Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 12
12
Accepted
UKRI's extensive annual balanced scorecard metrics are not publicly accessible.
Recommendation
We asked UKRI how it knows the organisation has been successful or not in the absence of measurable objectives. UKRI outlined how it uses an ‘annual balanced scorecard’ of indicators to track the health of the R&I system.24 The scorecard comprises over 100 metrics across four themes: its impact; stakeholders’ experience of UKRI; the health of the UK’s R&I system; and the extent to which UKRI is learning and improving as an organisation.25 We asked UKRI where we can track the metrics highlighted in its ‘annual balanced scorecard’. It told us that it reports to DSIT quarterly, but the scorecard is not available online to wider government departments or the public.26
Government Response Summary
The government accepted the recommendation, stating DSIT is developing strategic objectives for UKRI, underpinned by measurable key results, which will be published by Autumn 2025, implicitly addressing the transparency of performance metrics.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Autumn 2025 2.2 DSIT is developing strategic objectives for UKRI in order to monitor its delivery against government priorities, including the five missions and the Industrial Strategy. The strategic objectives will be underpinned by a set of measurable key results. DSIT will publish the strategic objectives and key results by Autumn 2025. 2.3 As set out in the Industrial Strategy, the new strategic objectives will set out UKRI’s role in enabling innovation, commercialisation, and scale-up across the UK. The strategic objectives will also detail UKRI’s critical role in protecting curiosity-driven research.