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Fact Sheet: 3
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Assessing how well Government policies have been delivered
1. How well an Agency or NDPB has performed against its aims, objectives, key targets
and quality standards is a key element in the review. Evaluating its performance will
throw light on how successful an Agency or NDPB, as the current delivery mechanism, has
been in achieving Government objectives; and therefore whether it should continue to be
the preferred mechanism in the future.
2. This Factsheet sets out the sorts of questions which reviewers should consider
asking when evaluating an Agency’s or NDPB’s past performance. The views of
customers, staff and their trade unions, and other stakeholders should be sought when
considering an Agency’s or NDPB’s past performance; including inviting responses
via the parent/sponsor Department’s, Agency’s or NDPB’s web sites.
Achievement of aims, objectives, targets and
standards
 | Have the Agency’s or NDPB’s aims, objectives, key targets and quality
standards been achieved? If not, why not? |
| Have the Agency’s or NDPB’s key targets been made more challenging over time? |
| Has the emphasis in the Agency’s or NDPB’s key targets moved more towards the
achievement of outcomes, where practicable, than outputs? |
| Has there been any change in the services provided to customers? |
| What are customers’, staff and their trade unions’ views on the nature and
quality of services and the way in which they have been provided and have these views
altered? |
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Efficiency savings and productivity gains
| Has the Agency’s or NDPB’s financial performance improved? |
| What steps have been taken to improve efficiency? Is the taxpayer receiving better value
for money? |
| n Has the Agency or NDPB applied the European Foundation for Quality Management
Excellence Model® 1 and has this provided
evidence of consistent improvement in results? |
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Relationship with parent/sponsor Department and
Minister
| Has the Department’s role in relation to the Agency or NDPB become more strategic
and effective reflecting the appropriate relationship of the Chief Executive/Chairman with
the Minister? |
| Were the right arrangements set up for advising the Minister on the Agency’s or
NDPB’s performance? Where it exists (for Agencies) has the Ministerial Advisory Board
been properly supported? – if so, are appropriate arrangements in place for its
support; if not, should they be established? Where (for Agencies) a Fraser figure exists,
has he or she been properly supported, and was the role properly understood, especially if
the Agency has a Ministerial Advisory Board as well? |
| (For Agencies) Has the objective of freeing Ministers from day to day involvement with
the Agency been achieved? |
| Has there been an effective input from the Agency or NDPB as service deliverers to the
policy formulation process? |
| Where the sponsoring department or other government departments are the customers of the
Agency/NDPB:
 | What steps have customers taken to ensure that they are receiving the services they
require and achieving value for money? |
| What form of agreements have been reached and how effective are they? |
| What part does the Agency/NDPB play in helping the customer to be informed/intelligent?
What other sources of advice can the customer draw on? |
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| Where the customers are direct purchasers/users/beneficiaries of the Agency/NDPB’s
services:
| What are their views on the extent to which the Agency or NDPB has met their needs? |
| To what extent has the Agency or NDPB sought to identify the needs of those using its
services and taken these on board in designing how it delivers its services? |
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| Are adequate systems in place to ensure that the Agency/NDPB can identify
customers’ requirements and monitor the extent to which they are met? |
| Has the Agency/NDPB been operating in accordance with Service First principles
2. |
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Impact of freedoms and flexibilities
| Was the Framework Document/Management Statement clear – did ambiguities arise? |
| Have all commitments in the Framework Document/Management Statement to future
developments in the Agency/NDPB’s organisation or systems been met? |
| (For Agencies) What has been the extent of delegation to the Chief Executive in areas of
finance, personnel and support services? Have these delegations been successful – if
not, why not? |
| (For Agencies) What controls were retained by the Department and why? |
| Have there been any problems in recruiting and retaining staff? If so, to what extent is
this due to the level and nature of the freedoms and flexibilities enjoyed by the
Agency/NDPB? |
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Effect on the centre of the parent/sponsor
Department
| Have central support costs/staffing levels reduced in proportion to the transfer of
staff and activity to the Agency/NDPB? If so, to what extent? If not, why not? |
| What overheads does the strategic management of the Agency/sponsorship role of the NDPB
by the department consume? |
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Footnotes
1 Further information on the EFQM Excellence Model® can be obtained
from British Quality Foundation, 32–34 Great Peter Street, London SW1P 2QX (web site:
http://www.quality-foundation.co.uk). Information on how to apply the EFQM Excellence
Model® to the UK public sector is available on the Internet at http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/eeg/benchmarking.htm
2 Information on Service First principles and Charter Mark is available
on the Internet at http://www.chartermark.gov.uk
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