Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 10
10
The Cabinet Office is responsible for publishing guidance for departments and ALBs and provides direct...
Conclusion
The Cabinet Office is responsible for publishing guidance for departments and ALBs and provides direct support on any questions or issues. However, out of the departments and ALBs interviewed by the NAO, three quarters said they would welcome increased guidance and support from the Cabinet Office. Nearly half suggested that it could help facilitate better networks across government so that ALBs and departments could learn from each other.17 Some departments, such as the Ministry of Justice, have set up a Centre of Expertise for sponsorship, staffed by 26 full-time individuals whose job it is to make sure that the right arrangements are in place for identifying risk and holding ALBs to account.18 The NAO found that, in the Cabinet Office’s absence, some departments had stepped up to deliver sponsorship induction training and support to other departments. The Cabinet Office told us that the support it offers is guided by what departments and ALBs want to see, and that it has been undertaking a consultative exercise with these bodies to identify what more they need.19
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
3: PAC conclusion: Departments do not receive enough support from Cabinet Office in certain aspects of arm’s-length bodies management. 3: PAC recommendation: The Cabinet Office should write to us by January 2022, setting out how it will use its new strategy to: • assure itself that the guidance it sets is being followed and that assurance and framework documents are regularly updated; • support departments and ALBs so that they can better benchmark their performance; and • improve sponsorship skills across government and how it will measure the success of this. 3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: January 2022 3.2 The government committed to a new programme of reviews and enhancing sponsorship through Action 24 in the Declaration on Government Reform. The Cabinet Office will write to the Committee with an update on the progress of the Public Bodies Reform Programme and its next steps in January 2022. As confirmed in Alex Chisholm’s written evidence to the Committee, the Programme includes workstreams on governance, data and sponsorship. 13