Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Accepted
Ensure programme SROs have required skills and stay in post expected length of time.
Recommendation
Broader programme-related good practice, such as having the skills, leadership and governance relevant to the programme stage, has not always been applied. Government departments do not always have the specific skills needed to undertake a reset. This includes not always having the right leadership with an appropriate SRO, the importance of which we have regularly highlighted, to oversee the reset or future programme. Although we are told there has been less churn of SROs than there used to be, civil service pay and promotion constraints can impact an SROs incentive to stay in post and provide continuity if needed. The IPA recognises governance as an area where it needs to sharpen its focus. Recommendation 5: The Infrastructure and Projects Authority should set out its progress, and the actions it has and is taking, to: • ensure programme SROs have the required skills and stay in post the expected length of time. More widely, Cabinet Office and HM Treasury should work with departments to ensure they use any available levers where it is best to incentivise continuity of leadership. • accredit programme professionals across individual departments.
Government Response Summary
The government states the recommendation is implemented, detailing existing measures such as mandatory leadership training for SROs, tenure monitoring, and a bespoke allowance to support retention of experienced senior civil servants.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented SROs of GMPP projects are mandated to undertake the IPA’s Major Projects Leadership Academy to help them build the skills to successfully lead their programmes. Adherence to this requirement is monitored by the IPA via the SRO letter of appointment, which also sets out the tenure the SRO agrees to discharge the role. In 2021, HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office approved a bespoke pivotal role allowance arrangement to be administered by the IPA for SROs of projects in the GMPP, to support retention of experienced senior civil servants delivering the most challenging and complex projects across government. HM Treasury will continue to work closely with the Cabinet Office and the IPA to apply spending controls flexibly and ensure senior pay is set at an appropriate level to enable departments to recruit, retain and motivate the best people whilst ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. In April 2022, the IPA also introduced the Government Project Delivery Accreditation scheme. This focuses on developing the required skills and experience to help address significant resourcing gaps and build stronger project delivery capability at all levels across departments, including in the critical area of major project leadership. The IPA has set a target to accredit 2,000 individuals across government by March 2025, to include 10% of senior leaders working on GMPP programmes, approximately 75 in total. As of September 2023, more than 660 individuals had been accredited across all four levels and 43 at the senior and master practitioner levels. List of Treasury Minutes responses for Sessions 2010-15 are annexed in the government’s response to PAC Report 52 Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number July 2020 Government responses to PAC reports 1-6 CP 270 September 2020 Government responses to PAC reports 7-13 CP 291 November 2020 Government responses to PAC reports 14-17 and 19 CP 316 January 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 18, 20-24 CP 363 February 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 25-29 CP 376 February 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 30-34 CP 389 March 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 35-39 CP 409 April 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 40- 44 CP 420 May 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 45-51 CP 434 June 2021 Government responses to PAC reports 52-56 CP 456 Session 2019 Committee Recommendations: 11 Recommendations agreed: 11 (100%) Recommendations disagreed: 0 Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number January 2020 Government response to PAC report [112-119] 1 and 2 CP 210 Session 2017-19 Committee Recommendations: 747 Recommendations agreed: 675 (90%) Recommendations disagreed: 72 (10%) Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number December 2017 Government response to PAC report 1 Cm 9549 January 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 2 and 3 Cm 9565 March 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 4-11 Cm 9575 March 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 12-19 Cm 9596 May 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 20-30 Cm 9618 June 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 31-37 Cm 9643 July 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 38-42 Cm 9667 October 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 43-58 Cm 9702 December 2018 Government responses to PAC reports 59-63 Cm 9740 January 2019 Government responses to PAC reports 64-68 CP 18 March 2019 Government responses to PAC reports 69-71 CP 56 April 2019 Government responses to PAC reports 72-77 CP 79 May 2019 Government responses to PAC reports 78-81 and 83-85 CP 97 June 2019 Government responses to PAC reports 82, 86-92 CP 113 July 2019 Government responses to PAC reports 93-94 and 96-98 CP 151 October 2019 Government responses to PAC reports 95, 99-111 CP 176 January 2020 Government response to PAC reports 112-119 [1 and 2] CP 210 Session 2016-17 Committee Recommendations: 393 Recommendations agreed: 356 (91%) Recommendations disagreed: 37 (9%) Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number November 2016 Government responses to PAC reports 1-13 Cm 9351 December 2016 Government responses to PAC reports 14-21 Cm 9389 February 2017 Government responses to PAC reports 22-25 and 28 Cm 9413 March 2017 Government responses to PAC reports 26-27 and 29-34 Cm 9429 March 2017 Government responses to PAC reports 35-41 Cm 9433 October 2017 Government responses to PAC reports 42-44 and 46-64 Cm 9505 Session 2015-16 Committee Recommendations: 262 Recommendations agreed: 225 (86%) Recommendations disagreed: 37 (14%) Publication Date PAC Reports Ref Number December 2015 Government responses to PAC reports 1 to 3 Cm 9170 January 2016 Government responses to PAC reports 4 to 8 Cm 9190 March 2016 Government responses to PAC reports 9 to 14 Cm 9220 March 2016 Government responses to PAC reports 15-20 Cm 9237 April 2016 Government responses to PAC reports 21-26 Cm 9260 May 2016 Government responses to PAC reports 27-33 Cm 9270 July 2016 Government responses to PAC reports 34-3