More than two-thirds of public sector managers claim they are not sufficiently prepared to deal with the imminent cuts, according to new research from Institute of Leadership & Management.

The research also shows that almost half (48%) have only outline plans in place and one in eight (15%) have made no real plans to deal with budget cuts.

More than 25% say they are already operating at full capacity, with almost nine out of 10 (86%) expecting frontline services to be cut as a result of tomorrow’s spending review.

Penny de Valk, chief executive of the Institute of Leadership & Management, says: “There is plainly no way of escaping the spectre of cuts which are now well and truly upon us. Managers will have to think strategically and make some difficult decisions if they are to achieve the savings required by the Treasury.

“Though a significant proportion of the managers we surveyed recognised that efficiency savings could be implemented relatively easily, a high proportion feels there is little room for change.”