At the National Audit Office, we come across many business cases when looking at government programmes. A strong business case is vital for effective decision making and for successfully delivering intended outcomes. The foundation of a business case is a clear understanding of what success will look like for a programme – the strategic case. […]
MOD’s procurement budget is now more stable, despite a £754m increase in the cost of the carriers, but there are still risks to the affordability of the equipment plan.
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 report examines the evidence base supporting the decision to proceed with the Thames Tideway Tunnel, a tunnel running 25 kilometres from Acton to Abbey Mills, as well as progress achieved to date.
Responses to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests made to the NAO between April and December 2022.
We are delighted to announce that Verity Prime and Laura Lucking have joined the NAO as our new Executive Directors, as a job-share.
The programme to upgrade to the Thameslink routes through London has a realistic prospect of delivering value for money but there remains risks which the Department for Transport and Network Rail need to manage carefully.
This report makes recommendations for Crossrail Ltd and the programme sponsors as Crossrail nears completion.
This impacts case study shows how our reports pointing to the need for Department for Transport staff to improve their skills in managing complex procurements helped DfT to develop a Commercial Capability Strategy, increase leadership training and create a network for sharing advice.
It is one example of financial or non-financial benefits realised in 2014 as a result of our involvement, all of which are set out in our interactive PDF
The Department for Work and Pensions has successfully introduced automatic enrolment to workplace pensions for large and medium-sized employers. Significant risks remain.
This impacts case study shows how our identification of lessons from past rail infrastructure programmes regarding aspects such as planning, monitoring and financing, has helped the Department for Transport apply these lessons, including in the HS2 programme.
It is one example of financial or non-financial benefits realised in 2014 as a result of our involvement, all of which are set out in our interactive PDF.
The Department has made good progress since we last reported on Carrier Strike, however it still has a lot to do to meet its targets at the end of 2020.
The case for a huge expansion of electronic monitoring using GPS was unproven, but the Ministry of Justice pursued an overly ambitious and high risk strategy anyway. Ultimately it has not delivered.
Government projects that are particularly costly, innovative, risky, complex and strategically significant need stronger governance.
The Department has committed electricity consumers and taxpayers to a high cost and risky deal in a changing energy marketplace. We cannot say the Department has maximised the chances that it will achieve value for money.
The NAO has examined the proposals for restoring the Palace of Westminster and has assessed them against established practice.
This briefing note draws on lessons developed in our report Welfare reform – lessons learned and sets out broader principles from our work auditing government programmes and reporting on value for money.
HS2 is a large, complex and ambitious programme which is facing cost and time pressures. The unrealistic timetable set for HS2 Ltd by the Department means they are not as ready to deliver as they hoped to be at this point.
This report looks at the Restoration and Renewal Programme to identify potential risks and recommend how these may be addressed.
We publish our examination of the assumptions made by the MOD in its annual statement of its 10-year equipment plan.