Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 19
19
Accepted
Cabinet Office fails to effectively share good practice examples between government functions.
Recommendation
We asked the Treasury whether, as the lead for the Finance Function, it had shared the methods it had put in place to develop savings with other functions. The Treasury told us that the heads of functions met regularly as part of the Government Finance Function Efficiency and Performance Group, which focused on sharing best practice within functions, between functions, and across departments. However, the NAO, concluded that the Cabinet Office did not share examples of good practice between functions, although functions would welcome this. The GIAA recommended that the Cabinet Office produced “principles-based” guidance for functions about how savings should be calculated and presented.26
Government Response Summary
The Cabinet Office will include case study examples of best practice and provide guidance to functions on calculating savings and avoiding cost-shunting and double-counting for the 2023-24 efficiency and savings return guidance by end June 2025. They will report back in Spring 2025.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: end June 2025 5.2 The Cabinet Office will include case study examples of best practice for the 2023-24 efficiency and savings return guidance, showing how savings were calculated, recorded and reported. 5.3 The Cabinet Office will also provide guidance to functions on how to avoid cost-shunting and double-counting, with examples. The Cabinet Office will report back to the Committee in Spring 2025.