Background
Good financial management and reporting are important for accountability and for supporting effective decision-making in government. The NAO’s work has highlighted that a step change is needed in government’s financial management.
The Government Finance Function (GFF) is a community of over 9,000 finance professionals. It provides cross-government functional leadership for finance, including setting the standards for good finance practice, supporting capability development, and articulating what ‘good’ looks like across the profession. Accounting Officers are responsible for their organisations’ financial management, their professional skills and capability and for producing annual reports and accounts. HM Treasury sets the standards for financial practice and reporting.
In July 2025 the GFF launched a new 5-year strategy to achieve its mission to “put finance at the heart of decision-making” in government, deliver value for money and strengthen public trust. The strategy is built around three core objectives (‘Insightful and Data Driven’, ‘Skilled and Talented’, and ‘Innovative and Delivery Focused’) which are underpinned by strong ‘Finance Foundations’. It also emphasises collaboration across organisational boundaries and improving the availability and join-up of data to strengthen decision-making.
Scope
We will examine the GFF’s implementation of its strategy so far, and how well placed it is to deliver on its stated mission.
NAO team
Director: Oliver Lodge
Audit Manager: Antonia Gracie