Skip navigation | Accessibility and accesskey details | Sitemap

UK National Audit Office publications

Work in Progress: Ensuring High Quality Impact Assessments

Study Outline

Impact Assessments (IAs) have been used to assess the impact of proposed regulation since 1998. It is a requirement that an IA is completed for all policy changes (including formal legislation, codes of practice or information campaigns) which may affect the public, private or third sectors. In 2007 new guidance came into force.

We have examined a sample of IAs for past three years and have reported our findings in an annual Compendium Report. The results to date have identified shortcomings in the use of IAs as a policy making tool.

We have chosen to follow up one of our 2006-07 recommendations and examine whether departments and the BRE have established robust scrutiny processes for developing IAs. Following the BRE’s introduction of new guidance, we have also performed a high level review of all IAs to determine whether these changes are leading to higher quality IAs.

Publication Schedule

We expect to publish our report in Winter 2008.

Members of the NAO Team

Chris Shapcott (Director)
 

Richard Baynham (Manager)
 





Email above personnel through our enquiries desk, marking your email for their attention

Media contacts: Mark Anderson
Press Office
T: 020 7798 7558
Email Mark Anderson through our enquiries desk; please mark your email for his attention