BBC Trust

The Governors' Audit Committee, in dialogue with the Comptroller and Auditor General - the head of the National Audit Office (NAO) - established a programme of independent value for money reviews. The reviews were undertaken by the NAO or other external agencies and provided the Governors with an independent view on whether the BBC is achieving best value for licence fee payers.

You can find out more about the background to these reviews here:

The first of these reports, looking into the BBC's investment in Freeview, was carried out by the National Audit Office and laid before Parliament in July 2004.

You can download the document, which includes the National Audit Office review and the BBC Governors' response, below.

This external value for money review assessed the progress made by the BBC so far in the design and application of a framework which measures the BBC's performance in delivering public service broadcasting. It focused on the key drivers of public value - reach, quality, impact and value for money.

 You can download the document, which includes the National Audit Office review and the BBC's response, below.

This value for money review evaluated the BBC's in-house credit management operations, which are primarily responsible for the collection of money that the BBC is owed.

You can download the document, which includes the PricewaterhouseCoopers review and the BBC's response below.

The BBC's partnership arrangements with Land Securities Trillium (LST), which involved property transfer and construction of new buildings at White City in London, construction management services (CM) across the UK and facilities management (FM) in London and Scotland, was subject to an independent value for money review.

You can download the document, which includes the Ernst & Young review and the BBC's response, below.

In 2004 the BBC commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to review the BBC's HR functions and training services. The review assessed the extent to which they met the needs of the BBC and delivered value for money. Publication of the report was delayed whilst the BBC was undertaking a competitive tendering process for selecting an outsourced HR provider. The review was published in April 2006, soon after the tendering process had been completed.

You can download the document, which includes the PwC review and the BBC's response below

The BBC's definition of overheads has been subject to a value for money review by the NAO to asses whether the definition is a useful measure to demonstrate whether the BBC achieves best value for the licence fee payers.

You can download the document, which includes the NAO review and the BBC's response below

This VFM study was commissioned by the Governors' Audit Committee to assess whether the BBC's overall approach to risk management allows the organisation to understand fully and respond effectively to the risks it faces. You can download the document, which includes the National Audit Office review and the BBC Governors' response, below

The BBC's independent commissioning process has been subject to a value for money study to assess whether it is:

• achieving best value for licence fee payers, and
• making an optimal contribution to the organisation's overall effectivenesss.

Separate to these reviews, in August 2004 the Board of Governors commissioned Ernst & Young to carry out an independent review of certain aspects of the BBC's financial controls. The review concluded that the BBC's system of financial controls and procedures is fundamentally sound, but made recommendations to further strengthen processes.

The Board of Governors' published Ernst & Young's management letter in November 2004 and issued a statement. You can read both documents in full.