Showing 81 - 100 of 185 results

  1. Efficiency in government

    Insight Lessons learned

    Published on:

    This report identifies key issues government will need to consider when attempting to increase its efficiency.

  2. Let’s get down to business

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    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. […]

  4. How to audit artificial intelligence models

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    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 […]

  5. Principles of effective regulation

    Insight Good practice guides

    Published on:

    This framework is intended as a useful tool for policymakers and regulators overseeing any given market.

  9. Better data means better services – so how can government get there?

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    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 […]

  10. Improving services is a team game

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    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 […]

  11. Auditing government’s pandemic response

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    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 […]

  12. What should we ask ourselves to break the cycle of poor programme performance?

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    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 […]

  14. Improving operational delivery in government

    Insight Good practice guides

    Published on:

    This guide will help senior leaders in government departments to manage and improve the way public services are delivered.

  15. Good practice guidance: Fraud and Error

    Insight Good practice guides

    Published on:

    This guide uses the NAO’s insights to show what can be done to counter the risk of fraud and error.

  16. Tackling the challenges facing public sector spending

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    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 […]

  17. Government has increased its climate change ambition, now it must step up to the challenge

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    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 […]

  18. Lessons learned from Major Programmes

    Insight Lessons learned

    Published on:

    This report examines lessons from our work on major programmes, including transport, defence and energy programmes.

  19. Using our insight into EU Exit preparations to highlight learning for government

    Insight Opinion

    Published on:

    Given the wide-reaching impact of membership of the EU, preparing for the UK’s departure from the EU represented a significant challenge to government, with considerable potential consequences for businesses and citizens.   Our programme of work on EU Exit Over the last four years, the NAO has carried out a substantial programme of work on various […]