NAO blog

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The power of information for contracts

• Posted on October 1, 2018 by Iain Forrester

  From the collapse of Carillion, to failures within Capita’s £1 billion worth of public contracts, recent NAO reports starkly reiterate the importance of information in managing contracts. As the Comptroller & Auditor General said in his post Risks, resources and government-supplier relationships, government ‘needs to assess the financial health and sustainability of its major contractors and use this information to protect the public interest’. Here we outline the crucial role of information throughout the commercial lifecycle. more… The power of information for contracts

  Tagged with: Contract insights series  Contract management  Cross-government  Customer service  Good practice principles  Information management  Performance management  Risk management
  

Adult social care at a glance

• Posted on August 6, 2018 by James Beveridge

  Over the past month we have seen widespread celebrations for the 70th birthday of the NHS, with the Prime Minister announcing new funding for a service that is both highly respected and at the forefront of voters’ concerns according to Ipsos MORI research. But many people don’t realise that 2018 also marks the 70^th anniversary of the birth of the welfare state and social care as we know it, or – as our recent publications show – as we think we know it… more… Adult social care at a glance

  Tagged with: Financial sustainability  Health  Local government  Public finances  Public sector reform  Social care
  

Risks, resources and government-supplier relationships

• Posted on July 17, 2018 by Amyas Morse

  Hundreds of major change programmes, increasing demands on and expectations of public services, productivity challenges – and the massive task of leaving the EU. In the face of such demands on skills and capacity, Sir Amyas Morse, Comptroller & Auditor General, spoke recently to the Whitehall and Industry Group (WIG) about why the public sector needs private and third sector skills, experience and capacity more than ever. The NAO Blog summarises Sir Amyas’s talk about some of the current key priorities and what is needed to make the relationship mutually successful and in the best interests of people and public services. more… Risks, resources and government-supplier relationships

  Tagged with: Amyas Morse  Brexit  Contract management  Cross-government  Digital transformation  Financial sustainability  Major projects  Private sector  Productivity  Project management  Public finances  Risk management  Skills
  

Successful transformation: voices of experience

• Posted on June 29, 2018 by Max Tse

  Evolution or revolution? Inventing new services or transforming old systems and processes? Transformation programmes are complex, ever-changing and face numerous barriers; so what does it take to be one of the minority of transformation projects that succeed? How can organisations’ Boards improve the chance of success? And what does transformation have to do with wagon trains? more… Successful transformation: voices of experience

  Tagged with: Audit Committees and Boards  Behaviour change  Cross-government  Customer service  Digital transformation  Employee engagement  Good practice principles  Impacts  Information management  Major projects  Public sector reform  Risk management  Skills
  

Being honest: award-winning annual reports

• Posted on March 29, 2018 by Kate Mathers

  How do you make complex departmental annual reports easily understandable? Do you clearly outline your goals and achievement of them? Is it easy for the public to understand your organisational risks and their management? Being clear, concise, honest and open in annual reports is a real skill. To inspire creativity and usability, our yearly guide to good practice in annual reports this year presents examples from both the public sector organisations we reviewed in the Building Public Trust Awards, and some of the private and third sector examples highlighted in other categories. more… Being honest: award-winning annual reports

  Tagged with: Accountability  Audit  Business operations  Cross-government  Good practice principles  Information management  Performance management  Public finances  Reporting  Third sector
  

The social care challenge

• Posted on March 22, 2018 by Michael Burke

  Would you be willing to pay more tax to fund care? What about paying more towards your own or your parents’ care in old-age or if you find yourself in need of disabled care? What quality of care would you expect? Are you an unpaid carer yourself? Compromises may be needed in the funding and delivery of social care in light of the combined pressures of cuts in the budgets of local governments, which spend £14.8 billion funding the care, and the high vacancy and turnover rates in the adult social care sector. Our recent reports highlight the scale of the challenges facing the government as it plans for the future. more… The social care challenge

  Tagged with: Children  Disability  Elderly  Employee engagement  Financial sustainability  Health  Local government  Public finances  Skills  Social care
  

Cross-government collaboration: lessons from R&D

• Posted on February 16, 2018 by Sian Jones

  Life-saving drugs, step-changes in energy efficiency, robots and amazing new materials that can transform our lives – these, and many scientific advances, are all the result of research and development (R&D). The UK funds £31.6 billion of R&D a year, and its success depends frequently on collaboration between a wide range of government departments, and with research councils, university bodies, businesses, charities and international organisations. As we look at the fascinating world of R&D, we can also learn much for all types of cross-government collaboration and coordination. more… Cross-government collaboration: lessons from R&D

  Tagged with: Accountability  Brexit  Climate change  Cross-government  Digital transformation  Environmental sustainability  Good practice principles  Growth  Impacts  Information management  International  Leadership  Overseas aid  Process management  Project management  Research & development  Third sector  Universities
  

Who benefits from Gift Aid? Ask the new Tax Centre

• Posted on February 8, 2018 by Jonny Mood

  The National Audit Office – University of Birmingham Tax Centre has been launched! So what does this mean for taxpayers – and for tax officials? The average taxpayer may never be aware of its role, but the new Tax Centre will help provide the all-important independent academic evidence useful to those making and implementing tax policy; it will provide crucial insights into issues such as taxpayers’ behaviours, the impact of making tax digital, tax evasion and avoidance, and customer service. As we detailed at the launch event, our recent joint work on Gift Aid shows how the NAO and the University of Birmingham can work together, and with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), to improve understanding of the effectiveness of taxes and tax reliefs. more… Who benefits from Gift Aid? Ask the new Tax Centre

  Tagged with: Behaviour change  Impacts  Information management  International  Public finances  Public sector reform  Tax
  

What’s behind the growing number of rough sleepers?

• Posted on January 26, 2018 by Matthew Wilkins

  On 25th January, the government published its annual rough sleeper count, and confirmed what is already apparent to anybody who spends time on the streets of towns and cities in England: homelessness in its most visible form has increased substantially in recent years. Beyond the headline-grabbing rough sleeping figures, what do the numbers really tell us about what is happening with homelessness in England, and how can government achieve its aim of eliminating rough sleeping by 2027? more… What’s behind the growing number of rough sleepers?

  Tagged with: Cross-government  Homelessness  Housing  Local government  Young people
  

Is the market for higher education working?

• Posted on January 23, 2018 by Peter Langham

   
  For more than a decade, successive governments have increased the extent to which higher education functions as a market. With higher education student debts typically totalling £50,000, going to university is now one of the biggest financial decisions of a person’s life. Yet the decision is made with limited ability to know the value of the investment, and with less consumer protection than other complex products. Our recent report on The higher education market applied our Market Analytic Toolkit: for assessing public service markets and found students have insufficient help and advice, and institutions have little competitive pressure to provide best value. more… Is the market for higher education working?

  Tagged with: Behaviour change  Customer service  Higher Education  International  Performance management  Public sector markets  Regulation & consumer protection  Young people