Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 23
23
The IPA considers that while its gateway review process is good, government has not always...
Conclusion
The IPA considers that while its gateway review process is good, government has not always applied it with the rigour needed.45 This has meant that programmes with significant issues have proceeded through Gateways even when they were given a delivery confidence assessment rating of amber or red. The IPA is now resetting its assurance of the GMPP, to ensure that departments address issues identified at gateway reviews before a programme can proceed. Assurance will now be risk-based assessments, rather than assessments being a judgement-based opinion based on reviewers’ experience. The intention is to ensure that projects not ready to proceed to the next gateway do not receive further funding until they taken action to resolve the issues they face, and for the assurance process to ensure that these actions have been taken.46 The IPA stated that government has reinforced its mandate, alongside a clarification of what the responsibilities of Departments are in acting on the IPA’s recommendations.47
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
3.3 The IPA recently separated its support and assurance functions to ensure evaluations of projects are consistently robust and impartial. From 2021, the GMPP RAG rating system will be simplified from five categories (Red, Red/Amber, Amber, Amber/Green, Green) to three (Red, Amber and Green). The focus of IPA assessment will shift from ‘overall delivery confidence’ to the singular question of whether a project is ready to progress through the next HM Treasury Approval Point. The IPA’s support will now be required for advancement, rather than being merely advisory. Projects ranked red will not be permitted to proceed until issues are managed to an acceptable level of risk. Projects ranked amber will proceed with conditions, including a duty to report back at an agreed date. Projects ranked green will proceed without conditions, subject to usual quarterly data returns and monitoring.