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The Public Sector in Scotland
Implementing the Atkinson Review
Recommendations
31 January 2006
Alwyn Pritchard
UK Centre for the Measurement of Government Activity
Atkinson Review
• Set up by National Statistician
• … “to advance methodologies for the
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measurement of government output”
… also covering productivity and inputs
Think of: GDP (Expenditure) -> General
government final consumption expenditure
Money: purchases made to provide services
Volume: services produced (21% of GDP)
But GDP (Output) follows same principles
Government services in the National
Accounts: a short history
• Up to late 1990’s, outputs = inputs
• Then rules changed: measure what people
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receive
1998: add together treatments in hospitals,
numbers at school
ONS quick to implement new rules (not a legal
obligation until 2006)
Spending departments showed little interest, ONS
worked alone
Public service performance was not the high
profile issue it is now
Government productivity
• 2001: work began on productivity measurement –
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natural offshoot
If outputs grow faster than inputs, productivity
change is positive
Public services performance had a higher profile
now
Others were also developing ways of measuring
performance
People wanted to hear a coherent story
No longer just a national accounts issue
Atkinson Review
• Set up late 2003, reported early 2005
• Broadly supported ONS’s goals and approach
• Provided intellectual underpinning
• Recommended a large programme of work
• Invented triangulation?
• Brought topic to the attention of wider public
• Led quickly to better output measures:
– Health: not total number of hospital operations but a
cost weighted total: op costing £7000 is 10 times more
output than the £700 op.
Achievements to date
• Departments are actively participating:
– better data on activity and spending flowing to ONS
– developing and publishing methodology proposals
• UKCeMGA Productivity papers series, covering
major functions
• Atkinson: a policy issue as much as a national
accounts one
• Atkinson ideas becoming basis of performance
management
Still to do
• Greater understanding of these issues in
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Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, and
More active participation and interest, based on
good quality research
Achieve good results coverage across all
functions of devolved administrations
Tackle difficult areas: justice, courts
Measuring quality change is a major challenge
Contribute to a well informed discussion on what
is achieved through government spending
Keys to success so far
• Support at the highest levels of Government
• Collaboration with those who deliver services
• Academic research programme feeds into work
• Independent Advisory Board for UKCeMGA
• Culture of openness
The Public Sector in Scotland
Implementing the Atkinson Review
Recommendations
31 January 2006
Alwyn Pritchard
UK Centre for the Measurement of Government Activity