Showing 81 - 100 of 181 results

  1. Principles of effective regulation

    Insight Good practice guides

    Published on:

    This framework is intended as a useful tool for policymakers and regulators overseeing any given market.

  5. Better data means better services – so how can government get there?

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    The shielding programme was a swift government wide response to identify and protect clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) people against COVID-19. Our recent report on Protecting and supporting the clinically extremely vulnerable during lockdown, shows how government quickly recognised the need to provide food, medicines and basic care to those CEV people shielding. This had to […]

  6. Improving services is a team game

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    Imagine being asked to design and provide a service that meets the needs of everyone in your street. This crossed my mind when the borough where I live in London became a surge testing location for coronavirus. For me that means producing a service that works for Margaret and David, the retired couple that have […]

  7. Auditing government’s pandemic response

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    Like governments around the world, ours has committed unprecedented amounts of public money to the fight against coronavirus. By the end of 2020, this reached £271 billion in the UK and will continue to increase. As the UK’s independent public spending watchdog, the National Audit Office has been tracking the Government’s pandemic spending commitments, reporting […]

  8. What should we ask ourselves to break the cycle of poor programme performance?

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    We are keen to support those responsible for both delivering and overseeing government programmes. In that spirit, we today publish our Framework to review programmes summarising what we ask when auditing major programmes. It draws from our experience of around 200 studies and includes examples of what we have seen. Our work provides insights on […]

  10. Improving operational delivery in government

    Insight Good practice guides

    Published on:

    This guide will help senior leaders in government departments to manage and improve the way public services are delivered.

  11. Good practice guidance: Fraud and Error

    Insight Good practice guides

    Published on:

    This guide uses the NAO’s insights to show what can be done to counter the risk of fraud and error.

  12. Tackling the challenges facing public sector spending

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the NAO’s role has been to provide Parliament and the public with evidence-based reports on how public money has been used to tackle the crisis. So far we have published 12 reports on different elements of the pandemic response, including for example the test and trace programme; the procurement of […]

  13. Government has increased its climate change ambition, now it must step up to the challenge

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    Achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions will be a colossal challenge for the UK and one that will require all parts of government to work together. The NAO has audited numerous cross-government projects and programmes in the past, ranging from the 2012 Olympics to preparations for EU Exit. This experience has given us a deep […]

  14. Lessons learned from Major Programmes

    Insight Lessons learned

    Published on:

    This report examines lessons from our work on major programmes, including transport, defence and energy programmes.

  15. Using our insight into EU Exit preparations to highlight learning for government

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    Given the wide-reaching impact of membership of the EU, preparing for the UK’s departure from the EU represented a significant challenge to government, with considerable potential consequences for businesses and citizens.   Our programme of work on EU Exit Over the last four years, the NAO has carried out a substantial programme of work on various […]

  18. Auditing the government’s response to COVID-19

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    I last posted to this blog in late April as the country was in the teeth of the COVID-19 pandemic, explaining how we were maintaining our operations and adjusting our work programme in the light of the government response to the virus. Now, in late July, most of the UK is gradually emerging from lockdown […]

  19. How data analytics can help with audits

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    Data analytics has become an integral part of the audit process. And where a few years ago it was an area where we were exploring and creating tactical solutions to problems, today the NAO, like many organisations, has developed a strong capability and is making significant progress towards the widespread adoption of data analytics across […]

  20. I won’t be satisfied until the NAO is a fantastic place to work for all

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    In January of this year, I took on senior level responsibility for leading the NAO’s people agenda as we reviewed and reset our strategy. I quickly recognised that that this was to be a significant undertaking for the organisation, with much work to do if we are to become the exemplar employer that we aspire […]