The NAO’s good practice guide for managing the commercial lifecycle The government’s response to the COVID-19 global pandemic has drawn renewed, and possibly unprecedented, attention to public procurement and commercial practice in government. Our aim at the NAO is to provide an independent and evidence-based perspective, on how public authorities can achieve better outcomes and value […]
This report identifies key issues government will need to consider when attempting to increase its efficiency.
At the National Audit Office, we come across many business cases when looking at government programmes. A strong business case is vital for effective decision making and for successfully delivering intended outcomes. The foundation of a business case is a clear understanding of what success will look like for a programme – the strategic case. […]
Use of process mining to help understand the Home Office’s operation of the Windrush Compensation Scheme
In our ever-increasing digital and automatized world, certain buzzwords are becoming more centre stage in the public sector. One of them is “artificial intelligence”. While the concept, and development, of artificial intelligence is not new (artificial intelligence was first recognised as a formal discipline in the mid-1950s), it is a word that has been casually […]
This framework is intended as a useful tool for policymakers and regulators overseeing any given market.
Good regulation can be used to achieve a range of different aims and opportunities. It can support innovation, make workplaces safer, or help to keep essential services affordable.
We’ve developed a set of principles and examples outlining good practice in Annual Reporting
This report provides our initial thoughts on the learning government can draw from its response to COVID-19 to date.
Our cloud guidance for audit committees builds on our 2019 guidance. We have seen more of the public sector turn to cloud services and government spending with the major cloud providers has increased in the last five years. We have updated our guidance to reflect this and to recognise wider developments and evolution of cloud services.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
This review suggests key questions to ask when reviewing major programmes.
This guide will help senior leaders in government departments to manage and improve the way public services are delivered.
This guide uses the NAO’s insights to show what can be done to counter the risk of fraud and error.
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 […]
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 […]
This report examines lessons from our work on major programmes, including transport, defence and energy programmes.