Press Release - Third Validation Compendium Report
19 December 2006
Some 75 per cent of the data systems government departments use
to report progress against their Public Service Agreements (PSA)
2005-08 targets are broadly appropriate, but fewer than half of
these were fully fit for purpose. The National Audit Office has
also found there have been no significant improvements in data
systems since previous analysis in 2004.
The NAO has provided details of 65 data systems, used to measure
progress against 46 PSA targets, across six departments: Cabinet
Office, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for
Education and Skills, Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs, Ministry of Defence and HM Treasury. Some three-quarters
of the systems developed by Departments provided a broadly
appropriate basis for measuring progress against their PSA targets,
but more than half of these required some improvement to strengthen
measurement or reporting arrangements.
23 per cent of systems had weaknesses in either their design or
operation; and for 17 per cent of systems, Departments had not
explained adequately the impact of unavoidable limitations in the
quality of their PSA data. In all departments except HM Treasury,
at least as many systems needed improvement as were fit for
purpose. Furthermore, in nearly 20 per cent of cases Departments’
systems were not fit for monitoring progress on the key elements of
their PSA targets or the systems had not been established at
all.
The NAO has recommended that staff responsible for managing PSA
data systems should assess the risks to data quality in the systems
and also need to consider the implications for measurement and data
systems at the time PSA targets are designed. Staff who are
responsible for a Department’s data quality policy should raise the
profile of PSA data systems by setting out clear expectations and
reporting standards. They should also actively monitor PSA data
quality and ensure that there is adequate challenge to outturn
data.
In addition, the Treasury needs to challenge Departments’
measurement arrangements early in the process of developing new PSA
measures and targets; review how Departments respond to NAO
validation and recommendations for strengthening PSA data systems;
and provide measurement guidance to Departments, setting out HM
Treasury’s expectations for PSA data quality.
Sir John Bourn, head of the NAO, said
today:
“Without good data, monitoring against targets becomes
highly devalued. If we are to have confidence in the performance
reported by government against its key objectives, it is crucial
that the data systems used to monitor it are robust.”
Notes for Editors
- Press notices and reports are available from the date of
publication on the NAO website, which is at www.nao.org.uk. Hard
copies can be obtained from The Stationery Office on 0845 702
3474.
- The Comptroller and Auditor General, Sir John Bourn, is the
head of the National Audit Office which employs some 850 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 70/06
All enquiries to Mark Anderson, NAO Press Office:
Tel: 020 7798 7558
Mobile: 07796 937 119