Guide to the Centre of Government

Commonly Used Abbreviations

APA: Audit Policy and Advice (Treasury team)

CA: Central Accountancy (Treasury team)

CSCM: Civil Service Corporate Management (a Cabinet Office group)

CCTA: Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (part of Office for Government Commerce)

CITU: Central Information Technology Unit (Cabinet Office Unit reporting to e-Envoy)

CMPS: Centre for Management and Policy Studies (part of Cabinet Office)

CSR: Comprehensive Spending Review (Treasury-led 1998 review of departmental public expenditure plans for 1999-2002)

e-Envoy: Cabinet Office official promoting Government use of the Internet

DCU: Direct Communications Unit (No 10 Downing Street)

GAAP: Generally Accepted Accounting Practice

GEP: General Expenditure Policy (Treasury team)

GES: General Expenditure Statistics (Treasury team)

GSI: Government Secure Internet (website accessible by public sector staff)

ISB: Invest to Save Budget (joint Treasury/Cabinet Office project)

IT: Information Technology

MPS: Modernising Public Services (a group of Cabinet Office units)

NAO: National Audit Office

NDPB: Non-Departmental Public Body

OGC: Office of Government Commerce (Office of HM Treasury)

PAC: Public Accounts Committee (House of Commons Select Committee)

PACE: Property Advisers to the Civil Estate (part of the Office for Government Commerce)

PEP: Public Enterprise Partnerships (Treasury team)

PFI: Private Finance Initiative (public sector organisations purchasing services from the private sector)

PFO: Principal Finance Officer (senior official responsible for finance in each department)

PIU: Performance and Innovation Unit (part of Cabinet Office)

PPP: Public Private Partnership (involvement of private sector capital and expertise in delivery of public service objectives)

PQ: Parliamentary Question

PSA: Public Service Agreement (outcome of spending reviews)

PSPE: Public Sector Pay and Efficiency (Treasury team)

PSPPU: Public Sector Productivity Panel Unit (Treasury team)

PUK: Partnerships UK (successor to the Projects Group of PFI Taskforce)

RAB: Resource Accounting and Budgeting

RIO: Research and Information Office (at No 10)

RIU: Regulatory Impact Unit (part of Cabinet Office)

SCU: Strategic Communications Unit (part of Cabinet Office)

SDA: Service Delivery Agreement (outcome of 2000 spending review, alongside PSAs)

SEU: Social Exclusion Unit (part of Cabinet Office)

SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timed (specification for performance targets)

SR 2000: Treasury-led review of departments’ public expenditure plans for 2002-2005

TBA: The Buying Agency (part of the Office for Government Commerce)

TOA: Treasury Officer of Accounts (Treasury team)

UKADU: UK Anti-Drugs Unit (Cabinet Office)

VFM: value for money

WGA: Whole of Government Accounts (Treasury team)