Cabinet Office Strategy

Timeline

2008

August

• report summary [PDF 750KB, 24 pages] of the Cabinet Office June 2008 publication Excellence and fairness: Achieving world class public services - 1 August 2008.

July

• Supporting work on the Youth Crime Action Plan 2008 [Home Office website] – published by the Home Office on 15 July 2008.
•  Food Matters: Towards a Strategy for the 21st Century - final report on future food policy, published on 7th July 2008.

June

• Supporting the NHS Next Stage Review – High Quality Care For All [PDF 2.77MB, 92 pages], published by DH on 30 June 2008.
• Preparation of a report Excellence and fairness: Achieving world class public services [PDF 905KB, 48 pages], published on 27 June 2008.
• Preparation of a paper on Work Skills [PDF 1.42MB, 27 pages], published by DWP and DIUS on 12 June 2008.
• Supporting work on Developing the NHS Performance Regime [PDF 769KB, 72 pages] published on 4 June 2008.

March

• Life Chances: Supporting people to get on in the labour market [PDF 1.05MB, 76 pages] - an analytical discussion paper published on 18 March 2008.
• Being the best for our children: Releasing talent for teaching and learning [PDF, External website] - work with DCSF on creating a world class school workforce, published on 7 March 2008.

February

• Future Strategic Challenges for Britain - an SU discussion paper published on 8 February 2008.

January

• World-class Apprenticeships: Unlocking Talent, Building Skills for All [PDF, External website] - supported work on the Government's strategy for the future of Apprenticeships in England, published on 28 January 2008.
• Food: an analysis of the issues [PDF 2.38MB, 113 pages] - an analytical paper on food and food policy, published on 3rd January 2008.

2007

December

• The Children's Plan: building brighter futures [External website] - supported work on DCSF's Children's Plan, published on 11th December 2007

August

• (Achieving) Culture Change: A Policy Framework  [PDF 445KB, 124 pages] - an SU discussion paper looking at how government policy can be used to encourage particular courses of action and behaviour in cases where powerful cultural factors are at work, published on 1 August 2007.

June

• Supporting work on The Government's Response to The Power of Information: An independent review by Ed Mayo and Tom Steinberg [PDF 610KB, 20pages] published on 25 June 2007.
• Supporting work on The Power of Information: an Independent Review by Ed Mayo and Tom Steinberg [PDF 279KB, 57 pages] published on 7 June 2007.
• The final report of the energy and environment strand of the Policy Review: Building on progress: Energy and environment [PDF 1.82MB, 72 pages] published on 5 June 2007.

May

• Supporting work on the Asset Recovery Action Plan – A Consultation Document [PDF 298KB, 52 pages] published by the Home Office on 24 May 2007.
• The final reports of the role of the state and families strands of the policy review Building on progress: The role of the state [PDF 1.32MB, 32 pages] and Building on progress: Families [PDF 1.76MB, 64 pages] published on 16 May 2007.

March

• Commissioned a review by the Policy Research Bureau: Interventions for children at risk of developing antisocial personality disorder [PDF 1.04MB, 106 pages] published in March 2007.
• The final report of the security, crime and justice strand of the policy review: Building on progress: Security, Crime and Justice [PDF, 3MB, 110 pages] published on 27 March 2007.
• Supported work on Raising Expectations: Staying in education and training post–16  [DfES Website] published by the Department for Education and Skills on 22 March 2007.
• The final report of the public services strand of the policy review: Building on progress: Public services [PDF, 1.8MB, 87 pages] published on 19 March 2007.

