Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 19
19
We are likewise concerned that the Department will fail to learn from this scheme.
Conclusion
We are likewise concerned that the Department will fail to learn from this scheme. When asked what the primary failings of the Scheme were, whilst acknowledging the short duration and the design of the scheme as factors, the Department largely attributed its failings to the poor performance of its scheme administrator.55 This contrasted with one of the Department’s ministers who, giving evidence at the Environmental Audit Committee, readily acknowledged the multiple causes of the Scheme’s difficulties set out the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report.56 The Department needs to recognise the breadth and scale of what went wrong on this scheme, so that it can begin to regain the confidence of homeowners and industry in future attempts to decarbonise buildings.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 6.2 The pace of delivery and magnitude of investment meant that GHGv was a challenging scheme to deliver from the outset, the scale of which was amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. 6.3 Lessons learnt from this scheme provide valuable insight into the challenges similar schemes face and will be used by senior officials when designing and planning future projects. 6.4 The department has a repository to facilitate lessons sharing between projects. In business cases, teams need to explain which projects they have engaged with prior to PIC review and approval. PIC challenges projects that have not mitigated previous failures sufficiently and tasks them with addressing this. 6.5 Other lessons and initiatives include: • an independent evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the GHGv scheme, due for publication in Autumn 2023, will be shared across energy efficiency schemes. • Briefings and presentations on lessons learned to relevant teams in the department including the PIC, the Performance and Risk Committee, and the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee, the Heat and Buildings Portfolio Board and the Delivery Transformation Board, • cross Whitehall briefings and lesson cascades in Winter 2021, involving around 100 representatives from HM Treasury, No 10 Downing Street, DEFRA and BEIS colleagues, and • a new programme to transform the department’s delivery capability ensuring both effective delivery of major projects and that priority outcomes and project metrics are met. It focuses on upskilling the department’s delivery knowledge and ability, considering lessons as part of project initiation and design.