Recommendations

KEY:

BERR Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform  
CLG Department of Communities and Local Government
DCSF Department of Children, Schools and Families
DH  Department of Health
GO Government Office
HMT HM Treasury
 
NAO National Audit Office
PASC Public Administration Select Committee
PCT Primary Care Trust
PM Prime Minister
PMDU Prime Minister's Delivery Unit
PSMG Permanent Secretaries Management Group

 

# Specific Actions to Take Who should lead implementation Proposed timeframe for implementaton
1 Create single citizen-friendly website for PSA/LAA data CLG and PMDU Feb-09
Make sure performance data is independently verified PM to decide, NAO to implement Jan-08
Annual government performance report to Parliament HMT, PASC to scrutinise April 2009 (a year after start of new PSAs) 
Annual local performance report to be sent to voters with council tax bills CLG to coordinate, councils to implement Apr-09
Present performance info alongside international comparative data IfG to research; PMDU to implement Tbc
2 Clarify that CAA will focus on LAA indicators, not whole NI Set Audit Commission Dec-08
CAA reports should make distinction between LAA indicators and wider set Audit Commission From April 2009
3 Complete LAA refreshes in time to impact 2009/10 budget CLG/GOs Dec-08
Align budget timetables of all local partners HMT/CLG/ line departments eg DH for PCTs Consultation to start now; alignment by 2010, if desired
4 Centre to provide cross-government guidance on interdependencies between indicators and policy spheres Tbc: PMDU and CLG to decide Ongoing
Centre to provide indicator-specific guidance, led by local demand All departments, CLG to coordinate Ongoing
Create ‘gatekeeper’ to ensure coordinated messages sent to LAs Tbc: CLG and PMDU to decide (option to create joint unit) Dec-08
5 Establish Whitehall Performance Management Network IfG in partnership with PMDU and Cranfield Centre for Performance Management Apr-09
Hold networking events for people working in specific areas of policy delivery IfG in partnership with PMDU/CLG Ongoing from December 2008
6 All FastSteamers to complete 6-month secondment in local government Cabinet Office Implemented by September 2010 intake
Set requirement that officials must spend 1-2 years outside Whitehall before entering the SCS Cabinet Office Tbc
7 Project to determine structural barriers to widescale use of cross-sector leadership development Cabinet Office and leadership colleges, with Cabinet Secretary commission Started by March 2009
Design of joint leadership training offer Tbc: potential for collaborative venture between leadership colleges or competition Started by June 2009 and reflecting findings of project above
8 Increase number of negotiating champions to 75 CLG to coordinate, all relevant depts to nominate champions Nov-09
9 Include explicit cross-cutting assessment in departmental Capability Reviews Cabinet Office For next round
Include assessment of place awareness in departmental Capability Reviews Cabinet Office For next round
Experiment with cross-departmental Capability Reviews for key PSAs Cabinet Office Mid-2009
10 Appoint cross-departmental Ministers of State to take ownership of priority PSAs, as required (eg drugs and alcohol) PM Spring 2009
Move to streamlined strategic Cabinet IfG to research options Long-term vision
11 Require all PSA delivery boards to demarcate departmental spending for each PSA (direct project and resource spending only) Chancellor to commit, HMT/PMDU to lead By June 2009
Pool budgets for specific PSAs Chancellor to commit, HMT/PMDU to lead From April 2009
12 Reward PermSecs for contribution to corporate agenda  Cabinet Secretary Ongoing
Design appraisals for all SCS to reward cross-cutting work All Perm Secs Ongoing
Design appraisals for local government officials to reward partnership-building Local Authorities, IdeA to support Ongoing
Reward ministers for effective cross-departmental working PM, select committees to scrutinise Ongoing
13 Perm Secs Management Group and/or Civil Service Steering Board (CSSB) to hold regular meetings on full PSA set Cabinet Secretary/PSMG Immediate
CSSB to become effective management board for whole government IfG to research practicalities Long-term vision
Publish indicator set in draft to allow for public consultation, and committee scrutiny CLG to coordinate, various committees to conduct scrutiny For next spending review
14 Pilot the use of tournaments among similar areas instead of fixed targets Performance network to research; relevant lead department to implement By 2010
15 Set national targets by aggregating evidence-based local targets PMDU/CLG to coordinate For next spending review
16 Eliminate statutory DCSF indicators Secretary of State to announce, DCSF to implement For next spending review
Impose an explicit limit on the number of priorities the centre can impose on LAs Secretary of State to announce, CLG to coordinate For next spending review
Centre to make up-front statement of its priorities for each area CLG/GOs to coordinate For next spending review
17 Publish PSAs in draft to allow for public consultation, and committee scrutiny HMT, PASC to coordinate scrutiny For next spending review
18 Indicator Set to be reviewed and revised in line with local experience CLG to coordinate Starting immediately
Baselines developed for new indicators CLG to coordinate By April 2009
19 Increase (at least double) the LAA Reward Grant HMT/CLG March 2009 (can be announced in Budget)
Align other professional frameworks and inspection regimes with LAAs and PSAs Departmental responsibility, with PMDU and CLG oversight For next spending review