February

• Summary of Policy Review seminars for Ministers below Cabinet level  [PDF, 458KB]
• Higher Education: Progress, challenges and a new scheme to promote voluntary giving
• Policy Review: Summary of Background Papers [No 10 website]
• HM Government: Policy Review - Presentation by the Prime Minister to the Liaison Committee [No 10 website]

January

Four papers published as background to the individual strands of the Policy Review on 16th January 2007:

• Environment and Energy
• Public Services (see also Discussion paper: The UK Government's Approach to Public Service Reform, June 2006)
• Security, Crime and Justice
• The Role of the State

2006

November

• A report on schools: progress in the last ten years and challenges ahead - background paper which fed into the Prime Minister's speech on personalised learning on 30th November 2006.
• Strategic Priorities for the UK: The Policy Review - background paper for Cabinet discussion on the policy review announced in October 2006.
• Strengthening powers to tackle anti-social behaviour - consultation paper [Home Office website]
• Science and innovation  [No.10 website] - three background papers prepared in support of a speech on science and technology by the Prime Minister in November 2006

October

• Strong and prosperous communities - the local government white paper [DCLG website]

September

• Social Exclusion Action Plan

July 2006:

• The Strategy Unit worked jointly with DWP on new arrangements for delivering child support [DWP website]
• The Strategy Unit worked jointly with DTI and other departments on the Energy Review report [DTI website]

June 2006:

• The Strategy Unit prepared a paper on The UK Government's Approach to Public Service Reform as background to the conference '21st Century Public Services - Putting People First' hosted by the National School of Government on 6 June 2006.
• The Strategy Unit produced a joint paper with DfES reviewing the international evidence on the impact of Schools Reform.

March 2006:

• Joint work with DfES on the Further Education Reform White Paper Further Education: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances [DfES website], published on 27 March 2006

January 2006:

• The Strategy Unit worked jointly with the Home Office, DfES and ODPM on tackling anti-social behaviour and promoting the respect agenda, leading to the launch of the Government's Respect Action Plan [Home Office website]
• The Strategy Unit provided analytical support to the Department of Health on improving non-hospital social care services which fed into DH's White Paper Our health, our care, our say: a new direction for community services [Department of Health website]
• The Strategy Unit worked with DTI on developing the evidence base of key energy challenges faced by the UK and contributed to DTI's public Energy Review consultation document: Our Energy challenge: securing clean, affordable energy for the long term [DTI website]

2005

October 2005

• The Strategy Unit contributed to the Department for Education and Skills Schools White Paper: Higher Standards, Better Schools for All [DfES website]

July 2005

• The Strategy Unit supported a fundamental legal aid review published by the Department for Constitutional Affairs: A fairer deal for legal aid [GNN website]

March 2005

• 31 March: The Strategy Unit and the Department of Trade and Industry publish Connecting the UK: the Digital Strategy

February 2005

• 24 February: The Strategy Unit publishes the second Strategic Audit: Progress and challenges for the UK
• 17 February: The unit publishes the report: Investing in Prevention: an international strategy to manage risks of instability and improve crisis response

January 2005

• 31 January: The Strategy Unit published the report Improving the prospects of people living in areas of multiple deprivation in England
• 19 January: The Stategy Unit publishes the report: Improving the life chances of disabled people

2004

July 2004

• 21 July: The Strategy Unit publishes the London Project Report

June 2004

• 17 June: The Strategy Unit project on Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People publish an Interim Analytical Report
• 3 June: Version 2.1 of the Strategy Survival Guide is published.

April 2004

• The Strategy Unit publishes the discussion paper: Life Chances and Social Mobility.

March 2004

• 25 March: The Strategy Unit publishes Net Benefits: A sustainable and profitable future for UK fishing
• 15 March: The Strategy Unit publishes the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England : Government's new partnership approach to tackling alcohol problems in England.

February 2004

• 20 February: The Strategy Unit publishes the discussion paper Personal Responsibility and Changing Behaviours : the state of knowledge and its implications for public policy

January 2004

• 15 January: A revised version of the Strategy Survival Guide has been published. The guide is a collection of best-practice material for people involved in strategy work in government. It provides a framework for conducting projects and advice on the skills that this requires.
• 6 January: The Home Office publish Managing Offenders, Reducing Crime, a joint Home Office and Strategy Unit review of correctional services.

