Radical Changes to Performance Management at DWP in the UK

**Watch Video Interview: Portillio Meets Series – The DWP**

The Situation

HM Treasury developed a new performance framework, reducing the number of cross-governmental Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets and introducing Departmental Strategic Objectives (DSOs) for each Department. Unlike PSAs, the DSOs are designed to cover all aspects of a department’s business and provide a comprehensive view of work being done by each Department.

The new performance management approach offered the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) a unique opportunity to redesign its planning and performance management, enabling the Department to link resources and activities to its key outputs and outcomes, and make decisions working in a more cross-departmental way.

The Solution

Capgemini worked with DWP to define the performance management framework for each of its DSO’s.

This was conducted by DSO, and linked outputs to the activities and associated costs needed to deliver it. It has enabled more effective planning and resource allocation across DWP.

The Result

For DWP, the performance management frameworks highlighted a need to reassess how its business is managed and prompted proposals for the Department’s Executive team. These recommended radical change to the management and reporting of performance, moving away from a focus on individual business units towards cross-departmental DSO delivery.

As a result, DWP is one of the first Departments to produce a three year plan for SR07 (Government Spending Review: 2008 – 2010) linking inputs to outcomes and putting DSOs at the heart of their decision making.

“Working closely with DWP, Capgemini delivered a programme of change against tough timescales by capitalising on proven thought leadership in financial performance management as well as innovation in designing the approach to ensure sustainability of results.”
Robin Vasudeva, Vice-President, Capgemini Consulting