By Vivienne Russell | 2 December 2011
Revenue & Customs needs to target its training funds more effectively if it is to improve productivity while reducing running costs, the National Audit Office said today.
The department does not have a clear picture of the skills it needs and does not know how much it is spending on training, the auditors found. The NAO estimates R&C spent £96m on skills development in 2010/11.The auditors warn that the department must collect better data to help develop a more strategic approach. It needs to ensure its staff are equipped with the right skills if it is to cut running costs by 25% while bringing in an extra £7bn of tax revenue.
According to a 2011 survey, 79% of staff believed they had the skills they needed to do their job effectively but only 54% said they were able to access the right learning and development opportunities.
However, the report acknowledges that the department is beginning to address its skills deficit and is developing major professional programmes and fast-tracking training for essential roles.
NAO head Amyas Morse said: ‘At the level of the business as a whole, R&C has no strategy to manage the £96m it spends each year on skills.
‘Although, the department is doing much to make sure it has the skills it requires, it needs a more systematic approach, where spending on skills is linked explicitly to the organisation’s overall business objective and a vision of how it should look in the future.’
