Treasury expects all departments to evaluate the ex post impacts and costs of all their interventions, including spending, taxation and regulation. This activity should provide valuable information on the cost-effectiveness of government interventions, for the purposes of accountability and to learn lessons to improve current and future policies.
Inadequate forecasting is an entrenched problem for government departments, leading to poor value for money and increased costs for the taxpayer.
Better access to public information can improve accountability and service delivery. Government needs a firm grasp of whether that potential is being realised.
A guide for senior leaders and risk practitioners across government with ways to help overcome the challenges to managing risks.
Government has opportunities to improve the efficient management of its workforce, including on recruitment, pay and performance management.
The Government’s ability to show that its spending decisions represent the best value for money is being hindered by the patchy availability of good information.
This impacts case study shows how our work has led to reform of contract management across government, including improved accountability and governance, information management and performance management.
It is one example of financial or non-financial benefits realised in 2014 as a result of our involvement, all of which are set out in our interactive PDF.
Option appraisal is crucial to ensure Government decisions are fully informed and based on robust evidence. Appraisals can be applied at project, programme or policy levels, and have particular value when there is pressure to reduce costs while minimising effects on frontline services or the wider economy.
Two government programmes aiming to help families with multiple challenges, such as unemployment and anti-social behaviour, are starting to provide benefits but considerable challenges remain.
In 2007, the five UK audit agencies jointly launched a set of indicators for each of five corporate service activities – estates management, finance, human resources, ICT, and procurement. Two further services were subsequently added – communications and legal.
Being able to measure performance is a key step to managing performance. Most organisations in the public and private sectors use formal performance frameworks as a means to secure coherent performance management and report progress to their boards.
The National Audit Office has published a survey report on the performance reporting arrangements between 41 NDPBs and their 12 sponsor departments.
This investigation describes the scheme’s purpose and how it functions, performance to date, and how government manages value-for-money risks.
In its final review of the quality of the data systems used by departments to measure progress against PSAs, the NAO underlines the vital importance of measuring government performance.
Gareth Davies, the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) of the National Audit Office, has reported on HMRC’s 2023-24 accounts.
This report sets out good practice in developing a performance framework, reporting performance information, and ensuring performance information is used. Based on a survey and case studies, the report includes a model that organisations can apply to evaluate the maturity of their own performance system.
This investigation describes the events surrounding the appointment and dismissal of the Student Loans Company’s former chief executive officer. It sets outs the Department for Education’s role in oversight of the Company and how it responded to the concerns raised by two Company staff.
This report assesses the scheme’s performance against its objectives, its management, and plans for the future of the scheme.
Transformation programmes can be highly complicated and risky. This guidance assists those overseeing them by setting out questions committees should ask during set-up, delivery and live-running phases.
This report identifies lessons from the management and performance of the packaging recycling obligation system.