Third validation compendium report

Third validation compendium report PDF Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780102944044
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 36

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Book Description
In 2004, the Government announced 110 Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets for 17 Departments covering the period 2005-08. PSA targets express the priority outcomes that Departments are seeking to achieve nationally and internationally, and cover key aspects of the Government's social, economic and environmental policy. Large sums of public money are devoted to the programmes designed to deliver them. This NAO report summarises the results of its examination of the data systems used by six government departments to monitor and report progress against their 2005-08 PSA targets, covering a total of 65 data systems. The six Departments are: the Cabinet Office, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Department for Education and Skills, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Defence and HM Treasury. Findings include that 75 per cent of the data systems used are broadly appropriate, but less than half of these were fully fit for purpose. Most required some action to strengthen measurement or reporting arrangements. A companion volume (HCP 127-II, session 2006-07, ISBN 0102944083) is available separately which contains the NAO's detailed findings.

Third validation compendium report

Third validation compendium report PDF Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780102944044
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 36

Get Book Here

Book Description
In 2004, the Government announced 110 Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets for 17 Departments covering the period 2005-08. PSA targets express the priority outcomes that Departments are seeking to achieve nationally and internationally, and cover key aspects of the Government's social, economic and environmental policy. Large sums of public money are devoted to the programmes designed to deliver them. This NAO report summarises the results of its examination of the data systems used by six government departments to monitor and report progress against their 2005-08 PSA targets, covering a total of 65 data systems. The six Departments are: the Cabinet Office, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Department for Education and Skills, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Defence and HM Treasury. Findings include that 75 per cent of the data systems used are broadly appropriate, but less than half of these were fully fit for purpose. Most required some action to strengthen measurement or reporting arrangements. A companion volume (HCP 127-II, session 2006-07, ISBN 0102944083) is available separately which contains the NAO's detailed findings.

Fourth validation compendium report

Fourth validation compendium report PDF Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780102951622
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
In 2004, the Government announced 110 Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets for 17 Departments covering the period 2005-08. PSA targets express the priority outcomes that Departments are seeking to achieve nationally and internationally, and cover key aspects of the Government's social, economic and environmental policy. Large sums of public money are devoted to the programmes designed to deliver them. This NAO report summarises the results of its examination of the data systems used by twelve government departments to monitor and report progress against their 2005-08 PSA targets, covering a total of 237 data systems. Overall Departments have successfully taken steps to improve the quality of their data systems. There are still improvements that can be made to increase the relevance and reliability of data used in the reporting process. The NAO makes a number of recommendations on specification of data systems, their operation, and the reporting of data. A companion volume (HCP 22-I, ISBN 9780102951615) is available separately which contains the NAO's summarised findings.

Legislative scrutiny

Legislative scrutiny PDF Author: Great Britain: Parliament: Joint Committee on Human Rights
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 9780104012239
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 124

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Book Description
In this report the Committee recommends amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill to ensure that private (or voluntary) sector care homes which accommodate publicly-funded residents are brought within the scope of the Human Rights Act. It also calls on the Government to implement recommendations in its earlier report on the human rights of older people in health care (HL 156-I/HC 378-I, session 2006-07, ISBN 9780104011447). The Committee's concerns arise from the meaning of "public function" and "public authority" in the Human Rights Act. It believes it was clear that Parliament intended the Act's requirement of public authorities to act compatibly with the European Convention on Human Rights to cover private-sector providers of publicly-funded services, and is disappointed that the Government has deferred a decision on a new statute to reinstate the original intention of the Act.

Fines Collection

Fines Collection PDF Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 0102938016
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 52

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Book Description
Fines are the most common sentence imposed by Magistrates' courts in England and Wales, covering a range of crimes including motoring offences, drug offences, criminal damage and TV licence evasion. In the year 2004-05, penalties totalling £352 million were imposed, with £75 million cancelled and £222 million collected. Following on from an earlier report (HCP 672, session 2001-02, ISBN 0102914508) published in 2002, the NAO has examined whether the changes made in practices and procedures have resulted in improvements to the enforcement and collections of fines. It is estimated that a 25 per cent reduction in the number of legally cancelled fines would result in potential savings of £6.9 million per year and prompter payment of fines would yield further annual savings of almost one million pounds. Although a series of measures have been introduced by the Department for Constitutional Affairs to improve the system, over two thirds of the cases examined required enforcement action before the offender made any payments. A number of recommendations for further improvements are made, including in relation to developing performance indicators; prompter collection of fines, including making payment facilities (including cash) available at each court; focusing staff resource allocation on the early stages of enforcement; and addressing IT problems caused by the delay of the Libra system

Department for Education and Skills autumn performance report 2006

Department for Education and Skills autumn performance report 2006 PDF Author: Great Britain: Department for Education and Skills
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 0101699220
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 96

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Book Description
This report sets out interim assessments of the progress made by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) against its Public Service Agreement (PSA) performance targets as agreed in the 2004 Spending Review, together with progress against the Department's efficiency target and the outstanding targets from the 2002 Spending Review. This report is supplementary to the Departmental Report 2006 (Cm. 6812, ISBN 0101681224).

