Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 21
21
Accepted
Programme resets necessitate specific skills and expertise, requiring adaptable leadership and dedicated teams.
Conclusion
Given a reset may involve different activities, or a different focus, to how the programme was being managed it may require specific skills and expertise such as around planning, negotiation, political engagement, or stakeholder management.68 As such, the skills and leadership for long-term major programmes, may need to change to reflect the stage of the programme.69 The SRO for Crossrail reflected on the importance of bringing in the right people with the right skills, even when things may look to be progressing well. Very different skills were needed at the end of the programme to the start.70 The SRO for Universal Credit spoke about considering carefully the value of a dedicated reset team, giving leadership back to the programme as soon as possible, and whether the current SRO should do the reset.71 A dedicated reset team could bring in the necessary skills and help step back from the programme.72 On Universal Credit, the head of the then Major Projects Authority (now incorporated into the Infrastructure and Projects Authority) headed up the first reset.73 The IPA spoke about more recently being deeply involved in providing expertise and short-term resources to some programmes, including for the Ajax programme.74
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's conclusions, detailing existing and ongoing initiatives to address the need for specific skills and leadership in major programmes. These include mandating SROs to undertake the IPA’s Major Projects Leadership Academy, implementing a pivotal role allowance for retention, and introducing the Government Project Delivery Accreditation scheme with a target to accredit 2,000 individuals by March 2025.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 5.2 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. 5.3 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. 5.4 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. 5.5 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.