Left column
Middlecolumn
Posts tagged: "Business operations"
-
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: Accountability, Audit, Business operations, Cross-government, Good practice principles, Information management, Performance management, Public finances, Reporting, Third sector
-
Posted on January 5, 2018 by Amyas Morse
The 2017 Civil Service Awards highlighted some of the tremendous work being done to deliver public services not only more efficiently and cost effectively, but in ways that meet people’s needs better, engage users more, and stimulate ongoing improvements. In reviewing the 2017 nominations, I was particularly taken by the range of innovative approaches and excellent use of engagement and feedback loops. more… Engaging, sharing, innovative Award winners
Tagged: Amyas Morse, Behaviour change, Business operations, Collaboration, Cross-government, Customer service, Digital transformation, Information management, Innovation, Process management, Project management, Public sector reform
-
Posted on October 24, 2017 by Elliott White
Have you ever wanted to find out how the headline data will affect you? The NAO analyses a lot of data in our work and we’ve increasingly been allowing you to explore this data, where possible. Recent interactive data tools we’ve created cover consumer protection cases, the housing market and homelessness, and the Whole of Government Accounts. In light of the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) plans about the future of Jobcentre Plus, our latest interactive data model allows you to explore the impact of its plans on journey times to jobcentres around England. more… How will it affect me? Exploring the data
Tagged: Business operations, Cost reduction, Customer service, Impacts, Public finances, Public sector reform, Regulation & consumer protection
-
Posted on September 29, 2017 by Paul Wright-Anderson
Government is being transformed through changes ranging from digital delivery to downsizing and devolution. To match new delivery approaches, buildings need modernisation, organisations need to be co-located, and appealing locations should help to attract the necessary skills. In response, government property is undergoing a revolution, with regional “Hubs” and an integrated public sector estate. But there are big challenges to be addressed. Can the public sector work together to achieve the expected benefits? more… The future of government offices: early lessons
Tagged: Business operations, Contract management, Cost reduction, Cross-government, Employee engagement, Property, Public sector reform, Risk management, Shared services, Skills
-
Posted on August 18, 2017 by Jacob Holliday
High profile incidents remind individuals and organisations just how important it is to manage potential conflicts of interest. In March 2017, the Court of the Bank of England commissioned a review of the institution’s approach to managing conflicts of interest. The review was prompted by the resignation of Charlotte Hogg who had been Deputy Governor for Markets and Banking. A report from the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee published in March 2017 had raised concerns about her compliance with the Bank’s rules governing conflicts of interest. As part of its Review the Bank invited the NAO to contribute a briefing paper on managing conflicts of interest. It’s a timely opportunity for the whole public sector to consider whether it’s managing conflicts of interest effectively. more… Managing conflicts of interest and keeping public trust
Tagged: Accountability, Business operations, Conflict of interest, Contract management, Cross-government, Employee engagement, Good practice principles, International, Investigations, Local government, Regulation & consumer protection, Reporting, Risk management
-
Posted on July 20, 2017 by George Crockford
The civil service is under pressure, as we found in our recent report Capability in the Civil Service. It has lost one in four civil servants since 2006 – with no reduction in workload, there’s a growing number of major projects to implement, greater public demand for services, new technologies – bringing both opportunities and threats, new ways of delivering public services, and action needed to leave the European Union. How can public sector organisations get or develop the people and skills they need? The first thing is: prioritise; it simply must do less. more… Stretching civil servants’ capability
Tagged: Brexit, Business operations, Civil service capability, Contract management, Digital transformation, Leadership, Major projects, Project management, Risk management, Skills
-
Posted on July 7, 2017 by Lee Summerfield
MPs have queried the way grants are distributed; multiple programme changes have left many questioning aims and effectiveness; growing backlogs have raised issues about public service delivery; and failed contracts losing millions of pounds have implied serious mismanagement. Concerns raised by MPs, members of the public and our own staff as a result of their work often need the facts set out – clearly and quickly. They call for an NAO ‘Investigation’. more… NAO Investigates
Tagged: Accountability, Business operations, Contract management, International, Investigations, Local government, Performance management, Project management, Public finances
-
Posted on January 23, 2017 by Charles Nancarrow
Scams, unfair trading, e-crime, unsafe goods – these harmed consumers to the tune of £14.8 billion in 2014-15. And that’s just the estimate of the problems tackled by consumer protection bodies; you may not even be aware of times you’ve been a victim of unfair trading. With poor consumer awareness and threats to consumers becoming increasingly complex and wide-ranging we, the Regulation, Consumers and Competition team, recently published a report. We describe here the types of consumer detriment, who’s responsible for protecting consumers, and what all this means for consumers. more… Do you feel protected as a consumer?
Tagged: Business operations, Cross-government, Customer service, Cyber security, Fraud and error, International, Local government, Regulation & consumer protection, Risk management
-
Posted on January 6, 2017 by Sarah Perryman
Management theory is full of good advice, but how should it be put into practice? How can we harness the lessons gleaned from across government and adapt them to the delivery of a specific service? I’ve applied the principles set out in our good practice guide, Managing business operations, to child protection services. Drawing on our recent report, I’ve looked at what’s happening in practice, where there’s good practice be shared and how the centre is taking a lead. Using our identified four characteristics of success, I’ve set out questions professionals should be asking themselves to help improve services. more… Putting children first: Making theory work in practice
Tagged: Accountability, Business operations, Children, Cross-government, Customer service, Good practice principles, Information management, Leadership, Local government, Police, Process management, Risk management, Young people
-
Posted on December 12, 2016 by Jeremy Lonsdale
The UK’s biggest ever aircraft carrier, the nuclear deterrent… behind the large and expensive defence programmes that we hear about are people. People who need suitable work environments and a home – and that means buildings. The built estate is a vital part of our defence capability. Yet the Ministry of Defence (MOD) faces a shortfall of at least £8.5 billion of funding over the next 30 years just to bring its buildings up to a good standard of condition. And that doesn’t include the homes for service families, many of which have been a cause of growing dissatisfaction. With housing crucial to morale and staff retention, there’s considerable interest in ensuring our service personnel are satisfied with their homes. So what is the current state of the MoD’s buildings and what are the lessons for other organisations managing large property estates? more… Our defence estate – right size, right condition, right price?
Tagged: Business operations, Employee engagement, Estate management, Financial sustainability, Good practice principles, Housing, Infrastructure, Property, Skills
Being honest: award-winning annual reports>
Engaging, sharing, innovative Award winners>
How will it affect me? Exploring the data>
The future of government offices: early lessons>
Managing conflicts of interest and keeping public trust>
Stretching civil servants’ capability>
Do you feel protected as a consumer?>
Putting children first: Making theory work in practice>
Our defence estate – right size, right condition, right price?>
Right column