1 Five years ago, we highlighted the importance of three major themes in tackling government's challenges:
• taking a structured approach to reducing costs;
• improving financial management; and
• using information effectively.
We argued that without significant progress in all three areas, government would not be able to transform services and achieve sustainable improvements and savings.
2 Our work over the last five years has identified some improvements in these areas. Across government, there is a much deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities of transformation. But our work also shows that attempts to transform government have had mixed success. Many public services appear increasingly unsustainable. Those responsible for major programmes have continued to exhibit over-optimism and make slow progress towards their objectives.
3 Government's recent experience has highlighted several important building blocks for transformation:
• Strategic business planning and management
Our report Government's management of its performance: progress with single departmental plans found that a strong planning framework is needed to counter problems in delivering new services successfully.1
• Building and deploying capabilities
Our report Capability in the civil service highlighted the importance of getting the right skills and experience to support new ways of working.2
• Improving the use of technology and data
Our work on major transformation programmes has shown how difficult it is to use technology effectively to enable transformation.
• Managing evolving programmes and portfolios
Our work on major programmes has also shown how difficult it can be to assure and manage major transformation programmes, balancing more iterative approaches with robust programme and project management disciplines.
4 These building blocks will help to counter tendencies to make decisions for tactical reasons without addressing wider considerations. They allow departments to balance short-term spending targets with long-term strategies. At the same time, better information and access to expertise will help to support and assure complex programmes.
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1 Comptroller and Auditor General, Government's management of its performance: progress with single departmental plans, Session 2016-17, HC 872, National Audit Office, July 2016.
2 Comptroller and Auditor General, Capability in the civil service, Session 2016-17, HC 919, National Audit Office, March 2017.