Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 24
24
Accepted
Programme resets introduce new risks requiring a fundamental reassessment of the risk profile.
Recommendation
In focusing on the underlying issues, and as a reset significantly changes what or how a programme delivers, it introduces new risks and opportunities that need to be identified and managed.85 The SRO for Ajax told us how the 2018 programme reset aimed to protect the delivery date, but this introduced new risks impacting the scheduling and has meant the programme has had to be reset again.86 He described a core lesson being the need to fundamentally reassess the risk profile and landscape when making significant programme changes, which had not been fully done on Ajax.87 The SRO for Universal Credit also spoke about managing risks, and trade-offs with the timetable.88
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and states the recommendation is implemented. The IPA will develop guidance on effectively managing the reset process and new risks, and will explore how to better support departments in managing these risks through existing assurance mechanisms.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 6.2 As part of its commitment to develop guidance relating to resets, the IPA will set out how to manage the reset process effectively to ensure that new risks, such as those relating to commercial arrangements with suppliers, can be properly managed and therefore increase the likelihood of resets being successful. It will also consider how it can better support departments to manage these risks as part of its existing assurance mechanisms. 6.3 The IPA provided further information in a letter to the Committee, issued alongside the publication of this Treasury Minute.