Departmental Overview Cabinet Office 2017-18
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Departmental Overview, October 2018 Cabinet Office If you would like to know more about the National Audit Office’s CONTENTS Cabinet Office This overview summarises the work of the Cabinet Office including what it does, (NAO’s) work on the Cabinet Office, how much it costs, recent and planned changes and what to look out for across its please contact: main business areas and services. Siân Jones Director Cabinet Office and Cross-Government, Value for Money Bookmarks Overview [email protected] About the Cabinet Office 0191 269 1889 How Overviewthe Cabinet Office is structured Where the Cabinet Office spends its money Paul Keane Managing public money Major programmes and developments Director Cabinet Office, Exiting the European Union Financial Audit Part One Cross-government functions [email protected] Cross-government functions: Commercial 020 7798 7122 Cross-government functions: Human resources and civil service capability Cross-government functions: Digital Part Two About the Cabinet Office How the Cabinet Office Where the Cabinet Office If you are interested in the NAO’s Accountability: departmental performance reporting is structured spends its money Part Three work and support for Parliament more What to look out for widely, please contact: [email protected] 020 7798 7665 Managing public money Major programmes Exiting the and developments European Union The National Audit Office scrutinises public spending for Parliament and is independent of government. The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), Sir Amyas Morse KCB, is an Officer of the House of Commons and leads the NAO. The C&AG certifies the PART ONE PART TWO PART THREE accounts of all government departments and many other public sector bodies. He has statutory authority Cross-government Performance What to to examine and report to Parliament on whether departments and the bodies they fund, nationally functions reporting look out for and locally, have used their resources efficiently, effectively, and with economy. The C&AG does this through a range of outputs including value-for-money reports on matters of public interest; investigations to establish the underlying facts in circumstances where concerns have been raised by others or observed Cabinet Office through our wider work; landscape reviews to aid | transparency; and good-practice guides. Our work ensures that those responsible for the use of public money are held to account and helps government to improve public services, leading to audited savings of £741 million in 2017. Design & Production by NAO External Relations DP Ref: 006108-001 Departmental Overview 2018 © National Audit Office 2018 2 OVERVIEW CONTENTS About the Cabinet Office The Cabinet Office’s purpose The Cabinet Office has three main objectives, set out in its single departmental plan: is to support the Prime Minister and Cabinet and ensure that government runs effectively. Alongside HM Treasury, Maintain the integrity of the Support the design and Ensure the delivery of the finest it forms the government’s Union, coordinate the security implementation of public services by attracting corporate centre. As a central of the realm and sustain a HM Government’s policies and and developing the best department, the Cabinet Office flourishing democracy the Prime Minister’s priorities public servants and leading a number of cross-government performs various strategic This includes: This includes: and coordinating functions efficiency programmes – in particular, overseeing • policy on electoral, constitutional • establishing, monitoring and This includes: how departments implement and parliamentary reform; implementing the government’s Cabinet decisions and the strategic priorities; • overseeing the civil service • national security strategy as a whole; and Prime Minister’s priorities. and responses to national • supporting the Cabinet and security threats; and Cabinet committees; setting policy and controls The Cabinet Office also has • The Cabinet Office has three main objectives, set out in its single departmental plan: to improve efficiency across responsibility for key strategic • 1.international Maintain the integrity ofpolicy the Union, coordinate the security of the realm and •sustain aEU flourishing democracy exit work (see page 8); and This includes: government (largely carried out policy areas such as across government. policy on electoral, constitutional and parliamentary reform; through 13 cross-government national security and EU national security strategy and responses to national security threats; and • coordinating the government’s international policy across government. legislative programme. functions – see page 9). exit negotiations, and 2. Support the design and implementation of HM Government’s policies and the Prime Minister’s priorities for providing This includes: establishing, monitoring and implementing the government’s strategic priorities; direction to supporting the Cabinet and Cabinet committees; EU exit work (see page 8); and departments coordinating the government’s legislative programme. to improve 3. Ensure the delivery of the finest public services by attracting and developing the best public servants and leading a number of cross-government efficiency programmes This includes: how overseeing the civil service as a whole; and they operate setting policy and controls to improve efficiency across government (largely carried out through 13 cross-government functions – see page 9). (for example, by leading Cabinet Office on civil service, | commercial and digital initiatives). Source: Cabinet Office, Single Departmental Plan, (updated 23 May 2018) Departmental Overview 2018 3 OVERVIEW CONTENTS How the Cabinet Office is structured The Cabinet Office organises its 1. Maintain the integrity of the Union, security and democracy directorates, groups and functions These Cabinet Office groups have broad strategic responsibilities for national security concerns and constitutional issues (for example, elec- according to its three departmental Maintain the integrity of the Union, Supporttions, devolution the and parliamentary reform).delivery of the Improve the efficiency of government security and democracy government’sConstitution Group programme and objectives (see left). The Cabinet Office’s Government Security Group These groups and units are responsible for the Prime Minister’s prioritiesIntelligence and Security Committee structure also includes Corporate These Cabinet Office groups have Joint Intelligence Organisation government-wide civil service and efficiency Services such as finance and human broad strategic responsibilities for national TheseNational Security parts Secretariat of the Cabinet Office are initiatives. The Cabinet Office houses several Elections security concerns and constitutional issues largely responsible for cross-departmental cross-government functions (see page 9), resources, which ensure the effective Returning officers’ expenses for England and Wales are paid from the (for example, elections, devolution and coordinationCabinet Office (for example, Europe Unit which provide expert support and skills running of the Department. parliamentary reform). on2. Support EU negotiations the delivery of the government’s and Economic programme and development in specialist areas. the Prime Minister’s priorities DomesticThese parts of theSecretariat Cabinet Office arefor largely domestic responsible policies), for cross-de- • Constitution Group aspartmental well ascoordination tracking (for example, progress Europe Uniton on government EU negotiations • Civil Service Group prioritiesand Economic (Implementation Unit).and Domestic Secretariat for domestic policies), as well as Government Security Group tracking progress on government priorities (Implementation Unit). Civil Service Pensions • Economic and Domestic Secretariat • •Europe EconomicUnit (see page 8 )and Domestic Secretariat • Intelligence and Security Committee Government in Parliament Group • Commercial Models •Honours Europe and Appointments Unit (see page 8) • Joint Intelligence Organisation Implementation Unit • Government Shared Services Office of the Parliamentary Counsel •Prime Minister’sGovernment Office in Parliament Group • National Security Secretariat Private Office Group • Public Bodies Reform •3. ImproveHonours the efficiency and Appointments of government These groups and units are responsible for government-wide civil Cross-government functions: service and efficiency initiatives. The Cabinet Office houses several Implementation Unit Civil Service Human Resources Elections •cross-government functions (see page 9), which provide expert support • and skills development in specialist areas. Returning officers’ expenses for •Civil ServiceOffice Group of the Parliamentary Counsel Government Commercial Function Civil Service Pensions • England and Wales are paid from the Commercial Models Prime Minister’s Office Cabinet Office •Government Shared Services • Government Communications Public Bodies Reform •Cross-government Private functions:Office Group • Government Digital Service Civil Service Human Resources Government Commercial Function • Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Government Communications Government Digital Service • Office of Government Property Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Government Security Function Office of Government Property • Government Security Function • Infrastructure and Projects Authority Infrastructure and Projects Authority (jointly with HM (jointly with HM Treasury) Cabinet Office Treasury) | Departmental