The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) is subject to an “efficiency and effectiveness” review that is looking at all bodies funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), FE Week understands.
It was this afternoon reported by the Guardian that consultancy McKinsey had been commissioned by Business Secretary Sajid Javid (pictured above) to undertake the review.
McKinsey declined to comment. A spokesperson told FE Week that it did not issue statements “on client work we do”.
It was reported that the “efficiency and effectiveness review” would affect all BIS-funded bodies — thereby including the SFA, which is yet to comment.
The Guardian article was written by James Wilsdon, professor of science and democracy in the Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex. He recently chaired an independent review of the role of metrics in research assessment and management on behalf of the Higher Education Funding Council for England and BIS.
He wrote: “This review, details of which have not been publicly announced, is clearly intended to shape BIS’s spending review submission to HM Treasury. Sajid Javid was apparently dismayed by the number of bodies that BIS is funding, so turned to McKinsey, which prides itself on a radical approach to cost cutting.”
He said BIS declined to comment for the Guardian. It is yet to respond to FE Week.
I can tell the Minister, for nothing, that the SFA is neither efficient nor effective. Perhaps he can now save the money he intends to waste on McKinsey and spend it on learners.
Excellent news. The agency is wholly ineffective and worse than inefficient.