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Evaluating Executive Agencies in UK Government

University of Exeter

Evaluating executive agencies is important even though most government and academic interest is currently focused on ‘modernising government’, ‘e-government’, ‘joined-up’ government and ‘partnership’ working. Firstly, executive agencies are a significant part of the structure of UK central government. In 2000 about 60 per cent of civil servants worked in 126 agencies with about 75 per cent of civil servants working either in agencies or bodies working on agency lines. But there has been very little assessment of whether agencies have been a success. Instead, attention has moved on to the next reform. Secondly, the current ‘joined-up’ government agenda, in part, rests on a view of the merits and shortcomings of agencies. The evidence base for this view requires strengthening. These issues are particularly salient because the Cabinet Office has belatedly instigated an agency policy review and several countries have embarked on reforms seeking to emulate the UK agency initiative. This paper evaluates executive agencies through a general survey of their performance and a case study of the largest agency, the Benefits Agency. The case study enables the effects of agency structures on performance to be assessed. The research draws on existing studies and new research, identifying gaps in evidence and the need for further research which could be incorporated in the Cabinet Office agency policy review.

Public Policy and Administration, Vol. 16, No. 3, 24-52 (2001)
DOI: 10.1177/095207670101600303


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