2003

December 2003

• 17 December: The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister have asked the Strategy Unit and the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit to take forward a study of government's approach to improving the prospects of people living in areas of multiple deprivation in England.
• 11 December: Trying It Out - The Role of Pilots in Policy-Making (pdf, 272kb) The sharp growth in the number and scale of British pilots since 1997 led to a call for their methods and fitness for purpose to be evaluated. Adding It Up, a PIU report, recommended more and better use of pilots to test the impacts of policies before national roll-out.
• 10 December: The Strategy Unit and the Home Office have been asked by the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary to carry out a joint analytical study on police reform.
• 3 December: Weak and Failing States The Prime Minister has asked the Strategy Unit to lead a cross-Whitehall project team to analyse the challenges raised by weak and failing states and recommend how the UK should improve its strategic response to them.
• 3 December: Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People . The Strategy Unit has been asked to provide a strategic assessment, and supporting analysis, of disabled people's life chances.

October 2003

• 24 October: Strategic Audit: Discussion Document: During the first half of 2003, the Strategy Unit worked with departments to consider future priorities and strategic choices across departmental boundaries. The process included analysis of long-run trends and benchmarking the UK against other countries.
• 9 October: The Strategy Unit publishes the discussion paper Innovation in the Public Sector . The paper is intended to provide a framework for thinking, debate and action on the conditions for successful innovation and its diffusion in the public sector.

September 2003

• 18 September: The Alcohol project publishes its Interim Analytical Report as part of its work to produce an alcohol harm reduction strategy for England.
• 4 September - Geoff Mulgan, the Director of the Strategy Unit, becomes Head of Policy at Number 10, working alongside Jeremy Heywood, the Prime Minister's Principal Private Secretary. Geoff Mulgan will continue to oversee the work of the Strategy Unit, ensuring that Number 10's policy and strategy work are more closely co-ordinated.

August 2003

• 29 August: The Strategy Unit launches the first version of the Strategy Survival Guide . This electronic publication sets out a series of methods for doing strategy work in Government, based on the working practices of the Strategy Unit. It provides material on tools, approaches, templates and examples.

July 2003

• 11 July: The GM Crops project publishes its report, Field Work: Weighing up the Costs and Benefits of GM Crops . It sets out the Strategy Unit's analysis of the overall costs and benefits of commercial cultivation - or non-cultivation - of GM crops in the UK.
• 2 July: The London project publishes its Analytical Report , an analysis of the long-term issues facing London.

June 2003

• 10 June: The Strategy Unit publishes a fisheries consultation document setting out a series of questions on key issues facing the UK fishing industry over the next 10-15 years.

May 2003

• 23 May: The Strategy Unit is contributing to the second phase of the Home Office's Correctional Services review which is now underway. A review of correctional services was announced in July 2002 in the Government's white paper Justice for All .
• 6 May: The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has published the Government's response to the Strategy Unit report 'Waste Not, Want Not' .
• 1 May: The Government Chief Social Researcher's Office has published Designing a demonstration project: an employment, retention and advancement demonstration for Great Britain (pdf, 632kb), a demonstration of how to test new policies to help those on the margins of the labour market retain work and advance in employment.

March 2003

• 27 March: The Prime Minister has asked the Strategy Unit to study the medium to long-term issues facing UK Fishing.
• 26 March: Following the publication of the Strategy Unit report Action, Public Benefit, the Government has issued consultation proposals on the introduction of Community Interest Companies (CICs).
• 21 March: Publication of the Ethnic Minorities and the Labour Market report. It contains a wide-ranging new Government strategy that aims to ensure that British ethnic minority groups no longer face unfair barriers to achievement in the labour market.

February 2003

• 20 February: A Strategic Thinkers seminar is held on Biosciences to explore what developments are anticipated in these areas over the next decade; how such developments might impact on society; and how government should respond to the challenges and opportunities that they present.
• 10 February: Launch of a project looking at local government in the future. The Strategy Unit begins an analysis of the key social, economic and political trends likely to impact on local government over the next 10-15 years.
• 7 February: Launch of the London project. The Strategy Unit is asked to undertake a study of the long-term issues facing London.
• 4 February: The Unit publishes an Assessment of Technological Options to Address Climate Change (pdf, 1040kb) which reviews the technical potential of low-carbon technologies to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

January 2003

• 30 January: Publication of an overview methodology paper and background working papers as part of the consultation process for the GM Crops project.
• 14 January: Publication of the discussion paper Life Satisfaction: the state of knowledge and implications for government .

