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From Scrutinies to Market Testing: the Work of the Efficiency Unit

From Scrutinies to Market Testing: the Work of the Efficiency Unit From Scrutinies to Market Testing: the Work of the Efficiency Unit Don Brereton, Head of the Unit, OPSS Efficiency Background The Efficiency Unit derives its place in British Government from the appointment of a personal Adviser on efficiency to the Prime Minister in 1979. The first Sir Derek Adviser to be appointed by Mrs Thatcher was Rayner (now Lord Rayner). The purpose of the Adviser was to help government departments to improve the value of the resources they use. The context was a government commitment to reduce the size and improve the performance of the public sector. The strategy adopted by Lord Rayner and maintained by successive Advisers was to target work on a manageable number of specific projects to produce tangible results. The efficiency scrutiny technique was developed as a partnership between the Efficiency Adviser and departments. Focusing on particular areas of departmental work, the scrutinies examined the purpose of activities and their costs and sought to eliminate waste and inefficiency, improve effectiveness and remove duplication and overlap. The wider purpose of these studies was to establish a body of evidence which would build a case for more lasting and comprehensive reforms to create a better managed and http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Public Policy and Administration SAGE

From Scrutinies to Market Testing: the Work of the Efficiency Unit

Brereton, Don
Public Policy and Administration , Volume 7 (3): 4 – Jul 1, 1992
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Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
Copyright © by SAGE Publications
ISSN
0952-0767
eISSN
1749-4192
DOI
10.1177/095207679200700306
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

From Scrutinies to Market Testing: the Work of the Efficiency Unit Don Brereton, Head of the Unit, OPSS Efficiency Background The Efficiency Unit derives its place in British Government from the appointment of a personal Adviser on efficiency to the Prime Minister in 1979. The first Sir Derek Adviser to be appointed by Mrs Thatcher was Rayner (now Lord Rayner). The purpose of the Adviser was to help government departments to improve the value of the resources they use. The context was a government commitment to reduce the size and improve the performance of the public sector. The strategy adopted by Lord Rayner and maintained by successive Advisers was to target work on a manageable number of specific projects to produce tangible results. The efficiency scrutiny technique was developed as a partnership between the Efficiency Adviser and departments. Focusing on particular areas of departmental work, the scrutinies examined the purpose of activities and their costs and sought to eliminate waste and inefficiency, improve effectiveness and remove duplication and overlap. The wider purpose of these studies was to establish a body of evidence which would build a case for more lasting and comprehensive reforms to create a better managed and

Journal

Public Policy and Administration – SAGE

Published: Jul 1, 1992

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