Achieving government’s long-term environmental goals
This report examines how government has set itself up to deliver its long-term environmental goals.
11 Nov 2020
Public bodies, taxpayers and users need to be able to find out how well public money is being spent, especially when budgets have been cut and government spending needs to deliver more for less. To be able to assess the success of policies, programmes and major projects, government must build performance and value for money measures into design, and ensure that decisions are based on these measures.
A "performance framework" provides the information for those making decisions across an organisation to act coherently, address challenges and changes and explain actions taken. As a minimum, such a framework requires: an agreed set of outcomes for which the business is aiming; a realistic plan of what is needed to achieve them; data on performance against relevant measures; and a mechanism for identifying and overcoming obstacles that arise.
Key NAO publications:
This report examines how government has set itself up to deliver its long-term environmental goals.
This report examines the government’s replacement of the COMPASS contracts for accommodation and support for asylum seekers.
This report examines whether the British Business Bank is improving access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises.
This report examines the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy’s management of its business support schemes.
A joint publication by the NAO, HM Treasury, Cabinet Office, Audit Commission and Office for National Statistics summarising our common thinking on this subject, in particular the need for a good system of performance information to be Focused, Appropriate, Balanced, Robust, Integrated and Cost Effective.
We commissioned some work with two volunteer Departments in Spring 2008 to assess the measurability, relevance and costability of Departmental Strategic Objectives – with a view to informing wider guidance on integrating financial and performance management and reporting.
Our study evaluates how far the government has an effective system for measuring progress towards its environmental objectives.
This report examines government’s progress in developing the provision and use of evaluation evidence across government.
This report examines the Department for Education’s evaluation of the Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme.
Treasury expects all departments to evaluate the ex post impacts and costs of all their interventions, including spending, taxation and regulation. This activity should provide valuable information on the cost-effectiveness of government interventions, for the purposes of accountability and to learn lessons to improve current and future policies.