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2002

December 2002

• 19 December: Publication of Game Plan: a strategy for delivering Government's sport and physical activity objectives . This report sets out a new Government strategy to improve the nation's health by combating the couch potato culture, and to achieve more success in international sport.
• 3 December: Announcement that the Unit is taking forward a study on drugs, working closely with the Home Office and other key departments.
• 2 December: Publication of Electronic Networks: Challenges for the next decade . The report looks at likely changes in technology, market structure and competition, and at how policy and regulation needs to respond.

November 2002

• 27 November: Publication of Waste Not, Want Not: a strategy for tackling the waste problem. This report recommends ways to reduce the rate of waste growth and for more re-use and recycling to combat the country's growing rubbish mountain.
• 20 November: Publication of Risk: Improving government's capability to handle risk and uncertainty. This report sets out new proposals to improve risk management by the public sector by building on best practice. It included publication for consultation on a new set of principles that the public sector should follow when managing risks to the public.
• 14 November: Publication of In Demand Adult skills in the 21st century - part 2 . This report sets out the Government's action plan to increase skills training and development over the next five years. Part One was published in November 2001.
• 14 November: A Strategic Thinkers seminar is held on High Performing Cities to explore the ability of the UK's big cities to perform and compete as sources of economic growth, and examine latest evidence on trends that may affect them and the impact of systems of governance.
• 6 November: Publication of Delivering for children and families: inter-departmental childcare review . This report sets out the detailed strategy behind Government plans to create at least 250,000 childcare places by 2005/06, double funding for childcare, and bring responsibility for childcare and early years into one-stop shops at local authority level.
• 4 November: The Unit holds a Strategic Thinkers seminar called Life Satisfaction to explore the growing literature on life satisfaction and what makes people happy.

October 2002

• 28 October: The Home Office and the Strategy Unit are consulting on the recommendations in the recent report on the legal and regulatory framework for the charitable and wider not-for-profit sector, Private Action, Public Benefit .
• 21 October: A Strategic Thinkers seminar is held on Addictive Behaviour to look at the major forces driving current trends in addictive behaviour and how government policy addresses them, as well as the social, health and economic impacts of addiction in the UK.
• 15 October: The Strategy Unit and the Department of Health jointly publish a consultation paper on alcohol misuse, as part of the Government's commitment to tacking the problems associated with alcohol misuse.
• 1 October: Publication of Creating public value , which contains an analytical framework for public service reform, alongside other background papers.

September 2002

• 25 September: Publication of Private Action, Public Benefit : a review of charities and the wider not-for-profit sector. This proposes wide-ranging changes in the law and regulation of the charitable and wider not-for-profit sector.
• 25 September: Publication of a Scoping note for a study on the overall costs and benefits associated with the growing of genetically-modified crops in the UK.
• 24 September: A Strategic Thinkers seminar is held on Creating Public Value to discuss new ways of thinking about the objectives and performance of government.
• 18 September: Sue Duncan is appointed Government Chief Social Researcher to lead the Strategy Unit's work on maintaining quality and standards of government social research.
• 13 September: Publication of Waste: an analytical review . The interim paper sets out issues surrounding waste management and invites comments on how the growth in waste volumes should be dealt with.

July 2002

• 26 July: Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Margaret Beckett asks the Strategy Unit to carry out a study into the overall costs and benefits of GM Crops, including their effect on conventional and organic farming interests, as part of the wider public GM debate.
• 19 July: The Prime Minister announces that he has asked the Strategy Unit to carry out a project looking at how to tackle the problems associated with Alcohol Misuse.
• 8 July: Publication of a discussion paper on Geographical mobility .

June 2002

• 22 June: The Strategy Unit is formed following a merger between the Performance and Innovation Unit (PIU), the Prime Minister's Forward Strategy Unit (PMFSU) and the Policy Studies Directorate of the Centre for Management and Policy Studies (CMPS).
• 6 June: A Strategic Thinkers seminar is held on Geographical Mobility to review the trends and main drivers as well as the costs and benefits of different levels of geographic mobility.

