UK ranked No.5 in global public-services league table
03 Oct 2022 Analysis

UK ranked No.5 in global public-services league table

United Arab Emirates is top performer in human-centred design analysis
by Jim Dunton
Government's ‘top down-approach’ to net zero 'holding back progress'
02 Feb Analysis
Government's ‘top down-approach’ to net zero 'holding back progress'
Decision on extra pay increase ‘was the hardest call this year’, National Audit Office chief says
28 Dec 2022 Analysis
Decision on extra pay increase ‘was the hardest call this year’, National Audit Office chief says
Government's property plans 'in disarray' as 'plague of ageing, inadequate data systems strikes again', MPs warn
21 Dec 2022 Analysis
Government's property plans 'in disarray' as 'plague of ageing, inadequate data systems strikes again', MPs warn
'I want to build a truly inclusive culture across the ONS': Sir Ian Diamond's hopes for 2023
21 Dec 2022 Analysis
'I want to build a truly inclusive culture across the ONS': Sir Ian Diamond's hopes for 2023
Enabling more frequent population statistics and fostering greater diversity in the Office for National Statistics are twin priorities for the national statistician
Evaluation, managing demand and investing in digital the path to saving public money, watchdog says
12 Dec 2022 Analysis
Evaluation, managing demand and investing in digital the path to saving public money, watchdog says
NAO head Gareth Davies suggests how departments can get more out of their budgets amid mounting pressures
Driving value for money for everyone: Meeting the challenge of ‘Yes’ for public sector commercial directors Partner Content
01 Dec 2022 Analysis
Driving value for money for everyone: Meeting the challenge of ‘Yes’ for public sector commercial directors
By challenging established processes and embracing new ways of working, significant savings and enhanced efficiencies are achievable, say Sarah Ashley and John Thompson from Baringa
Sunak 'should consider enabling OBR to probe departmental spending plans'
22 Nov 2022 Analysis
Sunak 'should consider enabling OBR to probe departmental spending plans'
Think tank’s growth proposals urge PM to consider Vaccine Taskforce-inspired interventions for key goals
A civil servant’s guide to the Open Data Institute’s fuel poverty risk index
08 Nov 2022 Analysis
A civil servant’s guide to the Open Data Institute’s fuel poverty risk index
Fuel poverty is a public health emergency. Up-to-date data will help policymakers to target support amid the cost of living crisis
Pandemics, plastic bags and planning: What can data tell us about government policy? Partner Content
02 Nov 2022 Analysis
Pandemics, plastic bags and planning: What can data tell us about government policy?
How do we know if a policy works and gives value for money, or has unintended consequences? The longitudinal data of Understanding Society can help to find the answers
Don’t rush into decisions on spending cuts, Hunt warned
27 Oct 2022 Analysis
Don’t rush into decisions on spending cuts, Hunt warned
IfG and CIPFA urge Hunt to wait on detailed plans for cuts in fiscal statement
Civil servants warned Kwarteng about mini-budget fallout, MPs told
27 Oct 2022 Analysis
Civil servants warned Kwarteng about mini-budget fallout, MPs told
Debt Management Office chief says Treasury was told disastrous £45bn tax-cuts plan would push up borrowing
Home Office delays job market review over data hiccup
21 Sep 2022 Analysis
Home Office delays job market review over data hiccup
Shortage occupation list review may end up using 2010 stats if issue with ONS dataset is not resolved quickly
Treasury rejects call for OBR forecast alongside mini-budget
21 Sep 2022 Analysis
Treasury rejects call for OBR forecast alongside mini-budget
MPs' request for "vital" assessment rejected, with Treasury citing need to move at "immense speed"
Delivering data dividends: lessons from the pandemic Partner Content
08 Jun 2022 Analysis
Delivering data dividends: lessons from the pandemic
Data proved to be a pivotal weapon in the fight against Covid-19, but it is vital to draw important lessons from this period to help strengthen the response to future public health challenges. BAE Systems’ Andy Lethbridge chronicles his experiences navigating uncharted waters at the heart of the UK’s pandemic response
Data black hole means government lacks grasp on two-thirds of local spending
04 May 2022 Analysis
Data black hole means government lacks grasp on two-thirds of local spending
Government does not understand why local authority performances vary due to £10bn data gap, think tank says
MoD's Ajax armed vehicle troubles 'may prove insurmountable', NAO warns
21 Mar 2022 Analysis
MoD's Ajax armed vehicle troubles 'may prove insurmountable', NAO warns
The National Audit Office says the department's approach to the £5.5bn programme was “flawed from the start”
Levelling up department 'has wasted opportunities’ to learn where spending could have biggest impact
02 Feb 2022 Analysis
Levelling up department 'has wasted opportunities’ to learn where spending could have biggest impact
NAO warns billions could be wasted if DHLUC does not improve its evaluation
Most government projects not properly evaluated – NAO
02 Dec 2021 Analysis
Most government projects not properly evaluated – NAO
Government “cannot have confidence” billions of pounds of spending “is making a difference”
Civil service’s national diversity hides local differences
22 Nov 2021 Analysis
Civil service’s national diversity hides local differences
Welsh Government sets targets to recruit more disabled staff, while defence organisations in south-west England have low proportions of female and gay employees
Budget 2021: Evaluation fund launched as departments agree new priority outcomes
27 Oct 2021 Analysis
Budget 2021: Evaluation fund launched as departments agree new priority outcomes
Treasury pledges to plug evidence gaps as it publishes new priority outcomes
The civil society data gap matters – and this is how we fill it
19 Oct 2021 Analysis
The civil society data gap matters – and this is how we fill it
Civil society is a vital part of our lives, but we know relatively little about the health of the sector. Ed Humpherson makes the case for taking action now to ensure policymakers have the data they need to better support – and work with – civil society in the future
More than three-quarters of people completed census online
27 Jul 2021 Analysis
More than three-quarters of people completed census online
National statistician reveals ONS exceeded target for first digital exercise
Analysis of Covid deaths by ethnicity scoops stats award
16 Jul 2021 Analysis
Analysis of Covid deaths by ethnicity scoops stats award
Winning project 'produced a profound piece of analysis that had huge effects right across government and the health service'
HMRC shared 5,000 citizen records with local councils in pilot ‘to analyse vulnerable and overlapping debtors’
07 May 2021 Analysis
HMRC shared 5,000 citizen records with local councils in pilot ‘to analyse vulnerable and overlapping debtors’
Newly published information-sharing register reveals programme took place last autumn
Ministerial directions shot up amid pandemic, analysis finds
28 Jan 2021 Analysis
Ministerial directions shot up amid pandemic, analysis finds
Think tank warns threefold increase in decisions to overrule officials' advice on spending must still be properly scrutinised
Review pay for civil service analysts if you want to meet net-zero goal, government told
08 Dec 2020 Analysis
Review pay for civil service analysts if you want to meet net-zero goal, government told
IfG says Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy should also call on a larger pool of external experts for policy advice
MPs call on Sunak to reveal economic impact assessment of Covid-19 measures
03 Nov 2020 Analysis
MPs call on Sunak to reveal economic impact assessment of Covid-19 measures
Treasury Select Committee seeks data briefed to SAGE as Labour demands end to last-minute policy scrambles