Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 20
20
UKSV's £40 million transformation programme business cases have faced repeated rejection by COAB.
Conclusion
UKSV has been trying, largely unsuccessfully, to modernise the vetting system since it launched a Vetting Reform programme in 2019.50 UKSV’s Chief Executive said, “if we had a magic wand and we could build a new system tomorrow, we absolutely would”.51 Whenever it has taken full business cases for its £40 million transformation programme to COAB, however, these have been rejected. Three reviews of the programme in 2022 raised concerns across multiple areas of programme management, including the governance arrangements with one noting the need for greater support within the Cabinet Office.52 The Cabinet Office defended its cautious approach to the transformation programme, which it attributed to concerns around its deliverability and the need to prioritise performance recovery over transformation, saying it was better to be cautious than to spend unwisely.53
Government Response
A response document is linked to this report, dated 21 July 2023. Response attribution to this conclusion has not been verified. Read the response document ↗