This good practice guidance reflects upon findings and recommendations drawn from 200 reports concerning 300 commercial arrangements that have been published over the past 20 years.
We estimate that fraud and error cost the taxpayer between £55 billion to £81 billion in 2023-24. Only a fraction of this is detected and known about. To tackle this, public bodies need to know how much fraud and error they face and where it is. Our good practice guide on estimating and reporting fraud […]
In his annual speech in Parliament, Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, championed effective innovation as a way to tackle the ongoing challenge of rising demand for stretched public services.
This guide is for senior finance leaders in government departments and other public bodies. It sets out insights and good practice on monitoring and forecasting for better financial management in government. It is the fourth in a five-part series of guides, which follow the financial management lifecycle. Good financial management is critical in the public […]
Government can save significant sums of time and money by improving how it engages with technology suppliers.
This guide is for senior finance leaders in government departments and other public bodies. It sets out insights and good practice on how to allocate resources for better financial management in government. It is the third in a five-part series of guides, which follow the financial management lifecycle. For public services to be efficient and […]
We have drawn on our published work, programme of consultation, and collaboration with officials and stakeholders to provide useful insights.
We have used our insights to highlight the biggest opportunities for spending public money more efficiently and effectively.
Examining how the NHS can manage its current operations within the financial resources it has, while progressing its long-term goals
Public sector bodies could avoid £500 million in costs over five years if they improve how they procure common goods and services.
In his annual speech in Parliament, Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said government can provide people with better public services despite the challenging fiscal backdrop.
The NHS is not making the most of its spending power to save money in purchasing medical equipment and consumables.
The Cabinet Office reports efficiency savings across shared government functions, but they could implement a more robust approach.
Our good practice guide outlines how to plan strategically and realistically to align strategy and planning, address optimism bias, and deal with risk and uncertainty.
Covering leadership, skills and data, our guide covers the essential enablers to unlock the potential of your finance team.
This report examines whether government has mechanisms in place to understand and encourage competition in public procurement, and how government departments can make their use of competition more effective.
The environment for government borrowing has become more challenging in recent years – requiring sustained focus from government.
This report assesses how government is trying to address the underlying issues that make digital transformation so difficult to achieve.
Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, outlines lessons from NAO reports into the government’s handling of COVID-19 in a keynote speech at the Houses of Parliament.
The Government has made progress delivering its latest strategy to share back-office services across Whitehall departments in the past year, but remaining barriers will need to be addressed for it to deliver its plans by 2028 and achieve value for money, according to the National Audit Office.