Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Accepted
NAO report highlights numerous examples of government innovation despite challenges.
Recommendation
There are 23 examples of innovation in the NAO’s report, which show it is possible for teams working across government to continuously improve and be innovative–even in adverse circumstances where operational delivery is highly challenging.14 Ensuing that everyone can contribute will ensure that government’s understanding of its problems and ideas on improving are informed by a diversity of knowledge, experience and perspectives from people in different roles.15 10 Q 4 11 Q 16 12 Qq 17-18, 69 13 Qq 67, 69 14 C&AG’s Report, para 1.1 15 C&AG’s Report, Lesson D.3 9
Government Response Summary
The ODP will measure take-up of resources used to engage staff in improving services and use existing HoP forums to discuss and share best practice relating to driving continuous improvement activity and building operational delivery capability by September 2026.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
2. PAC conclusion: There are examples of innovation happening across government but more needs to be done to harness the ideas of the 290,000 members of the ODP for improving service delivery. 2. PAC recommendation: The ODP should require all its Departmental Heads of Profession to set out how they will ensure that their staff have the time, skills, tools and support to raise ideas, learn from each other, and get involved with improving services. 2.1 The Profession agrees with the Committee’s recommendation Target implementation date: September 2026 2.2 The Profession will continue to measure take-up of the resources Heads of Profession (HoPs) and other stakeholders use to engage their staff in improving services. These include the Professional Skills Framework, Centre of Excellence website and Senior Community of Practice (SCoP). 2.3 The Profession will also continue to use existing HoP forums to discuss and share best practice relating to: • driving continuous improvement activity at all levels in operational delivery; 25 • building operational delivery capability in problem solving and change leadership and management; • use of case studies within the National Audit Office (NAO) report, Smarter delivery - improving operational capability to provide better public services: driving staff to explore solutions to common operational challenges; • championing participation in civil service-wide initiatives such as ‘One Big thing – AI for All’; • supporting operational staff to allocate time to invest in learning, attend cross-government ODP learning events, such as ODP Fest, and webinars; • embedding standard ODP support structures including HoP role profiles and expectations; • leading by example by hosting departmental learning and career development events. 2.4 Work is also underway to introduce service standards that will enable benchmarking, collaboration, and shared learning across departments and agencies, while respecting individual departmental contexts.