Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Accepted
Government lacks a standard definition for programme resets, hindering lesson identification.
Conclusion
As government does not have a standard definition for a reset, government bodies may not recognise when a reset is required, being carried out, or has been completed.15 There was some confusion over what was termed a reset. The SRO for Universal Credit suggested he had probably reset the programme several times but not used the term. Also, there were questions raised over the number of resets undertaken for the Ajax programme and whether the 2014 decision to move production to the UK should be counted alongside two later resets which firstly recast the commercial agreement and then sought to address quality and delivery schedule challenges.16 Not clearly defining a reset, will make it harder for government to identify lessons that can be carried over into the same or other programmes and situations.17
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's conclusion and commits to HM Treasury and the IPA developing guidance by June 2024 to establish a common definition for programme and project resets across government. This guidance will also outline roles and responsibilities for identifying, managing, and overseeing the reset process.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
1.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: June 2024 1.2 HM Treasury and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) will work together to develop guidance establishing a common definition for programme and project resets across government, as well as their organisation’s roles and responsibilities in helping departments to identify whether programmes or projects should be reset and how to manage the reset process. This will include guidance setting out precisely what should be considered when undergoing a reset as well as the roles and responsibilities of those overseeing the programme or project when this is reset, such as the senior responsible owner (SRO) and accounting officer.