Whitehall performance measures set to change

7 Jun 07
Whitehall departments could have their contributions to cross-government policies reviewed under Gordon Brown's plans to broaden responsibility for crucial public services, Public Finance has learnt.

08 June 2007

Whitehall departments could have their contributions to cross-government policies reviewed under Gordon Brown's plans to broaden responsibility for crucial public services, Public Finance has learnt.

Ian Watmore, head of the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit, this week told PF that he is likely to consider a revised system of Whitehall performance measurement once he completes the first wave of Departmental Capability Reviews later this year.

Acknowledging that Brown is likely to change the focus of public service targets and performance measurement when he takes over at Number 10 later this month, Watmore said the civil service would also need to change the way it scrutinises its capabilities.

'This slightly depends on how the new administration chooses to go about its business. But if, as we expect, one of the centrepieces [of Brown's government] will be a much smaller number of Public Service Agreements that cut across departments… then I think that we need to think about the capability to deliver cross-cutting objectives as well as individual departments' delivery needs,' Watmore said.

'That's almost certainly going to be where some of the focus goes.'

It is not yet clear whether that will necessitate an overhaul of the fledgling DCR programme, introduced by Cabinet secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell in 2005, or whether any new system would extend existing reviews.

Brown is likely to introduce a streamlined system of cross-cutting PSAs, identifying his main policy goals and each department's responsibility in delivering them, alongside the Comprehensive Spending Review.

PFjun2007

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