May 2002

• 8 May: The Prime Minister announces that he has asked the Performance and Innovation Unit (PIU) to carry out a project examining the development of electronic networks in the UK over the next decade.

April 2002

• 24 April: Publication of a discussion paper on Social Capital .
• 11 April: Publication of the PIU report Privacy and Data-Sharing: The Way Forward For Public Services which aims to deliver more customer-focussed public services through better use of personal information while maintaining public trust and effective privacy safeguards.

March 2002

• 26 March: A Strategic Thinkers seminar is held on Social Capital to review recent trends and examine the potential importance of social capital for a range of economic and social outcomes.
• 20 March: Publication of Lending Support: Modernising the Government's use of Loans which contains a new framework for the use of government loans and proposals for harnessing new technology to improve customer access to them.
• 19 March: Launch of Policy Hub , a new online resource to help improve the way public policy is shaped and delivered, which has been developed by the Centre for Management and Policy Studies (CMPS).

February 2002

• 20 February: Publication of Ethnic minorities and the labour market: analytical review which looks at the labour market achievements of ethnic minorities and the underlying causes of these achievement levels.
• 14 February: Publication of the Energy Review which aims to help the UK prepare for the challenge of changing energy systems over the next 50 years.
• 1 February: The Prime Minister announces that he has asked the PIU and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to carry out a joint sports review to examine long-term sports policy.

January 2002

• 18 January: A Strategic Thinkers seminar is held on Electronic Networks to focus on the long-term trends in the development of electronic networks, how they might alter and the lessons from other countries and industries.

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2001

December 2001

14 December: A Strategic Thinkers seminar is held on Managing Risk and Uncertainty to explore how the nature of risk might change in the future and how Government and the private sector will need to develop risk management procedures.

November 2001

• 27 November: Publication of In demand: adult skills for the 21st century which sets out a new framework to make skills training and development more responsive to the needs of businesses and employees.
• 21 November: Speaking at the Waste Summit, Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, announces that the PIU is to carry out a study on waste.
• 20 November: Publication of Resource productivity: making more with less which highlights the scope for improving the environment while benefiting the economy.
• 13 November: A Strategic Thinkers seminar is held on how the nature of Transport might change and how any changes could affect issues such as congestion, the environment and civic engagement.
• 5 November: Publication of Renewable Energy in the UK: Building for the Future of the Environment (pdf, 82kb) which sets out how the Government will spend the £100m million boost for renewable energy announced earlier in 2001.
• 5 November: Publication of a discussion paper on Satisfaction With Public Services .

October 2001

• 26 October: A Strategic Thinkers seminar is held on Visions for Energy Policy to examine the issues that impact on how we use energy, potential changes, and what Government might need to do in response.
• 25 October: Announcement that the Unit is taking forward a study on childcare
• 16 October: Publication of Understanding Best Practice in Strategic Futures Work (pdf, 84kb), summarising some of the best practice employed in futures thinking and how to utilise this approach in policy making.
• 12 October: Start of Ethnic Minorities in the Labour Market project
• 5 October: The Prime Minister appoints a number of independent advisers to his Forward Strategy Unit. They are: Arnab Banerji, Penny Hughes, Nick Lovegrove and Adair Turner.

September 2001

• 24 September: Publication of A Futurist's Toolbox: Methodologies in Futures (pdf, 86kb), presenting the key methods and approaches commonly used as tools in futures work and explores their relative strengths and weaknesses.
• 11 September: A Strategic Thinkers seminar is held on Strategic Opportunities for Small Business in the UK to highlight the issues that small businesses may face and how Government can help the sector to develop.

August 2001

• 9 August: Lord Birt is appointed as the Prime Minister's strategy adviser. He will play an overarching role on a number of projects and will be supported by the Forward Strategy Unit.

July 2001

• 19 July: The Prime Minister announces that he has asked the PIU to look at how to improve the government's risk management.
• 4 July: A Strategic Thinkers seminar is held on Strategic Futures to share and debate the results of research into some key futures issues.
• 3 July: The Prime Minister announces that he has asked the PIU to carry out a review of voluntary sector law and regulation.

