Major project lessons learned
Repeated failure to effectively apply lessons learned from past major projects, leading to recurring mistakes in cost and schedule management.
Strongest theme matches
Mixed across source types and ranked by classifier confidence plus text match strength.
Committee recommendation
100match
#6 - Outline plans for embedding cross-government learning in future major projects.
Government departments do not routinely learn lessons from their own projects or those of other departments, so are missing opportunities to improve effectiveness and efficiency of future projects. Applying learning about what has been successful in major project delivery can bring great efficiency and reduced costs, particularly where standardisation of design is possible. Schools, hospitals and prison building...
Matched on
terms: lesson, major, project
Committee recommendation
100match
#48 - HS2 Euston exemplifies department's failure to learn from past major rail projects
The previous Public Accounts Committee also concluded in its 2023 report on HS2 Euston that it was another example of the Department making the same mistakes and failing to learn lessons from its management of other major rail programmes, highlighting the need for more work on cost estimation, the treatment of contingency and managing the integration of complex...
Matched on
terms: lesson, major, project
Committee recommendation
100match
#47 - Department and HS2 Ltd repeatedly fail to embed crucial lessons from major projects
However, the Committee has needed to recommend repeatedly that the Department and HS2 Ltd improve the degree they reflect on past or current experiences and implement any lessons. In 2020, the previous Committee made clear its dissatisfaction: 80 “Given the repeated emergence of issues across the Department’s major programmes, we are not satisfied that the Department is yet...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson, major, project
Committee recommendation
100match
#8 - Require the Department to report on lessons learned and their practical implementation to the Committee.
Over the last decade the Department and HS2 Ltd have repeatedly said they are learning lessons but there is little evidence that lessons have been applied effectively and mistakes avoided. Since 2013, the Department and HS2 Ltd have told the Committee that they have been learning lessons. This has included areas such as around management of costs and...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson, project
Committee recommendation
98match
#5 - Detail lessons from large asylum accommodation site acquisitions and explain process changes to prevent recurrence.
We are not convinced that the Home Office has learned the lessons it identified from its costly acquisitions of large sites. The Home Office claims it has identified “over 1,000” lessons from its acquisition of large asylum accommodation sites. It argues that it had to be innovative in its approach to securing these sites and is proud of...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson, project
Committee recommendation
95match
#6 - 8th Report - Northern Powerhouse Rail
We are not convinced that the Department has embedded all lessons from past failures into its management of the programme. We recognise that the Department has adapted its approach to Northern Powerhouse Rail in response to lessons from High Speed Two (HS2) and other major rail programmes. It is also learning from the success of programmes like the...
Matched on
terms: lesson, major, project
NAO recommendation
94match
Lessons learned: Governance and decision-making on mega-projects
For mega-projects, HM Treasury and NISTA should strengthen the project gateway and business case approval processes to ensure that government has assurance about the affordability, value for money and feasibility of the project before it is given final approval to proceed. This might include only providing funding to take the project to the next stage of development and...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson, project
NAO recommendation
94match
Improving the performance of major equipment contracts
The Department is developing a programme of important reforms, some of which are at a relatively early stage. To support this agenda and to complement the recommendations in our recent report on the Department’s 2020–2030 Equipment Plan, we recommend that: a) Programme teams should state explicitly in their initial business cases how they have applied lessons learned from...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson, major
Committee recommendation
93match
#12 - 8th Report - Northern Powerhouse Rail
The NAO found the Department had established appropriate steps to identify lessons from other major programmes, but that it needed to go further to embed these in Northern Powerhouse Rail.23 In oral evidence, the Department was clear on the importance of learning from past failures, such as on HS2. It identified some examples of how it had changed...
Matched on
terms: lesson, major, project
Committee recommendation
89match
#5 - Twenty-Fourth - Crossrail: A progress update
The Department has still not demonstrated that it is embedding lessons learned into its major programmes. This Committee has examined many major transport programmes, such as HS2, Great Western route modernisation and Thameslink, many of which have had significant problems in their delivery. We have told the Department many times that it needs to learn lessons, from Crossrail...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson, major, project
Committee recommendation
87match
#18 - Third Report - Delivering the Government’s infrastructure commitments through major projects
The Committee welcomes Nick Smallwood’s statement that major projects should remain in the GMPP until Gate 5. The Committee would like the IPA to consider periodic reporting on past projects, perhaps at five-year intervals, to assess whether they have achieved their benefits. The IPA should write to the Committee in the Autumn to explain how best to do...
