Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 20
20
Accepted
Department's 'discovery team' provides targeted support to 25 local authorities at risk of missing deadlines.
Recommendation
The Department said it had locally-based area teams who knew their local authorities and can provide support across all the funding sources they may be accessing.53 We asked about support for local authorities who were struggling. The Department told us it had a ‘discovery team’ who were working with 25 local authorities who were at risk of missing deadlines to help accelerate delivery,54 for example, by providing support in contracting or in giving their match funding providers confidence to release funding. The Department explained these 25 places were not necessarily those in the most trouble but those that the Department thought it could make the most difference and move delivery along.55
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and states that the Delivery Associate Network, launched in January 2024, provides expert delivery support to local authorities. It commits to using lessons learned from this and other engagement to inform the design of future capacity and capability support by Summer 2025.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Summer 2025 5.2 The Delivery Associate Network, which was launched in January 2024, provides local authorities in receipt of Levelling Up funds with access to a network of delivery experts with the skills and experience to support in the delivery of DLUHC-funded projects. 5.3 At present, the Delivery Associate Network works with local authorities and wider delivery partners to identify delivery issues and provide expert advice on effective solutions. 5.4 Along with these targeted interventions, the Delivery Associate Network also offers broader, topic-based support, including group learning sessions, webinars, newsletters and a ‘Knowledge Hub’ website, available for all local authorities to access. 5.5 These interventions are already shoring up delivery of individual projects. For example, delivery experts have unblocked a project finance issue for a direct grant recipient in Northern Ireland, resulting in the department flexing its approach to payments to ensure the recipient could get the best deal from contractors. 5.6 The department will use lessons learned from the overall support offer, from its programme evaluations and from general engagement with local authorities to inform the design of future capacity and capability support.