Improving decision making in Whitehall

As the government makes tough choices about spending, the NAO, Lord Browne, Danny Alexander, Francis Maude and speculation about the ‘Prime Minister’s app’ have highlighted the importance of government having access to more accurate and timely information about their operations.

The Institute for Government, in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and Deloitte, launched its report, ‘Improving decision making in Whitehall’, on 22 May 2012. It sets out how Whitehall could improve its use of management information in decision making.

The report draws lessons from successful examples of improvement in the use of management information across Whitehall. It makes a series of recommendations about how a step change in the use of management information could be achieved.

Francis Maude, the minister responsible for civil service reform, responded to the report and set out his own thinking on this important agenda. This was followed by a panel discussion.

Improving decision making in Whitehall: Effective use of management information (PDF)

Management information audio recording (MP3)

Panel: 

Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office

Julian McCrae, Director of Research, Institute for Government 

Clare Moriarty, DG Corporate, Department for Transport 

Sara Shipton, CIMA Member in Practice 

Mike Turley, Head of Public Sector Practice, Deloitte

Date 22 May 2012