Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 28
28
The Committee welcomes the introduction of training for ministers in project management.
Recommendation
The Committee welcomes the introduction of training for ministers in project management. It is important that ministers take the opportunity provided to educate themselves better about how projects are delivered and how they can have an impact on that, both positively and negatively. The Committee expects that all Secretaries of State and any minister with significant projects in her or his portfolio will undertake this training immediately after appointment. In its response to this Report, the Government should include a list of all ministers who have already received the training and those who are booked to complete it by the end of the calendar year. The Committee will ask for regular updates from the IPA on training after ministerial reshuffles. (Paragraph 117) 36 Delivering the Government’s infrastructure commitments through major projects Transparency of project delivery
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
In order to build capability, we plan to put in place a new, more rigorous approach to accreditation for government project delivery professionals, linked to external professional standards, and coupled with required development, to drive an improvement in project delivery skills at all levels across government. To drive a further step change, the Financial Secretary and the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office have led on the introduction of a new training programme, agreed by the Prime Minister, for Ministers with major infrastructure spending in their departments. The first trial programme of ministerial training on sponsoring major projects was launched in July and has been attended by 13 Ministers including the Financial Secretary to the Treasury and the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office. As the programme becomes established the expectation is that all Ministers in departments responsible for delivering major projects will undertake the training. The IPA would be happy to provide further updates to the Committee on the progress of the training programme as it progresses and would be happy to host a session for the members of the Committee covering the key principles of this training if the Committee would find this beneficial.