Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Accepted
Urgently set out a framework to consistently measure Across the UK's tangible impacts for audiences.
Conclusion
The BBC’s plans for evaluating Across the UK are incomplete and it does not have in place an overall approach for assessing impact. To assess Across the UK, the BBC planned to measure changes to audience perception as well as additional economic benefits such as jobs created. However, it lacked a comprehensive framework that pulled together its different measures to give the overall picture of the programme’s impact. At this stage of the programme, we would have expected the BBC to already have a benefits management strategy and plan in place. Despite starting the programme in 2021, the BBC did not expect to develop its evaluation plan until the second phase of the programme and would not evaluate until 2025. This will be too late for it to understand the impact the programme is having, to make any changes it may need to make, and to realise the benefits from any changes. The BBC has not articulated what success will look like, nor does it have standardised measures of success for its regional hubs in terms of local impact and generating economic growth. The BBC spoke of the recent publication of an evaluation of Doctor Who’s economic impact in Wales following its re-launch in The BBC’s implementation of Across the UK 7 2005 in Cardiff. That was not part of Across the UK, but the BBC would not commit to undertaking comparable evaluations of economic impact for the regional hubs where Across the UK is focused. Recommendation 5: The BBC should urgently set out a framework that brings together how it will consistently measure all of the tangible, beneficial impacts of Across the UK for audiences and in generating local economic growth.
Government Response Summary
The BBC states it has adapted its benefits tracking into an integrated tracker and, since Phase 2 commenced in April 2023, has approved full measurement frameworks for audience and economic impact, sharing them with the NAO. It continues to gather economic impact data and will shortly release further economic analysis.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The BBC agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. introducing a refreshed approach to programme management. The ATUK programme has adapted its benefits tracking to produce a new integrated benefits tracker which provides a holistic view of benefits tracking for the programme. It is also expanding its communication of programme benefits to audiences, creative and local stakeholders. The majority of programme benefits have been tracked on a monthly basis. However from the outside the BBC was clear that the full audience and economic evaluation framework would be confirmed in Phase 2 of the programme. This is because the measurements and metrics are complex in their design and dependent on programming moved during Phase 1. Since Phase 2 commenced in April 2023, the BBC has approved full measurement frameworks for the audience and economic impact of the programme and shared them with the NAO as part of its VfM study. As part of this, the BBC has been tracking performance towards the ultimate goal of reducing the audience portrayal gap between UK regions by the end of the ATUK programme in 2027-28 and is already making further changes to communications and engagement activity as a result of these insights. The BBC will continue to implement changes as it further understands the audience impact of its ATUK changes and commissions. The BBC continues to gather the inputs required to measure the economic impact of its ATUK programme through regular programme reporting. The measurement of economic impact via Gross Value Added (GVA) is a long-term activity and accurate measurement is not due until later in the Charter. However, given the regular tracking of other programme benefits, the BBC is confident that it will comfortably meet the economic benefits of the programme. To accompany its GVA analysis, the BBC is also commissioning a range of regional economic analyses to assess the impact of the BBC in building creative clusters in key UK regions. The BBC will shortly release further economic analysis assessing the impact of Across the UK activity on the BBC’s economic impact in the West Midlands.