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Posts tagged: "Cost reduction"
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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 dataTagged: Business operations, Cost reduction, Customer service, Impacts, Public finances, Public sector reform, Regulation & consumer protection
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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 lessonsTagged: Business operations, Contract management, Cost reduction, Cross-government, Employee engagement, Property, Public sector reform, Risk management, Shared services, Skills
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Posted on July 13, 2017 by Alison Taylor
Billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money is lost every year through fraud. To put this money to its proper use, in the report Eliminating Public Sector Fraud, the government identified the need to adopt a zero tolerance culture and a coordinated approach to tackling fraud. But fraud is complex and many organisations lack the required skills, making it even more important that public sector organisations collaborate, innovate and share lessons. Our recent Investigation into Department for International Development’s approach to tackling fraud has lessons for all organisations seeking to tackle fraud, as well as exploring some of the challenges in delivering international aid. more… Lessons in fraud prevention, detection and recoveryTagged: Accountability, Cost reduction, Cross-government, Fraud and error, Good practice principles, International, Investigations, Overseas aid, Process management, Public finances, Reporting, Risk management
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Posted on February 10, 2017 by Emma Willson
Cost savings failing to materialise. Customers hit with poor service and financial losses from public services. Contracts disputed and terminated. Contracts can go badly wrong before they even begin if the set up and management aren’t right. Since launching Commercial and contract management: insights and emerging best practice we’ve reported on three contracts that have enjoyed varying degrees of success. As part of our series to share insights into best practice contracting, in this blog-post we explore lessons from these three contracts. more… Setting up successful contractsTagged: Accountability, Contract insights series, Contract management, Cost reduction, Cross-government, Customer service, Good practice principles, Information management, Performance management, Risk management
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Posted on November 28, 2016 by Richard Davis
Government aims to achieve its Business Impact Target by cutting £10 billion from businesses’ regulatory costs. Do businesses notice any difference? Are departments too bogged down with the bureaucracy resulting from the government’s complex accounting rules to be effective deregulators? Is the government’s focus on business costs at the expense of consumer and environmental protection? With claims of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ accounting from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), there’s a need for transparency, evaluation and better prioritisation. more… Regulation through the looking glassTagged: Accountability, Behaviour change, Business, Business operations, Cost reduction, Environmental sustainability, Regulation & consumer protection
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Posted on September 5, 2016 by Joshua Reddaway
How to apply open book accounting principles without the cost of open-book accounting
Government uses contracts to deliver many public services and has a duty to get value for money. Two recent NAO investigations illustrate, in two very different situations, how contracts can founder when the procuring organisation lacks understanding about the relationship between the contractors’ cost of providing the service and the price of the contract. That’s why central government is now required to apply open-book contract management. But expertise, time and effort is required to apply it in full. For low-risk, more straight-forward contracts, we set out a low-cost, minimal open-book approach. more… Contracting: A minimal open book approachTagged: Contract management, Cost reduction, Cross-government, Good practice principles, Investigations, Performance management, Project management, Risk management
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Posted on June 16, 2016 by Iain Forrester
It’s good to share. Surely sharing services has to be more efficient? Standardised services and economies of scale have to reduce costs. But what about tailoring to needs and allowing flexibility? What about the risks of service failure? We at the NAO are often asked by public sector organisations whether they should join in shared services. The answer is … it depends.more… To share or not to share: that is the question
Tagged: Business operations, Cost reduction, Investigations, Local government, Process management, Risk management, Shared services
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Posted on March 3, 2016 by Richard Baynham
The taxpayer is losing billions of pounds every year to fraud and error. Increasingly complex ways of delivering public services add to the challenges. Technology brings both risks and opportunities for better data sharing and analysis, and new ways of engaging with the public. The problems are widespread, as our newly-published Fraud Landscape review demonstrates. There are, though, many lessons to be learnt from the experiences of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in addressing fraud and error. more… Confronting fraud and error head-onTagged: Business operations, Contract management, Cost reduction, Cross-government, Fraud and error, Good practice principles, Performance management
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Posted on February 26, 2016 by Kate Mathers
The organisations we audit told us our ‘how to’ guides and frameworks are very useful – but hard to find on our website. They were right. So we’re delighted to say that we’ve now put them all in one place: our new Self-assessment resources web-page. So if you’re about to undertake a self-assessment and planning process, there may be something on this page to save you reinventing a wheel. To illustrate, this post highlights some of the resources you can find on our new page. more… Why reinvent the wheel?Tagged: Business operations, Cost reduction, Good practice principles, Performance management, Process management, Public sector markets, Risk management
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Posted on February 3, 2016 by Aileen Murphie
Deficit reduction means less money for most government departments and, in turn, for the local services they fund. In four recent reports we have pointed to the consequences when central government departments decide on funding reductions without the understanding needed to ensure the sustainability of services and organisations. Looking across these reports we identify key lessons for departments making funding decisions that impact locally. more… Local services: managing demand, money and qualityTagged: Cost reduction, Financial sustainability, Further education, Local government, NHS, Police
How will it affect me? Exploring the data
The future of government offices: early lessons
Lessons in fraud prevention, detection and recovery
Setting up successful contracts
Regulation through the looking glass
Contracting: A minimal open book approach
To share or not to share: that is the question
Confronting fraud and error head-on
Local services: managing demand, money and quality
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