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About us: Key Performance Information

Each year we:

• audit over £800 billion of public expenditure and revenue
• publish 60 value for money (VFM) reports on government activities
• save £8 for every £1 spent on running the NAO

This section gives some of the key performance information for the National Audit Office.

• Financial Audit
• Value for Money Audit
• Budget Information
• Impact of our work
• Human Resources

Financial Audit

The National Audit Office is responsible for auditing the receipts and expenditure of all government departments and agencies. In 2005-2006, this meant combined revenue and expenditure of over £800 billion.

Value for Money (VFM) Audit

On the value for money side, we produce around 60 reports per year. These can vary from an examination of a specific issue – such as the electronic tagging of offenders – to a comprehensive survey of procurement practices across the whole of government. We use multidisciplinary teams to carry out the main work on our value for money studies.

Budget Information

The National Audit Office cost a net £65.25 million in 2005-2006. 

Our annual budget is scrutinised by the Public Accounts Commission, a statutory Committee of the House of Commons. We are audited by independent auditors appointed by the Commission.

Impact of our work

Our work leads to significant financial savings for the taxpayer. In 2005-06, our work generated savings of £555 million - more than £8 for every £1 the National Audit Office costs to run. Direct improvements flow from our work and the subsequent recommendations that we and the Committee of Public Accounts (PAC) make. In well over 90 per cent of cases, audited bodies accept and implement PAC recommendations.

Our work brings other benefits as well. Our financial audit work can, for example, lead to improvements in compliance with corporate governance requirements and our value for money studies may lead to improvements in the quality of public services provided to the public. For example, in a report on stroke care, we made recommendations to re-organise services and use existing capacity more wisely to prevent strokes from occurring, to provide more rapid and responsive acute stroke treatment and to co-ordinate rehabilitation services more effectively.  Responding to our report, the Care Service Minister said "implementing the NAO recommendations could save as many as an extra 10 lives a week".

Human Resources

We employ some 850 staff in offices in London, Newcastle, and Blackpool. We recruit around 40 trainee accountants each year who study to become Chartered Accountants. We also employ people from a wide range of other professional backgrounds and specialisms, such as operational research, statistics, economics, social sciences and personnel. We have a strong programme of continuing professional development for all staff, as well as a secondment programme to encourage staff to further their career development opportunities.

Further information on graduate recruitment and NAO vacancies at the National Audit Office is available on other parts of this website.