Public Service Agreement Targets

Public Service Agreements (PSAs) outline the improvements that are expected by government expenditure. The PSAs are agreed every three years between the main government departments and the Treasury as part of the Spending Review process.

Each PSA sets out three things:

• The high level aim of the department
• The priority objectives
• An outcome-based performance target

The Government announced 30 cross-departmental PSAs, setting out its top priorities as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) in October 2007. These apply over the spending period from 2008 to 2011.

There are a number of PSA targets that have a bearing on skills and learning that organisations may wish to consider. Those targets are as follows:

• PSA 1. Raise the productivity of the UK economy
• PSA 2. Improve the skills of the population, on the way to ensuring a world-class skills base by 2020
• PSA 4. Promote world class science and innovation in the UK
• PSA 7. Improve the economic performance of all English regions and reduce the gap in economic growth rates between regions
• PSA 8. Maximise employment opportunity for all
• PSA 10. Raise the educational achievement of all children and young people
• PSA 11. Narrow the gap in educational achievement between children from low income and disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers
• PSA 14. Increase the number of children and young people on the path to success
• PSA 15. Address the disadvantage that individuals experience because of their gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief
• PSA 16. Increase the proportion of socially excluded adults in settled accommodation and employment, education or training
• PSA 17. Tackle poverty and promote greater independence and wellbeing in later life

The PSA targets for all government departments are available here.

PSAs are generally nationally set targets, which often have no regional apportionment. However, it is often possible to look at the data for each target at regional and sub-regional level, and to comment on how different areas are contributing to the national targets.

Each PSA target is underpinned by a number of indicators, many of which tie in to the National Indicators for Local Authorities. Please click on a target for more detail and to access data for it various indicators.