Business Plan Quarterly Data Summary (QDS)

The Business Plan Quarterly Data Summaries (QDS) are a core part of the transparency agenda. They provide the latest data on indicators included in the Departmental Business Plan, as well as other published data and management information.

The QDS are designed to provide a quarterly snapshot on how each department is spending its budget, the results it has achieved and how it is deploying its workforce. From 2012 the intention is that the annual version of this information will be published as part of the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts. The information is in Excel format so that it can be reused.

The QDS template is the same for all departments, though many of the individual indicators are unique to the department (especially input and impact indicators).

This is the first time Government has published this kind of information. For any interpretation or analysis of the information, users should pay careful attention to the accompanying Measurement Annex which outlines the caveats and nuances surrounding the data. Many of the measures are not yet directly comparable between departments because they do not have common definitions, time periods, or data collection processes.

The QDS will be updated each quarter.