Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 24
24
Accepted in Part
Paragraph: 90
Publish annual report card on departments' transparency compliance and agree sustainable funding model.
Recommendation
We commend the OSR for its work on Intelligent Transparency and recommend that it publish an annual report card on departments’ compliance with its guidance, so that Parliament and external bodies might support it in holding departments to account, and making the case for well-informed policy. Recognising that this important work expands the remit of the OSR beyond official statistics, and into the larger world of government analysis, we also suggest that at the next Spending Review, it works with HM Treasury to agree a sustainable funding model for this work, given the vital role it plays.
Government Response Summary
The OSR accepts the recommendation and is beginning work to develop proposals for a monitoring and reporting approach for intelligent transparency. They will consider these proposals alongside discussions with HM Treasury on a sustainable funding model for this expanded work.
Paragraph Reference:
90
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
OSR accepts this recommendation and thanks the Committee for its commendation of our work on intelligent transparency (IT). We agree that this would expand the remit of OSR and would therefore need to be appropriately funded. OSR has an intelligent transparency working group tasked to find ways to promote, and embed, the IT principles across government. We are beginning work to develop proposals for a monitoring and reporting approach for IT across departments. The project will consider incentives and formats for departmental reporting, as well as automated tools for OSR to monitor IT on a rolling basis. We will consider these proposals alongside discussions with HM Treasury on a sustainable funding model for this work.