June 2001

• 29 June: Publication of the discussion paper Benchmarking UK Strategic Futures Work (pdf, 78kb) which aims to identify best practice in the use of strategic futures work to inform policymaking.
• 28 June: Publication of Strategic Futures Thinking: meta analysis of published material on Drivers and Trends (pdf, 246kb), examining published literature on strategic futures issues.
• 25 June: The Prime Minister announces that he has asked the PIU to carry out a review of the strategic issues surrounding energy policy for Great Britain.
• 22 June: Prime Minister's Forward Strategy Unit is established to provide strategic, private, thinking for the Prime Minister and other Cabinet Ministers on a range of topics, across key areas of government policy. It will be run by Geoff Mulgan, director of the PIU.
• 16 June: Publication of a Short Survey of Published Material on Key UK Trends 2001-2011 (pdf, 569kb), synthesising existing predictions on trends in sectors such as the economy, demographics, the environment, housing and health over the next decade.
• 15 June: A Strategic Thinkers seminar is held on Future Structures for Central Governments to explore the future roles, structures and management systems for central governments.

May 2001

• 24 May: A Strategic Thinkers seminar is held on Workforce Development to explore trends in the UK labour market and workforce development.
• 8 May: Publication of Tackling Diseases of Poverty which sets out how the international community can work more closely together to help combat the growing burden of disease in developing countries.

April 2001

• 26 April: Publication of a discussion paper on Social Mobility.

March 2001

• 27 March: Publication of the PIU report Strengthening leadership in the public sector which calls for action to strengthen and support leadership across the whole public sector.
• 21 March: The Prime Minister announces that the PIU has been asked to study the issues surrounding ethnic minorities and the labour market, including ethnic minority unemployment, access to skills and training, and progression in the workplace.

February 2001

• 19 February: Publication of Ethnic Minorities Economic Performance, an analysis of the possible economic performance of these groups over the next 20 years, given the increasingly important role that minority groups will play in the UK.
• 6 February: The Prime Minister announces the launch of a new PIU project on resource productivity which aims to support the development of a long-term programme to create a truly sustainable economy and society for the UK.

January 2001

• 23 January: Publication of a discussion paper on Better Policy Delivery and Design.
• 22 January: Publication of Migration: An Economic and Social Analysis, a research study produced jointly with the Home Office.

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2000

December 2000

• 7 December: Announcement that the Unit is taking forward a study on modernising government loans.

November 2000

• 8 November: Announcement that the Unit is taking forward studies on: workforce development; resource productivity; and global health.

October 2000

• 6 October: Launch of the Strategic Futures project which aims to improve the ability of Government to think about, react to and potentially shape the future. Its work will Include seminars, research studies, and a cross-Government forum to promote the integration of futures thinking into day-to-day policy making. The impetus for the project was provided by the earlier PIU Strategic Challenges project which set out the key issues that Government might face in the report The Future and How to Think About It .

September 2000

• 28 September: Announcement that the Unit is taking forward a study on privacy and data sharing.
• 13 September: Publication of Rights of exchange: social, health, environmental and trade objectives on the global stage .This PIU report which sets out to show that it is possible to balance an open system of free trade with raising labour and animal welfare standards and protecting human health and the environment.
• 11 September: Publication of E-Gov: electronic government services for the 21st century .This report set a strategic framework for the electronic delivery of government services in line with the Government's target of having all services available on-line by 2005.
• 1 September: Geoff Mulgan is appointed as the new Director of the PIU following an open competition. He replaces Suma Chakrabarti.

July 2000

• 7 July: Publication of Prime Minister's review of adoption . This report helped to address concerns about the fairness, clarity and consistency of the adoption process, and the time the procedure takes.

June 2000

• 28 June: Publication of Counter revolution: modernising the post office network , a report which set out a new strategy for the Government to revitalise and reinvest in the Post Office.
• 14 June: Publication of Recovering the proceeds of crime . This report looked at the financial aspects of crime and what role pursuing the money trail can play in the fight against crime.

