Sir Bob Kerslake, the top civil servant responsible for local government, has just been confirmed as the headline speaker at the 'Transforming Local Government - Learning Lessons for the Future' conference on March 2, organised by Birmingham City Council.

Sir Bob is the recently-appointed permanent secretary at the Department of Communities and Local Government. A former chief executive of Sheffield City Council, he brings a wealth of expertise and insight at the cutting edge of local government and public service reform.

The one-day conference for senior public sector executives will also hear from Deputy City Council Leader Cllr Paul Tilsley on how Birmingham has been at the forefront of efforts to transform local government over the past few years, modernising and streamlining its services to make major efficiency and cost savings.

The conference includes interactive sessions some of the city council's senior managers to share the insights, experiences and the lessons they have learned with delegates in order to share best practice.

Cllr Tilsley said: "We are absolutely delighted to confirm Sir Bob as our keynote speaker. He has been a major figure in local government for many years and brings a wealth of experience and ideas to help stimulate our discussions.

"Birmingham has a great story to tell as a pioneer in large-scale business transformation. Since we began five years ago, we have realised cashable savings in excess of £150 million and we are on-course to make almost £1 billion of net savings by 2016.

"The conference will allow us to showcase those achievements, but it is also an opportunity for us to learn from the experiences of other colleagues in local government as we look to take our agenda to next level."