This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. Introduction Ministers ask a central government department to establish a scheme to improve safety on the road for cyclists. A policy manager is put in charge of this. She holds a meeting with internal stakeholders, including those responsible for service delivery, finance and legal advice. From this […]
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.
Despite good progress in improving the professional capability and capacity of government finance departments, good financial management is still not embedded in the civil service culture, and financial matters do not have sufficient influence over departments’ strategic decision making.
This competition was launched in 2007 with insufficient planning and recognition of the commercial risks and cancelled four years later. With commercial scale carbon capture and storage technology still to be developed, DECC must learn from the failure of this project.
Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 covering the period 2008-2011
Review of the data systems for Public Service Agreement 5: ‘Deliver reliable and efficient transport networks that support economic growth’
The affordability of the Ministry of Defence’s Equipment Plan.
Departments have made good progress in improving the efficiency of their office estate. However, in order to achieve the best value for money, departments should stop managing their estates in isolation from one another.
Better access to public information can improve accountability and service delivery. Government needs a firm grasp of whether that potential is being realised.
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. UK (and European Union (EU) ) policy generally favour competitive markets because they are considered to contribute to efficiency [Note 1]. In the last 20 years or so, this has extended to the public services. Competition is now, with contestability [Note 2] and choice, an important part of […]
Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 covering the period 2008-2011
Review of the data systems for Public Service Agreement 3 led by the Home Office: ‘Ensure controlled, fair migration that protects the public and contributes to economic growth’
Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 covering the period 2008-2011
Review of the data systems for Public Service Agreement 28 led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: ‘Secure a healthy environment for today and the future’
In this report, we assess whether NHS England managed the PCSE contract with Capita effectively to secure the intended benefits
This page is part of our successful commissioning toolkit. You need to establish at an early stage that you and your organisation have the ability to undertake the activities of the commissioning process you are contemplating. This falls into three parts – legal powers; money; and authority: Legal power (also known as ‘vires’) There may be power […]
The Department for Work and Pensions has introduced the Work Programme quickly, in just over a year, and this has had benefits, but the speed with which it was launched has also increased risks. The Department and providers have made assumptions about how many people the Programme will get back into work but there is a significant risk that they are over-optimistic.
Departments have acted quickly to reduce staff numbers and this should bring significant savings. To sustain these savings, and deliver long-term value for money improvements, staff numbers must stay at these reduced levels and departments must develop new ways of working.
This report considers the value for money of the sale of student loans that entered repayment between 2002 & 2006.
Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 covering the period 2008-2011
Review of the data systems for Public Service Agreement 24 led by the Ministry of Justice: ‘Deliver a more effective, transparent and responsive Criminal Justice System for victims and the public’
Despite the fact that the Defra has made improvements in its financial management, the NAO cannot yet conclude that the Department is achieving value for money in its financial management activity.
Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 covering the period 2008-2011
Review of the data systems for Public Service Agreement 12 led by the Department for Education: ‘Improve the health and well-being of children and young people’
Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 covering the period 2008-2011
Review of the data systems for Public Service Agreement 16 led by the Cabinet Office: ‘Increase the proportion of socially excluded adults in settled accommodation and employment, education or training’