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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: 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

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

  2 Comments

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: 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

  5 Comments

Contract management – challenges and consequences

• Posted on November 23, 2017 by Emma Willson

  Establishing solid foundations early in the contract and commercial relationship lifecycle is critical for contracts to work. But this process starts long before contracts are signed. Two recent NAO reports provide insights into the importance of getting both the procurement strategy and process right. Experience has shown that not doing so can result in millions of pounds in legal costs – £100 million in one recent case – or an uncompetitive contract leading to additional costs. This latest blog in our commercial and contract management series shares our recent insights across the market management and sourcing domain of our contracts lifecycle. more… Contract management – challenges and consequences

  Tagged: Contract insights series, Contract management, Cross-government, Forecasting, Good practice principles, International, Public finances

  3 Comments

A systematic look at major programmes

• Posted on October 10, 2017 by Sandy Gordon

  Major programmes are expensive, high profile and carry great uncertainties and risks. For most government bodies, undertaking a major programme will involve doing something new, with relatively little organisational experience. Many fall short of their objectives, in terms of cost and/or outcomes. So it’s not surprising that they are the focus of many NAO reports – about 100 since 2010. Our new Framework to review programmes shows the questions we typically ask, and brings together many of our recent findings. We hope it will show what we are looking for and what we expect to see when we examine major programmes. more… A systematic look at major programmes

  Tagged: Contract management, Cross-government, Forecasting, Good practice principles, International, Leadership, Major projects, Project management, Public finances, Public sector reform, Risk management

  9 Comments

Managing conflicts of interest and keeping public trust

• 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

  4 Comments

Lessons in fraud prevention, detection and recovery

• 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 recovery

  Tagged: Accountability, Cost reduction, Cross-government, Fraud and error, Good practice principles, International, Investigations, Overseas aid, Process management, Public finances, Reporting, Risk management

  3 Comments

Excellence in Public Sector Reporting and the Election break

• Posted on April 27, 2017 by Administrator

  The NAO Blog must take a break in the period before the General Election. Meanwhile, we would like to highlight our interactive guide to Good practice from the ‘Excellence in Reporting’ in the Public Sector Award, sponsored by the NAO and part of the wider PwC-sponsored Building Public Trust in Corporate Reporting Awards. Kate Mathers, one of our Executive Leaders, sits on the judging panel for the public sector awards. We set out below the criteria for which we looked. Our publication provides examples of good practice from the 50 reports we reviewed. more… Excellence in Public Sector Reporting and the Election break

  Tagged: Accountability, Cross-government, Good practice principles, Impacts, Information management, International, Local government, Performance management, Public finances, Reporting

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Intelligent contract competition and risk management

• Posted on April 7, 2017 by Emma Willson

  When it comes to public sector contracts, running proper competitions simply isn’t enough. Government needs to act intelligently to take advantage of competition between potential suppliers, weighing up options and considering who carries the risks, and at what cost. Since launching Commercial and contract management – insights and emerging best practice we’ve reported on two contracts that shed further light on these issues. We explore the new insights from these reports in this blog-post, the latest in our series on key issues for contracts and commercial relationships. more… Intelligent contract competition and risk management

  Tagged: Contract insights series, Contract management, Cross-government, Forecasting, Good practice principles, International, Local government, Performance management, Project management, Public finances, Risk management

  1 Comment