This page is part of our decommissioning toolkit. How to measure and develop collaborative relationships The Collaborative Relationships best practice model is based on research commissioned by the National Audit Office (NAO) and undertaken by Soma Consultants to examine the impact that the focus on relationships had on project successes. The research was primarily based within […]
Many new Free Schools have been established quickly and at relatively low cost but the DfE will need to tackle a rising cost trend and systematically learn lessons from problems in a few early wave schools.
This page is part of our decommissioning toolkit. Explicit no surprises, no blame culture Engage people to make no-blame, high challenge culture live through behaviour Prepare for and manage resistance and slip back Engage supply chain Engaging those involved in the projects and developing a culture that supports a collaborative approach was identified as an […]
Our 2016 memorandum was prepared to inform the Work and Pensions Committee’s inquiry into the future of Jobcentre Plus (JCP), including the likely effects of planned welfare policy changes on JCP footfall and journey time to jobcentres. In October 2017 we published an associated interactive data model allowing exploration of the time it will take for people to travel to their nearest jobcentre.
Thameslink aims to reduce overcrowding and journey times. Initial progress has been good but a 3 year delay in awarding the train contract puts the 2018 programme deadline at risk.
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. Establishing the outcomes to be achieved by the service is critical for the remainder of the commissioning process. The term ‘outcomes’ in this sense has a specific meaning. Particularly, outcomes are the real-life economic, social and/or environmental improvements that you seek from your programme. For commissioners these outcomes […]
This page is part of our decommissioning toolkit. Infrequent, inconsistent, incorrect and often poorly timed communication was at the heart of nearly all the bad practice that our research found. In one case consultation had taken place two years before the decision: stakeholders were brought together but then nothing happened until the service provider was […]
This report outlines the extent of Universal Credit advances fraud and the DWP’s actions to detect, recover and prevent it.
The NAO has published its report on the 2010-11 accounts of the Department for Work and Pensions.
Government is continuing to make extensive use of higher rate telephone numbers for customer telephone lines, despite efforts by departments to reduce their use.
This report examines how effectively Ofgem has used electricity network price controls to protect consumers and achieve government’s environmental goals.
Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, today told Parliament that defence equipment acquisition was an inherently complex and often expensive task. Co-operation adds another layer of complexity. It also offers potential economic, military, industrial and political benefits but in the past not all of these have been secured. Recent initiatives from the […]
The programme to make superfast broadband widely available in each area of the UK is currently expected to be delivered nearly two years later than planned.
The Border Force has successfully implemented full passenger checks and cut queuing times but at the cost of maintaining other aspects of border security.
This page is part of our decommissioning toolkit. Clarify of purpose and common understanding Clarify high level goals and build commitment Tough ‘unachievable’ projects increase drive for collaborative relationships The research showed that the need for a collaborative approach to projects was driven by a common recognition that success would not be achieved unless all […]
This page is part of our decision support tool. Large scale contracts can bring benefits through reduced procurement and contract management costs, but they do not always offer the best value for money and may, in the long term, reduce the diversity of the supplier base. You should consider whether the contract should be divided […]
This report highlights risks to value for money associated with the Department of Health’s programme aimed at enabling its staff to take the lead in leaving the NHS to set up health social enterprises. These are independent bodies delivering services, previously provided in-house, under contract to PCTs.
Tobacco smuggling is a significant threat to tax revenues. HMRC’s renewed strategy sets out the right measures but the Department’s performance is disappointing.
This report examines the progress made in delivering the Emergency Services Network and the
implications of the 2018 reset.