Working to make government more effective

Working to make government more effective

Environment Agency workers pumping water

Public bodies

We look at public bodies, their role in government and how they can be made more effective.

Public bodies are publicly funded organisations providing a public or government service. Our research, events and commentary explore how the UK government can make effective use of these bodies. We look at how particular bodies (such as Great British Railways) are configured and how they perform. We analyse how government has worked through public bodies to deliver its objectives (for example during the pandemic) and how it could do so better.  

We also research the broader history of public body reform and the future role public bodies could play in the UK public sector. We work closely with the Association of Chief Executives and the Public Chairs’ Forum, which are hosted at the Institute’s offices. In addition, we lead the Institute’s work on public appointments. 

Our latest analysis

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Tracker: The government’s proposed new public bodies

What were the public bodies promised in Labour’s election manifesto and what has been delivered since its entry into government? Our tracker sets out Labour's plans for GB Energy, the National Wealth Fund and more.

Read our tracker
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan during a visit to Brechfa Forest West Wind Farm, a clean energy site in Pencader, South Wales.

Life cycle of a public body

Establishing new public bodies – what have we learnt?

Practitioners and experts from economic and trade bodies discuss the lessons from their experience of setting up new public bodies.

Watch the event
Panellists at an IfG event on establishing new public bodies

Public appointments

Public bodies explained

Public bodies reform

Public body deep dives

We look at how specific public bodies are configured, how they are performing, and what problems they face.

Regulation

We look at how government uses regulation to achieve its objectives and how rules can most effectively be designed and implemented through regulators.

Earlier IfG work on public bodies

15 JUL 2010 Report

Read Before Burning

Our recommendations for increasing the effectiveness and accountability of arm's-length bodies.

21 MAR 2012 Report

It takes two

Our report looks at what is needed for effective relations between government departments and arm’s-length bodies.

04 MAR 2015 Report

Out of the Ashes

What recommendations the next government should act on to truly reform arm’s-length government in the UK.

Our public bodies team