Dr Graham Scott (economist and accountant) is the Executive Chairman of Southern Cross Advisers Ltd. Graham has been delivering advisory services in the area of public sector reform in emerging and transitional markets since 1993. He is currently the Chief Technical Adviser on wide ranging public reforms in Vietnam for a World Bank and DFID funded project (position shared with Dr Lynne McKenzie). Graham is also an adviser on internal organisational development for public organisations. He has advised the World Bank on the internal conflict resolution system and on reforms to the World Bank’s human resources structures and processes.

Prior to his involvement in international consulting work, Graham was Secretary (CEO) to the New Zealand Treasury (equivalent of the Ministry of Finance), and led the New Zealand public financial management reforms and the move to output-based performance budgeting. Graham’s extensive emerging and transitional market experience covers Eastern Europe, Asia and South America. He has focused on financial management issues, including revenue enhancement, budget planning and MTEF processes, and privatisation matters. Among his many roles, Graham has also served as Assistant Commissioner to the New Zealand State Services Commission, working on continuous improvement in public management. He has published widely in the field and has been a keynote speaker at numerous events worldwide, for many agencies, such as the World Bank, the United Nations and the OECD, on public reform.

Click here to download Dr Scott's Curriculum Vitae

Dr Lynne McKenzie (public finance adviser with training in law and economics) is the Managing Director. Lynne has worked extensively with many countries on strengthening financial management, including improving planning, performance specification, policy making, budgeting, reporting and monitoring. She is currently joint technical adviser to a major World Bank project for the Ministry of Finance in Vietnam on the implementation of planning and budgeting reforms across the central and local government. Lynne is also a key adviser on the DFID programme budgeting reform project in Armenia. Prior to this she led the work with budget agencies to implement improved planning and budgeting in the DFID MTEF project.

Lynne played a key role in the design of the model to link strategic planning, performance specification, budgeting and reporting which has been successfully implemented in Latvia. She has also assisted ministries in Macedonia to implement new programmes in the budget and assisted the Ministry of Finance to develop its strategic plan.

Lynne has advised the NZ Government and the UK Select Committee considering accountability reforms on ways to strengthen public financial management. Her experience as a senior manager in the New Zealand public service includes the successful programme design, performance specification and pricing for public services valued at over US$3 billion, as well as many other responsibilities such as organisational redesign and developing the capability of analytical staff. She has also contributed to reviews of public finance laws in NZ and several other countries, and has drafted many laws, including a comprehensive modern financial management law for Bhutan. She has contributed to World Bank publications on aspects of improving public sector financial management.

Lynne’s change management experience includes management responsibility for the merger of four large New Zealand agencies and management of many of the consequent aspects of institutional development.

Click here to download Dr McKenzie's Curriculum Vitae