Review of Management and Services: Report to the House of Commons Commission

Contents

CONTENTS

	Introduction
	Summary
	Abbreviations
1.	Our Inquiry
1.1	Background
1.3	The Inquiry
2.	The Context
3.	The Ibbs Settlement: introduction
3.1	The problem
3.7	The prescription
3.14	The quality of the Ibbs settlement
	The Ibbs settlement: implementation and operation
4.	Governance
	The House of Commons Commission
4.3	Background
4.5	The Ibbs recommendation
4.8	What has happened?
	The Finance and Services Committee
4.18	The problem
4.20	The Ibbs recommendation
4.23	What has happened?
	The domestic committees
4.33	The problem
4.34	The Ibbs recommendation
4.38	What has happened?
	The organisation of House services
4.47	Introduction
4.48	The Ibbs recommendation
4.51	What has happened?
	The Clerk of the House
4.54	The Ibbs analysis
4.55	What has happened?
	The Board of Management
4.64	The problem
4.66	The Ibbs recommendation
4.67	What has happened?
4.73	The Planning and Management Committee
5.	Financial Management
5.1	The problem
	The Ibbs recommendations
5.2	Overview
5.3	The Department of Finance and Administration
5.8	Towards better financial management
5.10	What has happened?
5.17	Budgeting and manpower planning
5.18	Performance measurement
5.21	Reporting and accountability
5.22	Information
5.24	Accountability for public funds
5.26	External audit
5.28	Internal audit
5.33	Objective setting
5.35	Financial management and other information
5.45	Management information: conclusion
5.46	Shorter term improvements in management information
5.48	Cost information
5.55	Accounting systems
6.	The Department of Finance and Administration
6.1	The Department
6.8	Finance and personnel functions in the DFA and other Departments
6.13	The Director of Finance and Administration
7.	Accommodation and works
7.1	The problem
7.4	The Ibbs recommendation
7.7	What has happened?
7.18	Works: the future
7.19	Works priorities
7.25	Value for money
8.	Information technology
8.1	Introduction
8.4	The current situation
8.9	Costs and benefits
8.12	Organisation of IT in the House
8.24	The way forward
9.	Other Votes
10.	Services shared with the House of Lords
11.	Communications and culture
	Better information for Members
11.1	The problem
11.2	The Ibbs recommendation
	What has happened?
11.3	Questions
11.4	Knowledge of House management
11.7	Knowledge about the provision of services: making suggestions or complaints
11.11	Effective information
11.18	Information about administration issues
11.23	Departmental culture and communications
11.31	Talks and seminars
12.	Influences on the use of services
12.1	Demand
12.3	A case study: Library research services
12.10	The Members’ Vote and the Office Costs Allowance
13.	The need for change
13.1	The Ibbs settlement
13.2	Progress since the Ibbs Report
13.3	Why change?
13.6	The benefits of change
13.7	The barriers to change
13.8	Culture
13.13	Organisation
14.	Overview
14.2	The Ibbs principles
14.4	The extent of progress
14.5	Core Parliamentary functions
14.8	The House as employer
14.10	Quality and economy
14.12	The profile of the House
15.	Governance: conclusions and recommendations
15.1	The House of Commons (Administration) Act 1978
	The House of Commons Commission
15.2	Role and operation
15.5	Support
15.7	Strategic assessment
15.11	Information
15.12	Public profile
	The Finance and Services Committee
15.17	Role and composition
15.22	Chairmanship
15.26	Powers, information and support
	The domestic committees
15.31	Formal or informal?
15.34	Addressing the problems
15.35	Review
15.36	Broadcasting
	The Clerk of the House
15.38	Overview
15.43	Executive authority
15.46	Office of the Clerk
15.51	The Board of Management
15.67	Departmental structure
15.69	Audit
15.76	“Broadly in line”
15.80	Conclusion
16.	Implementation
	Summary of Recommendations
	ANNEXES
Annex A	People interviewed by the Team (List 1: see paragraph 1.5)
Annex B	People interviewed by the Team (List 2: see paragraph 1.6)
Annex C	State of implementation of the Ibbs recommendations
Annex D	Delegations of authority to the domestic committees, 21 October 1991
Annex E	Instrument of Delegation made by the House of Commons Commission on 24 July 1991
Annex F	Summary of financial and other management information available to Departments
Annex G	Other models of governance

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Prepared 26 July 1999