Recommendation 16

The IPA told us that there remains a lack of project management skills in the civil service and that there are particular shortages in technical and engineering skills. This lack of skills places too much reliance on the supply chain for those skills, which can place government departments in a weak position because it means departments cannot act as an intelligent client. Improving project management skills in government could also help to mitigate risks from there being shortages in the supply chain. The IPA told us that there are signs of senior responsible owners being better able to respond to the challenges of the IPA. The IPA mentioned a programme for moving projects from a red rating to an amber or green rating, stating that 70% of ‘red’ projects move to amber or green within twelve weeks. More project professionals are also gaining accreditation via the government’s major project leadership academy but there is still a long way to go and there is a particular need for skilled professionals in senior positions. Of 16,000 professionals required to gain accreditation, the IPA told us that 1,000 now have accreditation and that it has an ambition to get another 1,000 accredited professionals through the programme by the end of March 2025.17 15 Qq 9, 74–75; C&AG’s Report, para 1 16 Qq 74–75 17 Qq 45–53 Delivering value from government investment in major projects 13 Cost estimating