Matched on
terms: major, project
Committee recommendation
87match
#3 - Demonstrate DIO has learned crucial lessons from contract delivery failures.
The DIO must prove it has learned lessons from the failures in the delivery of these contracts. (Recommendation, Paragraph 36)
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
Committee recommendation
87match
#20 - Significant financial waste on previous projects indicates slow learning of lessons at Sellafield.
The previous Committee criticised the NDA in 2018 for failing to learn the lessons from projects it had cancelled after belatedly realising that there were more cost–effective ways to reduce risk (having spent £586 million of taxpayers’ money on three projects it had cancelled since 2012).51 The NDA told us that up to 48% of the money already...
Matched on
terms: lesson, project
Inquiry recommendation
86match
MAI-62 - LRF oversight of lessons from exercises and incidents
Local resilience forums should establish procedures to ensure that they oversee the process of identifying the lessons to be learned from major exercises, or serious incidents, in their areas, and that they are responsible for overseeing the debriefing of those events.
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson, major
Committee recommendation
83match
#2 - 1st Report - An analysis of the asylum system
The Home Office has yet to demonstrate that it has learned from previous attempts to reform the asylum system, putting it at continued risk of repeating past failures. Recent reform efforts give us little confidence that the Home Office has learned from previous attempts to restructure the asylum system. Too often, the Home Office has pursued major policy...
Matched on
terms: learned, major
Committee recommendation
81match
#13 - 8th Report - Northern Powerhouse Rail
However, a Department-wide review by the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA) in January 2026 found that programme and project teams across the Department were not consistently applying lessons they had identified.25 We asked the Department how it was responding to the finding. It told us the review found clear and well-designed lessons learned frameworks, but that consistent application...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson, project
Committee recommendation
81match
#5 - Address HS2 leadership and capability gaps to ensure successful programme delivery
The Department and HS2 Ltd do not have the skills and capabilities needed to successfully deliver the programme. The Public Accounts Committee has repeatedly raised concerns over the Department and HS2 Ltd having the skills and capability they need. Following the cancellation of Phase 2, HS2 Ltd now needs to reinforce its capability, such as in commercial management,...
Matched on
terms: major, project
NAO recommendation
81match
Carrier Strike – Preparing for deployment
e) conduct in-depth lessons-learned exercises on the Carrier Enabled Power Projection projects. The Department should ensure that it assesses the factors that lead projects to succeed or fail, including the root causes, and disseminate the lessons so that they are reflected in its management of other programmes. It should also look to disseminate lessons more widely across government.
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson, project
NAO recommendation
81match
Completing Crossrail
For the Department’s other current and future major programmes: d) We note that the Department has completed a lessons learned exercise and we would encourage it to also apply the lessons to other major projects including High Speed 2.
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson, major, project
Committee recommendation
77match
#14 - Fifteenth Report - Improving the prison estate
We asked the Ministry why it kept making the same mistakes when it came to contracting out services and how it would avoid these in future. The Ministry told us that it would no longer let contracts using the approach that it took in 2015. It explained that the main lesson it had learned from first-generation outsourcing was...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
NAO recommendation
77match
The challenges in implementing digital change
c) disseminate and apply lessons learned from the successes and failures of the past and seek to understand why digital strategies have made poor progress.
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
Inquiry recommendation
74match
MAI-128 - National systems to record lessons from exercises
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government should ensure that there exist robust national and local systems to identify and record the lessons learned from all multi-agency exercises and ensure that change is implemented as a result, where change is indicated.
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
Inquiry recommendation
74match
BAHA-46 - Lessons Learned Process
The MoD should consider whether the lessons learned procedures need to be adjusted or supplemented so that the clearer and more urgent lessons and changes to previous practice are fed back far more quickly both to the operational theatre and into the pre-deployment training cycle.
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
Committee recommendation
73match
#5 - Second Report: Merging success: Bringing together the FCO and DFID
To integrate the Departments successfully, the new PUS must have the skills and experience necessary to effectively oversee both diplomatic and development projects. Above all else, they must have exceptional knowledge and experience of change management and major project delivery to allow them to oversee a merger of this scale. We recommend that the selection criteria for the...