April 2000

• 27 April: Publication of Winning the generation game: improving opportunities for people aged 50-65 in work and community activity . This report addressed the issue of a sharp decline in the number of people working in their 50s and early 60s
• 3 April: Publication of The Future and How to Think About It .

March 2000

• 2 March: Announcement that the Unit is taking forward a study on leadership.

February 2000

• 17 February: The Prime Minister announces the launch of the Adoption project.
• 16 February: Publication of Reaching out: the role of central government at regional and local level . This report aimed to improve the co-ordination of central government activity at a local level and proposed the establishment of a new Regional Co-ordination Unit based in DETR.

January 2000

• 13 January: Publication of Wiring it up: Whitehall's management of cross-cutting policies and services .The report's 42 recommendations aimed at fundamental changes in areas, including: stronger leadership from Ministers and senior civil servants; improved policy formulation and implementation; and equipping civil servants with the necessary skills and capacity for cross-cutting working.
• 13 January 2000: Adding it up: improving analysis and modelling in central government, which examined the role of analysis and modelling in policy making and set up the AIU Implementation Group.

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1999

December 1999

• 10 December: Rural economies , a new PIU report that suggests changes to Government policy to promote rural England with enterprising economies, a sustainable agriculture, an enhanced environment, and thriving communities.
• 9 December: Launch of a new project on global trade that aims to provide the Government with a policy framework for balancing social, health and environmental objectives with that of increasing trade liberalisation.

November 1999

• 24 November: The Prime Minister announces the launch of the Electronic Delivery of Services project which aims to set a strategic framework for the electronic delivery of government services in line with the Government's target for having all services available online by 2005.

October 1999

• 26 October: PIU Director Suma Chakrabarti, is presented with the Public Sector Diversity Award, by Sir Richard Wilson, Head of the Home Civil Service. The award recognises high achievement by a public sector worker from the Asian community.
• 21 October: The Prime Minister announces the launch of more PIU studies: Criminal Assets, which will look at what role pursuing the money trail can play in the fight against crime; Post Office, which will examine the options for modernising the Post Office network; Global Trade; and Better Policy Making, Analysis and Modelling.

September 1999

• 13 September: Publication of E-commerce @its.best.uk This PIU report contained 60 detailed recommendations grouped around three key priorities: overcoming business inertia; ensuring that Government's own actions drive the take-up of e-commerce; and ensuring better co-ordination between Government and industry.

May 1999

• 26 May: Publication of the first PIU report Encryption and law enforcement which helped to establish a new approach to encryption based on closer co-operation between Government and industry.

April 1999

• 26 April: The PIU begins work on identifying the key, long term strategic challenges which Government will have to face, as announced in the Government's recent Modernising Government White Paper. This work will help departments and other organisations to look beyond their existing policies towards the Government's long-term goals.

March 1999

• 31 March: Publication of a consultation paper looking at ways to improve the delivery of government services and policies, both regionally and locally.

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1998

December 1998

• 10 December: The Prime Minister announces the first set of PIU projects. They are: Developing Electronic Commerce in the UK: how to make the UK the world's best environment for electronic commerce; Active Ageing: how to improve the well-being and quality of life of older people by helping them to remain active; Central Government's Role at Regional & Local Level: getting the right arrangements in place for delivery of central Government policies in regions and communities; Accountability and Incentives for Joined-Up Government: examining how to encourage more joined-up policy-making and delivery; Objectives for Rural Economies: examining the differing needs of local rural economies, and the key factors affecting performance.

July 1998

• 28 July: The Prime Minister announces the creation of the Performance and Innovation Unit (PIU) one of the changes following Sir Richard Wilson's review of the effectiveness of the centre of Government. The PIU aim is to improve the capacity of Government to address strategic, cross-cutting issues and promote innovation in the development of policy and in the delivery of the Government's objectives. It will be a resource for the whole of Government, tackling issues on a project basis, and focusing on long-term problems that cross public sector institutional boundaries. The PIU will report direct to the Prime Minister through Cabinet Secretary, Sir Richard Wilson.