a diverse array of clients, from burgeoning startups to FTSE 100 companies. Each case study reflects our commitment to delivering tailored solutions that drive real business results.

CASE STUDIES

A little bit about Cambridge MC


Cambridge Management Consulting is a specialist consultancy drawing on an extensive global network of over 200 senior executives in 22 countries.


Our purpose is to help our clients make a better impact on the world.

ABOUT CAMBRIDGE MC