27 Accepted

Inconsistent monitoring and evaluation evident across Department's industry support programmes.

Conclusion
We asked the Department about gaps in its monitoring and evaluation of support programmes.54 Of the Department’s Business Group’s 32 initiatives to support sectors, it provided monitoring and evaluation evidence for just 11.55 The Department told us there is a value for money judgement regarding where it focuses its monitoring and evaluation efforts. However, it recognised that its approach had been inconsistent, and noted that a step-change was required in quality and consistency of evaluation. The Department told us that going forward, it wanted to embed evaluation from the very start of an intervention.56
Government Response Summary
The government states it has implemented a recommendation (though the committee labelled it a conclusion) by committing to regularly review progress against the Industrial Strategy, supported by the ISAC and a public monitoring and evaluation approach. This framework is underpinned by an impact pathway for tracking individual policies and ensures government departments conduct M&E for their policies.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented. The government has committed to regularly reviewing progress against the Industrial Strategy. As above, implementation is a government-wide effort, underpinned by shared objectives and metrics. This will be supported by the ISAC through its expertise on monitoring and evaluation and continued advice on policy development and delivery, helping ensure the Industrial Strategy remains fit for purpose. In addition, all fiscal events will set out the government’s continued support for the Industrial Strategy and the IS-8 growth-driving sectors. The department has opted for a public approach to monitoring and evaluation, supported by the ISAC (set out above). This is underpinned by an impact pathway, as outlined in the technical annex published alongside the Industrial Strategy, which sets out the underlying logic tracking individual policies to real world outcomes to achieve the Industrial Strategy’s goal of long-term, sustainable, regionally balanced, and resilient growth. Government departments and public bodies will carry out monitoring and evaluation for their individual policies and Sector Plans.
Addressee Bodies
HM Treasury
Timeline
Recommendation age 1.1 yr
Report published 25 Jun 2025