Patterns

The BBC is familiar with National Audit Office reports. The BBC's Creative Director will be pleased that "Yentob" doesn't not come up on a word search of their latest report, on the Government's funding of his charity, Kids Company.

The NAO does note one serial behaviour as part of its key findings.

We observed a consistent pattern of behaviour each time Kids Company approached the end of a grant term. We are not able to comment on causality, but in 2002, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2014: 

• Kids Company lobby the government for a new funding commitment. If officials resisted, the charity would write to ministers expressing fears of redundancies and the impact of service closures. Around the same time, Kids Company would express the same concerns in the media. 

• Ministers ask officials to review options for funding Kids Company. 

• Officials would award grants to Kids Company, whether through a wider grant programme or – from 2013-14 onward – as a direct grant award.

Anyone running a division or department in the BBC note any similarities in behaviour when it comes to cuts/budget carve-up time ?