Public project assurance methodology
Improvements and rigor needed in public project assurance methodologies, including updated tools and reviewer training.
Strongest theme matches
Mixed across source types and ranked by classifier confidence plus text match strength.
Committee recommendation
83match
#10 - Home Office acknowledged rushed acquisitions led to abandoned projects and wasted public funds.
We were concerned by the amount of public money the Home Office has spent on these projects, which have either been abandoned or have not delivered the expected benefits. During our evidence session, we questioned the Home Office on this, and it stressed again that it “acted with pace” to meet Ministers’ expectations and address a need to...
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
78match
#12 - Third Report - Delivering the Government’s infrastructure commitments through major projects
HM Treasury should update the Green Book as promised, in particular to reflect these wider Government objectives. There is a pressing need to publish this update so that new infrastructure investment can be appraised in line with its guidelines. The Committee would like it to be published no later than September so that post-Covid spending can be appraised...
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
78match
#11 - Third Report - Delivering the Government’s infrastructure commitments through major projects
If the Government wants to invest in areas of slower economic growth, including the North, regions and rural areas, it needs to be clear on the objectives of that investment, and set a framework for departments to appraise that investment so that it can pass the TAP hurdles. That might mean accepting lower overall returns for wider benefits,...
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
77match
#25 - Accounting Officer could not confirm Rwanda policy offers value for money without deterrence evidence.
Accounting Officers are responsible for approving, in advance, all significant initiatives, policies, programmes and projects, and should provide assurance to Parliament that those activities are meeting the accounting officer standards set out in Managing Public Money – regularity, propriety, value for money and feasibility.42 In April 2022, the Accounting Officer assessed that they were not able to conclude...
Matched on
terms: assurance, project, public
Committee recommendation
77match
#2 - Set out changes to ensure Home Office investment decisions use comprehensive information and transparent consultation
In its haste to purchase the Northeye site, the Home Office ignored opportunities to properly understand the risks and costs of developing it, leading to poor value for money for the taxpayer. The Home Office asserts it did a “fair amount” of due diligence before acquiring the Northeye 4 site, but the NAO highlighted significant shortcomings. The Home...
Matched on
terms: assurance, project, public
Committee recommendation
74match
#24 - Third Report - Delivering the Government’s infrastructure commitments through major projects
All projects should include proper public consultation as part of the early decision making phase. Projects should consider setting up an independent arm to lead on public engagement that is proportionate to the scale and profile of the project. Projects should be able to demonstrate their engagement as part of early IPA approval gates, and as part of...
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
74match
#23 - Third Report - Delivering the Government’s infrastructure commitments through major projects
Not enough is done to involve local people in decision making at an early stage. The Committee heard that decisions are made about a project before consultation happens, and that late consultation can be insufficient to overcome local opposition. This can result in delays to projects, but it can also lead to infrastructure which does not have full...
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
74match
#22 - Third Report - Delivering the Government’s infrastructure commitments through major projects
Projects which are particularly risky or high profile should invest more time up front, and consider approaches such as shadow cost modelling. The IPA should report on the methods used on the GMPP which can be viewed as best practice for other Government projects.
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
74match
#16 - Third Report - Delivering the Government’s infrastructure commitments through major projects
Far too often, project managers and ministers prioritise time and cost at the expense of benefits. The Committee has heard of projects delivering benefits that are reduced to the point of no longer exceeding the costs, or more frequently, the benefits being unclear entirely upon delivery.
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
74match
#15 - Third Report - Delivering the Government’s infrastructure commitments through major projects
A project’s benefits are the very reason it is proposed and delivered, and the Committee does not believe that a project can be deemed successful if it does not demonstrate realisation of its stated benefits. The Government has sought to justify spending millions of pounds on infrastructure during economically-uncertain times by stating it will boost economic outcomes across...
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
74match
#14 - Third Report - Delivering the Government’s infrastructure commitments through major projects
If the Government is serious about its levelling up agenda, it should consider how it takes into account local needs when determining infrastructure projects. The Committee would like the Cabinet Office to respond to this report outlining whether it intends to deploy the new infrastructure funding through a mix of centralised and devolved approaches and, if so, how....
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
74match
#1 - Third Report - Delivering the Government’s infrastructure commitments through major projects
The Government has committed to the largest investment in infrastructure in decades, which it believes has the potential to support a fairer and more equitable national economy. However, there is also great potential to waste this money on “white elephant” projects if it is not invested wisely. Evidence the Committee gathered suggests that there is uncertainty as to...
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
74match
#8 - Insufficient evaluations of government major projects, with significant departmental gaps remaining.
There are too few evaluations of government’s major projects. As we pointed out in our May 2022 report on the use of evaluation and modelling in government, in 2019, only 8% of £432 billion of spend on major projects had robust impact evaluation plans in place, and 64% of spend had no evaluation arrangements at all. HM Treasury...
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
74match
#26 - Home Office lacks clear methodology and data for assessing Rwanda scheme's deterrent effect.
Assessing the deterrent effect, and thus value for money, of the scheme will be complex. The Home Office recognised that it will be difficult to isolate the impact of the Rwanda partnership from other government policies intended to stop small boat crossings and reduce illegal migration, such as the agreement with Albania to return failed asylum seekers, work...
