Published 20 December 2012
DWP Productivity
Indicator Description
The DWP productivity measure relates the volume of outputs delivered in each financial year to the volume of inputs consumed in their delivery. An increase in this measure indicates that the Department has delivered relatively more outputs for fewer inputs over time.
The measure has been developed in accordance with international convention and the recommendations of the 2005 Atkinson Review “Measurement of Government Output and Productivity for the National Accounts”. More detail on the methodology used is available at:
- An analysis of the productivity of the Department for Work and Pensions 2002/03 to 2008/09
- Technical description of the productivity indicator
Latest Data (updated December 2012)
The Department’s productivity increased by 12% in 2011/12.
The following table presents the annual percentage growth of each element of the productivity measure – input, output and productivity – from 2008/09 to 2011/12.
DWP productivity: Annual growth in DWP input, output and productivity
| 2008/09 | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input | 1% | 13% | -3% | -22% |
| Output | 11% | 19% | 6% | -12% |
| Productivity | 10% | 5% | 10% | 12% |
The input index measures real changes in Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) expenditure on staff, goods and services, and depreciation from one year to the next. For example, input increased by 1% in real terms in 2008/09, compared to the 2007/08 level.
The output index measures the growth in output, by weighting the growth in individual services by their relative share of the total cost in the previous year. Volumes of benefit claims processed, cases maintained, children benefiting and job broking interventions are cost-weighted and combined with expenditure on employment programmes and the Department’s policy, Ministerial and regulatory functions. The output index measures changes in output volume from one year to the next. For example, output increased by 11% in real terms in 2008/09, compared to the 2007/08 level.
The productivity index divides output by input to measure change from one year to the next. For example, in 2008/09 productivity increased by 10% (100 * 111 / 101 = 110) in real terms.
