Press Release - The British Council: Achieving
Impact
11 June 2008
The British Council has been flexible in moving its attention
and resources to match new UK priorities, particularly in the
Islamic World and the Far East. It continues to implement numerous
and extensive internal changes aimed at increasing its
effectiveness and efficiency, though delivery of projects and
change has been uneven across its global network.
The Council’s approach to measuring its performance is well
developed. Its scorecard shows positive results across most aspects
of activity, including audience sizes, customer satisfaction
scores, and the perceptions of stakeholders and partners.
The Council increasingly depends on contributions from external
partners and commercial sponsors, to expand its activities and
impacts. This will mean reversing the downward trend in sponsorship
and other contributions of the last six years.
The Council has recognised the importance of good customer service,
but it is not yet meeting the standards it sets for itself across
the whole network. It also needs to implement a customer database
to enable it to track customer contacts and better understand its
audiences.
The British Council’s £181 million English language teaching and
examinations business has a strong reputation and more than covers
its costs. The teaching operation also supports UK public
diplomacy, notably by helping overseas governments expand the
teaching of English in their schools and colleges.
But the teaching business has a high cost base, charges premium
prices, and has limited reach outside overseas capital cities.
Although there has been an increase in the numbers of students
taught, the network of teaching centres has contracted in recent
years. To continue to grow the business, the Council will need to
put into action its ideas about alternative lower-cost ways to
deliver good quality teaching.
Tim Burr, head of the National Audit Office, said
today:
"The British Council's work is valued by its customers and
stakeholders. It faces a difficult challenge in delivering a wide
range of products and services in 110 countries worldwide. High
performance in some areas such as performance measurement and
customer satisfaction needs to expand across every strand of
activity. Project and programme management need to be strengthened
and customer relationship systems and service standards
enhanced."
Notes for Editors
- The British Council exists to build mutually beneficial
relationships between people in the United Kingdom and other
countries, and to increase appreciation of the UK’s creative ideas
and achievements. It is the UK’s international organisation for
educational opportunities and cultural relations. In 2006/2007 it
received £195 million of public money, mainly from the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office, and earned a further £350 million principally
by teaching English, delivering examinations overseas and managing
client-funded contracts.
- This report arose from a request by the Foreign Affairs Select
Committee of the House of Commons that the National Audit Office
examine the Value for Money of the British Council. A further
report, on how the British Council manages its finances, estate,
procurement, human resources, IT, and internal changes, is also
published today on the NAO website.
- Public diplomacy is the process through which a country
communicates with citizens in other societies. Effective public
diplomacy starts from the premise that dialogue, rather than public
relations, is central to improving understanding of and influence
for the UK in line with the goals of foreign policy.
- Press notices and reports are available from the date of
publication on the NAO website, which is at http://www.nao.org.uk/.
Hard copies can be obtained from The Stationery Office on 0845 702
3474.
- The Comptroller and Auditor General, Tim Burr, 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 27/08
All enquiries to Phil Groves, NAO Press Office: Tel: 020 7798
5339
Mobile: 07770 678477