Summary
The Capability Review programme was launched in 2005 to assess and compare systematically, for the first time, individual departments' organisational capabilities and ability to deliver their objectives.
This National Audit Office Report, 'Assessment of the Capability Review Programme (HC 123)', finds that the programme has led to evidence of greater capability in departments but that departments have yet to show that the programme has had an impact on outcomes in delivering public services.
Action to tackle weaknesses in capability is now a prominent feature of board business and every department has a board member leading its review response. However, there is some uncertainty in departments about whether, or how, the programme will continue, risking a loss of momentum.
The first-round reviews found common weaknesses in:
- Board leadership;
- Determining the best way for delivering public services; and
- Staff skills.
There is now evidence of improved capability, particularly in boards' visibility and cohesion.
The Report also finds that:
- Capability Reviews are encouraging departments to work together while at the same time sharpening their focus on comparative performance;
- Capability Reviews focus on departments but services are often implemented by external agencies, which are not covered directly by reviews; and
- There is no benchmarking of departments' capabilities against external organisations, which might offer examples of best practice.
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