Policy Hub
National or local targets?
On 10 September 2003, the Audit Commission published a report (Targets in the public sector) which says that, in the drive for public sector improvement, critics have challenged the number of nationally set targets, who sets them, and the interaction between the setter and user and called for a move from nationally set targets to targets set by local organisations.
The report concludes that nationally set targets are still required, but user expectations should be similar across the country. There should be wide knowledge of what works; and accountability for improvement should primarily be national. Intelligent target setting needs a dialogue between government and individual localities.
The report is available on the Audit Commission website.