Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 10
10
While HM Treasury is an important user of department’s models, it does not comprehensively scrutinise...
Conclusion
While HM Treasury is an important user of department’s models, it does not comprehensively scrutinise and challenge a department’s quality assurance arrangements for the models it uses. There is no requirement for the Aqua Book to be followed as part of the investment approval process nor as part of the spending review process.29 HM Treasury told us it would want assurance that the department had taken the Aqua Book and its guidance into account, but it does not specifically check.30
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: March 2023 3.2 The Government Analysis Function is currently in the process of piloting the assessment framework which will allow departments to monitor their implementation of the Analysis Functional Standard. Piloting will ensure the framework will help departments to understand what is working well and where changes are needed. The aim is to finalise the framework over the Summer 2022, so that departments will have sufficient time to conduct the assessment during the remainder of the financial year. 8 3.3 Departments will be asked to identify what changes they are planning to make based on the feedback from the assessment framework by the end of 2022-23, so that the Government Analysis Function can monitor the impact that the Framework is having and understand where further action may be required. 3.4 Working with HM Treasury, and reflecting on the recommendations from the Committee, the ONS is considering the future scope of the Analysis Function and the work it undertakes to support wider government analytical capability. 3.5 HM Treasury will also build on its current training offer and ensure that staff who use outputs from other departments are able to confidently assure that these outputs have been quality assured with modelling standards consistent with the Aqua Book and Analysis Functional Standard.