Recommendation 12

In 2018, Cabinet Office established the GCFF, which in turn launched a set of Counter Fraud Functional Standards to set out minimum expectations for how government organisations should manage their fraud and corruption risks. In October 2018, government also launched the GCFP to support the development of capability for counter- fraud professionals across government. The GCFP grants membership to the profession based on the evaluation of knowledge and skills codified by the GCFP standards.36 We asked PSFA about the impact of introducing government counter-fraud functional and professional standards. PSFA told us that the functional standards have provided the public with transparency on the basics of what they can expect public bodies to do to 28 Qq 23, 79 29 Qq 18–19; C&AG’s Report, para 1.20 30 Qq 40, 42; C&AG’s Report, para 1.14 and 1.16 31 Q 18 32 Qq 31, 56, 58 33 Q 31; C&AG’s Report, para 19 34 Q 58 35 Qq 29–30; C&AG’s Report, para 1.9 36 C&AG’s Report, para 2.5 Tackling fraud and corruption against government 13 counter fraud and corruption. PSFA’s assessments prior to the onset of the pandemic suggested that use of and compliance with the functional standards was on the increase. It plans to repeat its assessments to establish recent trends. On the professional standards, PSFA explained that they have led to an upskilling of the counter-fraud practitioners across government by sharing with them the available skills, knowledge and experience of the profession. PSFA told us that, internationally, the UK is the first country in the world to have a counter-fraud profession, as well as the first to have a professional standard for fraud prevention.37