National Audit Office takes aim at government reshuffles

Government must identify the anticipated benefits from reorganisations, said the NAO

Spending watchdog the National Audit Office has published a new document heavily criticising the Labour administration's constant reorganisation of central government systems.

The NAO said that central government has been re-organised some 90 times in the past four years, for a lot of cost but with little actual success. In fact, it said that in its report it had found that none of the reorganisations could demonstrate value, and added that most had vague objectives and were managed poorly.

Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, said, “UK central government machinery is in a constant state of change. At approximately £200 million per annum, the costs are far from negligible and the reorganisations inevitably involve disruption and loss of service.

"We believe a more deliberate and carefully planned process makes sense before such costs are incurred and would also like to see a slow down in the rate of change.”

According to the NAO, central government units are not well equipped to identify the benefits they might get from a system, and nor are they able to ensure that they meet their requirements.

It added that because there were no internal standards for government to refer to, many reorganisation plans may be carried out unnecessarily.

For example, it said that over half of all reorganisations do not compare the costs and benefits of alternative options, leaving doubt over whether they had accepted the most cost-effective option.