Press Release - National Audit Office publishes first two RDA
performance assessments
9 June 2006
The National Audit Office today published its first two
Independent Performance Assessments of Regional Development
Agencies, covering the North West Development Agency (NWDA) and the
East of England Development Agency (EEDA) respectively.
In this first round of assessments, the NWDA scored 20 points
out of a possible 24 which is equivalent to performing strongly.
The EEDA scored 15 which is equivalent to performing well.
These assessments are the first two in a series which the
Government asked the NAO to carry out. Further assessments will
cover all eight Regional Development Agencies outside London by
March 2007.
Each Independent Performance Assessment examines performance
under the themes of ambition, prioritisation, capacity, performance
management and achievement. It includes a self-assessment, based on
these themes, by the Regional Development Agency. The NAO reviewed
each self-assessment, examined a wide range of documents and
conducted intensive on-site work. The on-site work included
interviews and focus groups with staff, board members, partners and
stakeholders, together with reviews of systems and observations of
routine meetings. The aim of this work is to obtain evidence from a
broad range of sources to give a rounded picture of
performance.
The report found that NWDA is performing strongly on ambition and
prioritisation and performing well on capacity, performance
management and achievement. EEDA is performing well on ambition and
achievement and adequately on prioritisation, capacity and
performance management.
Each RDA will use the National Audit Office’s assessment report to
review the improvement plan that it prepared with its
self-assessment. The plan will be forwarded to the NAO within one
month of publication of the assessment. The NAO will then consider
the extent to which the plan addresses the areas for improvement
identified in the assessment report and provide the Agency with
advice, after which the Agency will formally adopt the plan.
Progress in implementing the improvement plan will be reported by
each RDA in the regular performance reports to its Board, which are
shared with Government and published every six months. The relevant
regional Government Office will support the Agency in its
continuous improvement.
Notes for Editors:
- The first two Independent Performance Assessments as well as
the Guidance issued to the RDAs about the process are available on
the National Audit Office website: at http://www.nao.org.uk/guidance/rdas.htm
- Each Independent Performance Assessment report gives a mark for
each theme and overall. The possible marks are 1 (performing
inadequately), 2 (performing adequately), 3 (performing well) or 4
(performing strongly).
- The London Development Agency, which is audited by the Audit
Commission, is not part of the current exercise.
- Press notices and reports are available from the date of
publication on the NAO website, which is at www.nao.org.uk.
- The Comptroller and Auditor General, Sir John Bourn, is the
head of the National Audit Office which employs some 800 staff. He
and the NAO are totally independent of Government. He certifies the
accounts of all Government departments and a wide range of other
public sector bodies; and he has statutory authority to report to
Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which
departments and other bodies have used their resources.
Press Notice 45/06
All enquiries to Mark Anderson , NAO Press Office:
Tel: 020 7798 7558
Mobile: 07796 937119