Matched on
terms: major, project
Committee recommendation
73match
#25 - Fiftieth Report - Bounce Back Loans Scheme: Follow-up
We were concerned that the Department should have identified these lessons when it supported businesses in the 2008 Financial Crisis. In 2010, the NAO’s report on the Department’s support to business during a recession concluded that the “impact [of the Department’s response to the financial crisis] could have been improved by thinking through how it might respond at...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
NAO recommendation
72match
Progress on the Buckingham Palace Reservicing programme
Identify the lessons it has learnt and discuss these with the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) and HM Treasury to decide a set of lessons for major projects, particularly for heritage projects and those taking place in a live environment. We have set out some potential lessons that could be explored.
Matched on
terms: lesson, major, project
NAO recommendation
72match
Rail reform: the rail transformation programme
Over the next year, DfT should develop its understanding of how it can successfully deliver rail reform, including any potential pilots it could undertake, so that it is well placed to advise ministers early in the next Parliament. This work should include areas such as: ? conducting a lessons learned exercise from its planning and delivery of rail...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson, major
NAO recommendation
72match
High Speed Two: Euston
As part of planning an affordable and deliverable station, DfT and HS2 Ltd should learn lessons from how other projects have approached a reset, including those we set out in our report on resetting major programmes. This will include having clear aims for the reset and establishing clear measures to monitor its success.
Matched on
terms: lesson, major, project
Inquiry recommendation
72match
SHI-6 - Information on common construction errors
It is important that common project errors are not repeated. One helpful step is to ensure health boards undertaking projects have information about such common errors, and that this information is clearly communicated to them. This would ensure that health boards are aware of such errors and thereby better equipped to avoid them. The information should be updated...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson, project
PFD report
69match
Esther Jones
Significant delays in completing Serious Incident Reviews (SIRs) and disseminating lessons learned prevent timely improvements and risk further patient harm.
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
PFD report
69match
Gordon Penistan
Other local authority Adult Services could benefit from lessons learned and actions taken in this case to address shortcomings, suggesting the need to share this information widely.
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
Committee recommendation
69match
#13 - 1st Report - An analysis of the asylum system
We also examined lessons learned from recent accommodation initiatives. The NAO’s 2024 investigation into the acquisition of the Northeye site identified significant weaknesses in due diligence, 17 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.8, 2.11-2.16 18 Q 5 19 Qq 17, 137 20 C&AG’s Report, paras 13, 2.9 21 Qq, 5, 52-54 22 C&AG’s Report, para 2.12 23 Qq 51-52 24...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
NAO recommendation
69match
The government’s resources and waste reforms for England
Defra should carry out a lessons-learned exercise in advance of the formal evaluation of the reforms to determine practical steps that could be taken to help avoid the challenges it has faced recurring in its future resources and waste work. This should include an analysis of how Defra will ensure it improves its approach to: ? setting programmes...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
NAO recommendation
69match
Supporting local economic growth
• capture and apply lessons learned at key points in the design and delivery of new local growth funds.
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
ICIBI recommendation
67match
A further inspection of the EU Settlement Scheme July 2020 – March 2021
Recommendation 2 Making best use of management information (MI) and ‘lessons learned’ and ‘improvements made’ stories, expand and regularly update its messaging regarding the length of time an application will take to process, making clear both how long it is taking for the majority of applications and the reasons why it may take longer for others. Regarding applications...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson, major
Committee recommendation
66match
#24 - Home Office failed to apply lessons from failed asylum sites, incurring significant financial losses.
The second of the IPA reviews, in February 2023, concluded that, while the Home Office had identified learning in relation to the failed site at Linton- on-Ouse, these lessons were not being applied to some of the asylum accommodation sites it was delivering at the time. The IPA stated that the impact of not applying those lessons would...
Matched on
terms: lesson
Inquiry recommendation
65match
MAI-127 - Robust debrief systems for multi-agency exercises
The Home Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities should ensure that there exist robust national and local systems and sufficient resources to make sure that the debrief process following multi-agency exercises is effective to capture the lessons that need to be learned.
