Conclusions and recommendations
Performance in 2008-09
1. We
conclude that the change in extent of data provided and the presentation
of that data in the British Council's 2008-09 Annual Report makes
it more difficult to track the Council's performance over a period
of years and evaluate it. We welcome the inclusion of narrative
case studies as a means of illustrating the Council's work, but
conclude that some of the space devoted in the latest report to
photographs, and to gimmickry such as half-sized pages and pages
with holes cut in them, could be devoted in future to hard information
and statistics. We recommend that in future the Annual Report
should include fuller performance data, including corporate performance
scores and reach, to facilitate year-on-year analysis. We further
conclude that the Council should re-instate the use of pie charts
to demonstrate country share of regional income. (Paragraph 8)
2. We conclude that
the recent decline in some of the scores achieved by the British
Council in relation to quality of service, particularly in that
relating to engagement with decision makers and senior influencers,
gives cause for concern. We recommend that, in its response to
this Report, the Council should set out the steps it is taking
to investigate the reasons for these declining scores, and give
its view of the implications of these trends for future Council
policy. (Paragraph 17)
3. We conclude that
the disaggregation of the British Council's overall customer satisfaction
score into individual scores for "meeting expectations"
and "quality of delivery" is to be welcomed. We also
welcome the introduction of the new advocacy measure, and recommend
that the advocacy rating achieved in each region be reported in
the Annual Report. We further conclude that the gap between the
scores for level of satisfaction with engagement and for willingness
to advocate working with the Council requires further investigation.
We recommend that the Council investigate further the reasons
for this gap, and report its conclusions in its next Annual Report.
(Paragraph 22)
4. We conclude that
the British Council's continued commitment to the western Balkans,
despite its overall shift in focus away from Europe, is to be
welcomed. (Paragraph 30)
5. We recommend that
the British Council should monitor carefully the trend in engagement
and customer satisfaction levels in Russia and North Europe. While
we recognise that, given the strategic shift in resources, some
decline in both measures provided may be expected, it is important
that there be no decline in the quality of the services which
continue to be provided in this region, to Russia in particular.
(Paragraph 34)
6. We conclude that
the British Council's refocusing of priorities which has resulted
in increased investment in China, following its categorisation
as an emerging economy and therefore a priority region, is to
be welcomed. (Paragraph 40)
7. We conclude that
the growth in customer satisfaction levels in the British Council's
priority countries and regions is to be welcomed. This is an encouraging
indication that the Council's efforts in refocusing its priorities
and restructuring its services are bearing fruit. (Paragraph 48)
Challenges
8. We
conclude that the lack of progress towards a Cultural Centres
Agreement in Russia is regrettable, and recommend that the Government
and the British Council continue to seek a resolution to this
long-standing issue. We further conclude that the Council's success
in pursuing alternative activities in Russia is to be welcomed
and recommend that it is given a high priority. (Paragraph 57)
9. We recommend that
the FCO take all steps necessary to support the British Council
in its efforts to resume its important work in Iran. (Paragraph
59)
10. We recommend that
the FCO support the British Council's efforts to re-establish
itself in Zimbabwe. (Paragraph 61)
Administration
11. We
welcome the report on the Council's progress in implementing NAO
suggested reforms. We recommend that progress should be reported
in the Council's next Annual Report. (Paragraph 67)
12. We conclude that
2009-10 will be a difficult year for the British Council and that
further cuts in staff and services may be unavoidable. In these
circumstances it is important that the Council concentrates its
activities on its core business and key objectives. We recommend
that the FCO should supply us with the British Council's statement
of its priorities in allocating scarce resources, in its response
to this Report. We further recommend that the Council should update
us with information relating to any proposed cuts in services
required in order to meet the £11.8 million gap which it
has identified in its planning for the next financial year. (Paragraph
78)
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