Part 7: Sharing insights about what "good" looks like

Annual plan 2021/22.

To improve their performance, public organisations need to understand what is expected of them. They also need relevant good practice guidance.

We plan to identify and share examples of good practice to support public organisations to improve. Building on our previous work, we intend to maintain our focus on supporting independent audit and risk committees. We see these committees as a vital partner in supporting public organisations to improve their performance and accountability.

In 2021/22, we intend to prepare more good practice resources on topics of interest to the public sector. These will supplement our existing good practice guidance. Where appropriate, we plan to work with other organisations that prepare good practice on similar topics to maximise our influence and help public organisations improve. We have an important and influential role as an information broker, pointing public organisations to comparable organisations that do similar activities well.

We plan to implement a range of approaches to share good practice, including a new speaker series that will occur at least quarterly. We intend to use existing forums and other events to share our good practice and examples of activities being done well that others can learn from.

Planned work for 2021/22
Helping to support the effectiveness of audit and risk committees
Independent audit and risk committees are a vital partner in supporting effective governance, accountability, and transparency of public organisations. Building on our work in 2020/21, we will continue to support and strengthen these relationships by focusing our engagement with audit and risk committees for targeted sectors. We will focus on: Continuing to run forums, including the local government audit and risk virtual workshops and the central government bi-annual forum, and considering what other sectors we might usefully work with. Engaging more with audit and risk committee chairpersons to share lessons learned from our inquiries and performance audits and provide other main messages. Reviewing and updating our good practice guidance for audit and risk committees.
Support material for new audit and risk committee chairpersons
Where we identify a need, new audit and risk committee chairpersons will receive information about working with our Office and copies of relevant good practice material.
Review of good practice guidance: Audit and risk committees
We will review and update our good practice guidance about audit and risk committees (as noted above).
Review of good practice guidance: Public sector purchases, grants, and gifts: Managing funding arrangements with external parties
We will review and update our good practice guidance on managing funding arrangements with external parties.
Sharing good practice: Performance reporting
To help improve public sector performance reporting, we plan to issue further good practice guidance on performance reporting.
Sharing good practice speaker series
Each quarter, we intend to host events where a range of speakers and panellists from the public and private sectors can share their good practice experience, practices, and processes.
Understanding performance and supporting the role of monitoring agencies
A wide range of monitoring agencies have an important role in ensuring that public organisations are fulfilling their obligations and are being managed effectively. In 2021/22, we will complete our work on examining the role and practices of monitoring agencies throughout central government. This is a topic that will likely be of interest to, and have lessons for, all agencies that have monitoring responsibilities. Once we have completed this work, we will consider further opportunities, including whether a good practice guide might be useful.