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
Committee recommendation
65match
#9 - 1st Report - Shifting heaven and earth? The Afghan data breach and resettlement schemes
The government should, in response to this report, publish the lessons it has learned from the Afghan data-breach injunction and set out clear principles governing when it or any other public body may exceptionally seek an injunction preventing disclosure of a matter of widespread public interest. Those principles should include requirements for: periodic reassessment of necessity and proportionality...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
Committee recommendation
65match
#24 - 11th Report - Unlocking land for housing
We also asked how the Department intends to ensure that lessons are learned and applied early in the life of the NHDF. The Department told us that it is designing its evaluation with clear review points so that it can learn lessons continuously and amend its approach to delivering the NHDF.59 In its letter following the session the...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
Committee recommendation
65match
#5 - 11th Report - Unlocking land for housing
The Department failed to put in place external evaluation at the launch of the NHDF, risking gaps in early data collection and limiting opportunities for timely improvements. Despite launching the NHDF in March 2026 the Department has given itself another twelve months to finish its scoping and feasibility work for external evaluation. It is important the Department concludes...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
Committee recommendation
65match
#5 - 1st Report – Employment support for disabled people: Connect to Work
In response to our report, we ask that DWP provide an update on programme mobilisation, including the agreement of delivery plans and what steps it took to reduce delays, and set out what lessons it has learned that could be applied to the rollout of similar employment support programmes in the future. (Recommendation, Paragraph 38)
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
Committee recommendation
65match
#28 - Fourth Report: Home Office preparedness for COVID-19 (Coronavirus): institutional accommodation
The Department should ensure that lessons learned from the handling of asylum moves during the lockdown are referred to the safeguarding board and incorporated into the safeguarding and assurance frameworks. The Department should consider how local authorities and third sector partners in asylum support can be engaged in the work of the safeguarding board. The Department should also...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
Committee recommendation
65match
#5 - In Search of Strategy — The 2020 Integrated Review
The Government should review how far these activities were aligned with or deviated from the outcomes of previous Reviews, in order to better In Search of Strategy — The 2020 Integrated Review 55 understand how to ensure the Integrated Review provides a sustainable and actionable framework for the future. In response to our report, if it has not...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
Committee recommendation
65match
#4 - In Search of Strategy — The 2020 Integrated Review
To ensure lessons are learned from previous security and defence Reviews, the Integrated Review should engage with a wide range of stakeholders who were engaged in or scrutinised previous Reviews and the policies, programmes and military deployments that flowed from them.
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
Committee recommendation
65match
#13 - Fifteenth Report - Improving the prison estate
We last examined the Ministry’s progress in outsourcing its probation services in May 2019. We concluded that in its haste to rush through its reforms, the Ministry of Justice had not only failed to deliver its ‘rehabilitation revolution’ but left probation services underfunded and fragile. We warned that if it did not put into practice the lessons from...
Matched on
terms: lesson
Committee recommendation
65match
#21 - Seventeenth Report - Immigration enforcement
The Department reiterated its commitment to implementing the 30 recommendations of the Windrush lessons learned review. We heard that it was making progress with the Windrush compensation scheme but was unwilling to set itself targets on the number of cases or amount of money it would deal with.58 It underlined its commitment to include people from non-Caribbean Commonwealth...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
Committee recommendation
65match
#15 - Seventeenth Report - Immigration enforcement
The Department accepted that the Windrush lessons learned review had come exceptionally close to declaring it as institutionally racist. We were pleased to hear the Department commit to implementing each of the recommendations of that report and acknowledge the need to change the whole culture of the Department.38 We asked what proportion of senior staff within the Department...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
NAO recommendation
65match
Increasing the capacity of the prison estate to meet demand
MoJ should improve its case for bolstering the resilience of the estate by evaluating: lessons learned from delivering the prison expansion portfolio; and
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
NAO recommendation
65match
Progress with the merger of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DFID)
The Cabinet Office should routinely gather and disseminate lessons learned from organisational changes across government. It should engage with all departments who have undergone MoG changes to obtain lessons learned and use this to review, update and publish its guidance on MoG changes at least every two years.
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson
Inquiry recommendation
65match
R2 - HMP Maghaberry lessons learned
Many of the problems of HMP Maze in 1997 arose from the fact that by then it was the sole prison in Northern Ireland holding the most dangerous terrorist prisoners. We are aware that HMP Maghaberry is currently the sole maximum security prison in Northern Ireland. We recommend that the SOSNI and those with recently devolved authority should...
Matched on
terms: learned, lesson