NAO blog

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Right data, right place, right time

• Posted on July 16, 2019 by Yvonne Gallagher

  

  Have you ever had the frustration of having to provide the same information about yourself to different government services? Have you ever had to make decisions without information about what does and doesn’t work? Data is fundamental to delivering public services, improving systems and processes, and supporting sound decisions – but accessing accurate data is far from easy. Drawing from our recent report, Challenges in using data across government, I highlight here some of the difficulties, their implications and ways they can be addressed.

  more… Right data, right place, right time

  Tagged: Behaviour change, Business operations, Cross-government, Customer service, Digital transformation, Forecasting, Fraud and error, Good practice principles, Information management, Information sharing, Innovation, IT, Performance measurement, Public sector reform, Regulation & consumer protection, Risk management

  2 Comments

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

  2 Comments

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: 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

  1 Comment

A critical friend of the NHS

• Posted on June 27, 2018 by Robert White

  
  Since the creation of the NHS, the NAO has been a critical friend. In the run up to its 70th anniversary we have been reflecting on our role in supporting improvements. more… A critical friend of the NHS

  Tagged: Customer service, Financial sustainability, Health, Local government, Public finances

  3 Comments

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

  8 Comments

Growth through devolution: A New Year’s outlook

• Posted on January 12, 2018 by Aileen Murphie

  A third of people living in England outside London live in one of England’s nine combined authorities, six being cities with directly elected mayors. Some commentators have expressed disappointment that the recent Secretary of State’s Annual Report on Devolution 2016-17 confirmed that there were no further devolution agreements in 2016-17. With combined authorities intended to be a key driver of local growth, should people, both in these regions and especially in areas without a combined authority, be clamouring for more action on devolution, or should we wait for clarity about the UK’s exit from the EU? What it will take for combined authorities to succeed in their aims? And do elected mayors have the potential to become significant figures on the national political stage? more… Growth through devolution: A New Year’s outlook

  Tagged: Access to services, Accountability, Brexit, Collaboration, Customer service, Devolution, Growth, Housing, Leadership, Local government, Police, Public sector reform

  5 Comments

Engaging, sharing, innovative Award winners

• 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

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How will it affect me? Exploring the data

• 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

  2 Comments

Can better service bring in more tax revenue? How the NAO is helping government investigate

• Posted on June 29, 2017 by Andy Morrison

  Do you pay all the tax you should? Chances are, this depends on your values, your familiarity with tax rules, opportunities for evasion, and your attitudes. These may be affected by how much help you get from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) – and could potentially be influenced by how happy you are with HMRC’s service. In our recent report on The quality of service for personal taxpayers, we said we would work with HMRC to explore whether service quality affects tax revenues. The way we have done this is a great example of how the NAO can help to drive public service improvement. more… Can better service bring in more tax revenue? How the NAO is helping government investigate

  Tagged: Behaviour change, Customer service, Impacts, Influencing, Information management, Performance management, Tax

  1 Comment

A flexible, engaged approach to efficient public services

• Posted on March 6, 2017 by Amyas Morse

  I was privileged to speak to The Strand Group at King’s College London in early February on some of the elements needed for government to successfully implement major change programmes in complex, interconnected systems. The examples on which I focused were local, adult social care and NHS services in light of devolution, fiscal restraint and Brexit. After my talk, I was asked many interesting questions, some of which I would like to explore in more detail in this post. [See here for the video and transcript.] more… A flexible, engaged approach to efficient public services

  Tagged: Amyas Morse, Brexit, Customer service, Devolution, Financial sustainability, Local government, Performance management, Public finances, Public sector reform

  3 Comments