This report summarises our progress over the first year of the 2015-2018 strategy. As part of our commitment to the Public Sector Equality Duty we also publish equality data in a separate report.

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The NAO is an organisation with an important and far-reaching mission to secure improvements in the way public services are delivered. We need to encourage creative thinking and harness a range of skills and experience to maximise our impact. By removing barriers and creating an inclusive culture we can offer our people the opportunity to develop their potential and make a full contribution to the NAO.

This is the first annual report against our three-year diversity and inclusion strategy and we have made good progress under each of the three strategic pillars; Talent pipeline, Inclusive work environment and Diversity in our work.

There has been a strong focus in 2015-16 on inclusion in the workplace, and we have introduced a new approach to flexible working, trusting our people to work in a way which meets personal and business needs. Our support of Access Accountancy and the social mobility agenda has also continued with the introduction of a work experience programme for school pupils. Focusing on diversity in our work is also something we take seriously, as it helps drive improvement in the services delivered by our clients.

Although we have made some progress there are still areas where we need to improve. We recognise, for example, that our talent pipeline is not as diverse as we would like and selection will be a particular focus over the next year.

Supporting and developing a truly diverse and inclusive workforce will inevitably enrich our workplace and bring a greater breadth of thinking and skill to the work we do and insight we provide for our clients. I look forward to continuing our Diversity and Inclusion journey over the next two years of the strategy.

Amyas Morse

Comptroller and Auditor General

June 2016

Report published 29 June 2016

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