The BBC’s implementation of Across the UK

Building on the work the BBC has underway as it moves into phase two of ATUK, it should: a review changes it has made to ATUK since March 2021, including the underlying data it is using to track these, to ensure it will still achieve its intended strategic objectives. This should include assessing whether it has adequate processes in place to measure the impacts of changes made against its original plans. It also needs to assess whether improvements to its change control mechanism as well as changes to its governance following the phase one review are working effectively;

b reassess how it will achieve its target of supporting 1,000 apprentices in any given year by the end of 2025 and the capacity the BBC has to recruit at such a scale. This should include reviewing how it will achieve its targets for outside London. It should also finalise its ongoing work to examine its model for the Apprentice Hub with creative industry partners about how it can incentivise industry recruitment so that its intentions to encourage sector apprentices and commitment to skills development can be a success;

c set out a benefits management strategy and plans for measuring changes in audience portrayal and economic growth without further delay. The plan should set out the baseline against which benefits will be measured, how benefits measured relate back to ATUK?s objectives, the information needed to evaluate benefits as well as a strategy to assess the risks of not achieving key benefits and potential mitigating actions. The BBC should also develop how it will revisit and retest ATUK?s benefits at key stages of the programme;

d examine how it will capture other benefits arising from ATUK. Recognising that ATUK is not intended as a savings programme, the BBC should assess ATUK?s alignment with other BBC-wide initiatives, for example any scope for financial efficiencies and other non-financial benefits presented by the new ways of working. It should also consider how it identifies any disbenefits created by ATUK; and

e set out a revised communications and engagement strategy. Building on its learning from phase one, the BBC should set out plans for sustaining culture change from ATUK. As it moves into phases two and three, it needs to collect ATUK-specific data to help it understand the views of staff on ATUK as well as its impact on staff who are directly and indirectly affected by it. The plan should also assess our stakeholder feedback and what more it can do to engage as it implements further phases of ATUK.