Using the Contract to Maximise the Likelihood of Successful Project Outcomes

Using the Contract to Maximise the Likelihood of Successful Project Outcomes PDF Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 0102938121
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 48

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Book Description
This report is one of a series of studies by the NAO which examine key factors involved in improving project performance in defence equipment procurement, with the aim of establishing best practice in relation to a theoretical 'gold standard' developed by assessing and comparing results of overseas and commercial operations. Following on from the first report in the series (HCP 30, session 2005-06, ISBN 0102932611) which identified the contract as a key component of project control, this report sets out recommendations on how the Ministry of Defence and its industry partners can best use the contract to maximise the likelihood of successful project outcomes. (It does not examine methods (competitive or otherwise) the MoD might pursue to select a potential supplier, as the effective use of competition will be the subject of a future report). More information on the evidence underlying the recommendations in this report and the gold standard criteria developed can be found on the website: www.naodefencevfm.org

The Management of Staff Sickness Absence in the National Probation Service

The Management of Staff Sickness Absence in the National Probation Service PDF Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 010293763X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 40

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Book Description
This NAO report examines sick leave in the National Probation Service, which was running at 12.3 days per person in the 2004-05 period at a cost of £31.6 million. A number of recommendations have been set out as follows. That the National Probation Directorate should agree with the Chief Probation Officer a consistent minimum standard for collecting and reporting sickness absence data in their areas. This in turn could be used to produce comparative analyses, and offer a basis to diagnose the causes of sickness absence. An upgrade in some areas of their information technology systems should occur, so that better management information can be compiled. All probation areas should implement the mandatory elements of the national policy on sickness absence. All Chief Officers should review their action plans for reducing sickness absence. Sickness absence should be managed effectively but sympathetically, by including return to work interviews, along with a means of distinguishing between avoidable and unavoidable sickness absences, and addressing the culture of absenteeism. Long term sickness absence should be reviewed as a matter of urgency. Policies relating to work/life balance should be implemented nationally.

Reserve Forces

Reserve Forces PDF Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 0102937451
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 77

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Book Description
Reserve Forces mainly consist of approximately 36,000 Volunteer Reserves, and some 52,000 Regular Reserves (former Regular service personnel who retain a liability to be called up). They are an integral and vital part of the United Kingdom's defence capability, making up some 11 per cent of the Iraq Operation TELIC manpower since 2003, for example. But the Ministry of Defence (the Department) faces a number of challenges in sustaining the future use of the Reserve Forces. All of the Volunteer Reserves are below strength, with the highest manning levels, at December 2005, in the Territorial Army at 81 per cent of current requirement. There are difficulties in providing training for Reservists, caused by problems with scheduling, resource constraints and the lower priority they are given. Turnover is high: many Reservists cite personal, family and employment pressures as reasons for leaving, but also reasons such as "inadequate support" and "no longer a challenge". The Department is not yet in a strong position to judge the cost-effectiveness of Reserve Forces: the NAO estimates the total cost of the Reserves as £440 million, implying that the approximate cost of a member of the Territorial Army, for example, is some £10,000 a year when not deployed, compared with a cost of £55,000 a year for a soldier in the Regular Army. The costs for Reserves are not full costs, so should be treated with care, but the comparison suggests that the use of Reserves is a cost-effective option where that use does not impact adversely on their availability for future requirements or on Reservists, their families and employers. The NAO makes thirteen recommendations concerning recruitment, training, costs, performance, retention, and welfare and support services.

Government Reports Announcements & Index

Government Reports Announcements & Index PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 640

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Book Description


Smarter Food Procurement in the Public Sector

Smarter Food Procurement in the Public Sector PDF Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
ISBN: 0102937427
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 64

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Book Description
The public sector in England spends around £2 billion per year on food and catering services, including in schools, hospitals and armed forces bases. This NAO report examines how public sector organisations can improve their food procurement practices in order to reduce costs whilst maintaining the quality of meals provided. The report finds that the public sector could achieve efficiency gains of £224 million by 2010-11, with significant scope for improvement in relation to: developing market knowledge and buying practices; employing joint procurement to increase purchasing power; establishing greater transparency in contract caterers' charges; promoting the professional development of catering staff in the public sector; reducing costs and environmental impacts through efficient operational practices; and increasing the take up of meals and income generated by them. Two accompanying documents are available separately: Case studies (HCP 963-II, ISBN 0102937435) and a Good practice guide (HCP 963-III, ISBN 0102937443).