UK Inquiry Tracker

Use of evaluation and financial modelling in Government

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry

Opened: 12 Jan 2022 Closed: 2 Sep 2022 Parliament page

Government relies on hundreds – possibly thousands – of models for a huge variety of critical activities, from forecasting spending plans to guiding operational decision making, and increasingly relies on these models as more data is available and there is an increased emphasis on evidence-driven decision-making. When it comes to … Read more

7 Recommendations

12 Conclusions

1 Report

1 Oral session

1 Event

Activity timeline 4 events

2 Sep
2022

Report published

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fourth report from Session 2022-23

27 May
2022

Report published

Fourth Report - Use of evaluation and modelling in government

9 Mar
2022

Oral evidence

Use of evaluation in Government/Financial Modelling

9 Mar
2022

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

Use of evaluation in Government/Financial Modelling

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

9 Mar 2022

View on parliament.uk

Use of evaluation in Government/Financial Modelling

Catherine Hutchinson · HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office Cat Little · Cabinet Office Professor Sir Ian Diamond · UK Statistics Authority Sir Tom Scholar · HM Treasury

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
Fourth Report - Use of evaluation and modelling in government	HC 254	27 May 2022	19	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 results

1 Conclusion Acknowledged

Fourth Report - Use of evaluation …

On the basis of two reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence...

On the basis of two reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from HM Treasury, the Finance Function, the Analysis Function and the Evaluation Task Force about the use of evaluation and modelling across government.1 Cabinet Office … Read more

Government Response

The Evaluation Task Force (ETF) was established in 2021 as a joint HM Treasury and Cabinet Office unit. The ETF will also publish its strategy which will explain how it is working to improve the evaluation system in greater detail, including indicators to measure progress.

HM Treasury

View details

7 Conclusion Acknowledged

Fourth Report - Use of evaluation …

HM Treasury has used the last two spending reviews to increase the emphasis on evaluation...

HM Treasury has used the last two spending reviews to increase the emphasis on evaluation in departments, but acknowledges it has a lot more to do to address the persistent problems which prevent the provision and use of evaluation.17 Working … Read more

Government Response

The Evaluation Task Force is working with HM Treasury to ensure that departments respond to and deliver on their settlement conditions relating to evaluation, captured in a central tracking system and monitored by senior officials; approval for future funding can be withheld if departments don't meet their conditions of settlement.

HM Treasury

View details

10 Conclusion Acknowledged

Fourth Report - Use of evaluation …

While HM Treasury is an important user of department’s models, it does not comprehensively scrutinise...

While HM Treasury is an important user of department’s models, it does not comprehensively scrutinise and challenge a department’s quality assurance arrangements for the models it uses. There is no requirement for the Aqua Book to be followed as part … Read more

Government Response

The Government Analysis Function is piloting an assessment framework to monitor departments' implementation of the Analysis Functional Standard; the ONS is considering the future scope of the Analysis Function; HM Treasury will ensure staff who use outputs from other departments are able to confidently assure quality.

HM Treasury

View details

13 Conclusion Acknowledged

Fourth Report - Use of evaluation …

When producing and using models, poor data can lead to additional time and increased difficulty...

When producing and using models, poor data can lead to additional time and increased difficulty when quality assuring the model inputs. This difficulty is compounded by a lack of data standards across government which means there are inconsistent ways of … Read more When producing and using models, poor data can lead to additional time and increased difficulty when quality assuring the model inputs. This difficulty is compounded by a lack of data standards across government which means there are inconsistent ways of recording the same information.40 When dealing with new situations, such as the rapidly changing pandemic, the Analysis Function told us that Government needs to be fast and agile at sharing data.41 The NAO’s survey showed differences in how satisfied chief analysts were with evaluation support from the centre of government and revealed they were least satisfied with support for sharing data.42 The integrated data service, launched in October 2021, aims to help departments better share and access data.43 34 C&AG’s Report, Financial modelling in government, para 9 35 Q 62 36 C&AG’s Report, Financial modelling in government, para 2.9 37 C&AG’s Report, Challenges in using data across government, Session 2017–19, HC 2220, June 2019 38 Committee of Public Accounts, Covid 19: supporting the vulnerable during lockdown, 53rd Report of Session 2019–21, HC 938, April 2021; Committee of Public Accounts, Tackling the tax gap, 20th Report of Session 2019–21, HC 650, October 2020; Committee of Public Accounts, Gambling regulation: problem gambling and protecting vulnerable people, 7th Report of Session 2019–21, HC 134, June 2020; Committee of Public Accounts, COVID-19: housing people sleeping rough, 49th Report of Session 2019–21, HC 934, March 2021; Committee of Public Accounts, Fraud and error, 9th Report of Session 2021–22, HC 253, June 2021 39 Committee of Public Accounts, Challenges in using data across government, 118th Report of Session 2017–19, HC 2492, September 2019 40 Q 45; C&AG’s Report, Financial modelling in government, paras 2.9–2.9 41 Qq 40, 65 42 C&AG’s Report, Evaluating government spending, para 18 43 Q45; C&AG’s Report, Evaluating government spending, paras 18, 3.28 12 Use of evaluation and modelling in govern Show less

Government Response

The Cabinet Office will address barriers to data sharing and use through the national data strategy, with complete delivery by April 2025 and an interim progress report by December 2023; the CDDO has published the Data Sharing Governance Framework and is establishing the Data Sharing Playbook.

HM Treasury

View details

Government Response AI assessment · 19 of 7 classified

Accepted 12

Acknowledged 4

Not Addressed 3

Total 7 recs + 12 conclusions