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Government must act to improve the ability of Parliament and the public to scrutinise its plans and performance says the Public Accounts Committee.

• Read the report summary
• Read the report conclusions 
• Read the report recommendations
• Read the full report: Managing government spending and performance

Report findings

In the report, the Committee concludes significant work is needed "to address the deep-seated problems that prevent government measuring performance and linking outcomes to funding – which is ultimately taxpayers' money".

It also warns there is still no adequate approach in place to support the achievement of objectives and safeguard value for money across government.

The Committee examines the effectiveness of Single Departmental Plans (SDPs) and concludes that, while these are a step forward, they need further development.

Single Departmental Plans have not made it easier to hold government to account for spending

SDPs were launched by the Cabinet Office in July 2015 and require government departments to set out plans to 2020, covering formal reporting on key government priorities, cross-cutting goals which span more than one department, and the day-to-day business of departments.
  
However, the Committee finds SDPs have not made it easier to hold government to account for spending and "there is a considerable way to go before the taxpayer will be able to see in detail what their money is being spent on and how well it is being spent".

Weaknesses in joined-up working remain barriers to government effectiveness

The Committee also questions the ability of SDPs to deal with significant changes in priorities during and beyond this Parliament, for example those arising from Brexit.

Weaknesses in joined-up working and prioritisation of objectives remain barriers to government effectiveness, the Committee concludes.

Its recommendations, noted below and in the attached report, set out measures to improve planning and performance across government and to increase transparency for the benefit of Parliament and the public.

Chair's comments

Meg Hillier MP, Chair of the PAC, said:

"Taxpayers have a right to know how well government is spending their money.

They have long deserved better than the information currently available to them—a serious shortcoming that has not been properly addressed by the introduction of Single Departmental Plans.

Government internal plans offer a level of detail not available to taxpayers or Parliament and indeed for some objectives no indicators to measure progress are published in SDPs at all.

Even basic information is out of date—an alarming fact that does nothing to instil confidence in what should be dynamic documents setting out a clear picture of the shifting priorities, objectives and spending of government.

This becomes still more important in turbulent times and Brexit will be a true test of whether SDPs are fit for purpose.

As government considers our recommendations for improving planning and performance we urge it to be far clearer with Parliament and the public about what it is doing – and how well it is doing it."

Report Summary

There has been some progress in the way that government plans and manages business across departments.

However, there is not yet an adequate approach in place to support achievement of government objectives and safeguard value for money across government.

Significant improvement is needed to address the deep-seated problems that prevent government measuring performance and linking outcomes to funding – which is ultimately taxpayers’ money.

Increasingly, government is facing issues which can only be tackled effectively by a cross-government response, but the current approach to planning and management does not encourage such joined up working.

Government also needs to be flexible to respond to changing priorities

Government also needs to be flexible and agile to respond to changing priorities, particularly the challenge of Brexit; but the current approach is too often slow to respond and encourages government to simply add to its list of activities without effective prioritisation.

The so-called 'Single Departmental Plans' (SDPs) are an important step forward, but their effectiveness has not yet been tested, and government acknowledges that they need further development – particularly on planning across departments and down into delivery chains.

Improving the approach to business planning and management will require commitment and collaboration across the whole of government to standardise quality and ensure consistency.

This must be a joint priority for HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office. They must also ensure that the work improves the information that Parliament and the public can access to understand government's plans and to see how it is performing.

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
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