Business improvement gets into the detail of practical action to make public services better. In doing the right thing, there is also to reduce costs. There are lots of different approaches to business improvement. Some of those we will cover include lean systems thinking type approaches, results based accountability, programme and project management, and performance management. 

Some of these approaches are complementary and some are contradictory. We don't aim to be definitive here about what approach is best. What works for one organisation may not work for others. 

This guide explains some of the different approaches to business improvement; and includes a report by the Lean Enterprise Research Centre.