Matched on
terms: methodology, public
Committee recommendation
74match
#2 - Mandate Home Office to detail future due diligence processes protecting taxpayers' money on projects.
In its haste to establish large accommodation sites, the Home Office made unacceptable and avoidable mistakes, and failed to protect value for money. The Home Office asserts that its need to deal with a “national emergency” meant it had to take quick decisions, and so it pressed ahead with setting up expensive large asylum accommodation sites without an...
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
74match
#23 - Home Office asylum accommodation plans consistently rated 'red' by Infrastructure and Projects Authority.
The Home Office had initially planned to be using the Northeye site to accommodate asylum seekers by March 2023, but this was delayed due to issues around the remediation costs and challenges getting the site operational. In March 2023, the Home Office changed the site’s status to a ‘long–term strategic site’, expecting that it would take six to...
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
74match
#20 - Home Office prioritised speed over assurance when acquiring large asylum accommodation sites.
We asked the Home Office why, despite spending large sums of public money on these large sites, many of them did not achieve the expected benefits. It explained that both the previous and current government had strategies to exit hotel accommodation for asylum seekers.63 The Home Office explained that the urgency behind its actions stemmed from a significant...
Matched on
terms: assurance, public
Committee recommendation
74match
#20 - Value for money assessments do not fully mitigate unsuitable carbon capture project risks
When selecting which clusters to proceed with and which projects to select within each cluster, the Department assessed value for money against five criteria: deliverability; economic benefits; costs; carbon savings; and learning. Once the shortlist of Track 1 projects had been reached, the Department conducted a full value for money assessment, following Green Book guidance.66 In terms of...
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
74match
#4 - Department and Treasury lack clarity on accounting for CCUS project underperformance and scientific advances
The Department and HM Treasury lack clarity on how they would take account of project underperformance and advances in scientific understanding as part of their ongoing assessment of the programme’s future. The Department had a clear set of five factors it considered when assessing the value for money of the first two clusters and then the individual projects...
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
74match
#51 - Incremental delivery of infrastructure projects offers better control and earlier benefits
The Department also suggested to us that the delivery of infrastructure has been too focused on “grand projects or big schemes that are binary—you do them or you don’t do them” as opposed to setting a long–term intent and delivering it in smaller incremental stages. The Department explained that in such circumstances it can be easier to commit...
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
74match
#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: project, public
Committee recommendation
69match
#14 - Home Office acquired Northeye site with incomplete information and insufficient contamination surveys.
The Home Office assessed the acquisition against the Accounting Officer tests, concluding that the proposal met the tests of regularity, propriety and feasibility, presented in the Accounting Officer Advice. The assessment also found that the use of the site for asylum accommodation represented value for money when compared with the cost of housing asylum seekers in hotels over...
Matched on
terms: assurance, public
Committee recommendation
65match
#10 - 1st Report - Investing in the UK economy
We repeat our recommendation that the Government develop a robust framework for measuring progress in delivering the industrial strategy, with clear metrics and targets for the remainder of this Parliament and the 10- year span of the Strategy. We expect future progress reports to make clear what success looks like for each individual pledge, target and measure, and...
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
65match
#21 - Home Office culture normalised emergency operations, weakening approval processes for asylum accommodation sites.
We were concerned about a prevailing culture within the Home Office that normalises operating in an emergency and led it to weaken approval processes when acquiring large sites like Northeye. Moreover, it has often appeared that the Home Office has prioritised appearing to address the issue of asylum accommodation over value for money and the effective implementation of...
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
65match
#18 - Ensure realistic market sale price for Northeye site if government decides to resell it.
The contract for the Northeye acquisition contained conditions that meant that the longer it took the Home Office to complete the purchase beyond a six–week timeframe, the more money it would pay. The National Audit Office reported that despite these terms being questioned by some of the Home Office’s advisers, those leading the purchase felt that the terms...
Matched on
terms: assurance, public
Committee recommendation
65match
#13 - Home Office bypassed standard valuation and approval processes for Northeye site acquisition.
Both the Ministry of Justice’s property function, which provided an outsourced property service to the Home Office, and the Home Office’s external property advisers recommended conducting a ‘Red Book’ valuation for the site, as typically required for a site requiring remediation. However, the Home Office negotiated the purchase of the Northeye site without one.32 During our evidence session,...
Matched on
terms: assurance, public
Committee recommendation
65match
#12 - Home Office acknowledged inadequate due diligence and community engagement for Northeye acquisition.
When we asked the Home Office what it had done to understand the risks before acquiring the Northeye site, it told us it did a “fair amount of due diligence” and repeatedly emphasised that “with the benefit of hindsight” 22 Qq 52, 53 23 Q 7; Home Office, Breakdown of Home Office costs associated with the MEDP with...
Matched on
terms: assurance, public
Committee recommendation
65match
#4 - Address cultural issues allowing Home Office controls and processes to be overridden too easily.
We are concerned that the Home Office’s culture allowed it to override too easily the controls and processes in place to protect taxpayers’ money. The Home Office appears to have been operating in crisis mode for several years and now asserts that it is moving back to business- as-usual. It argues that its response to an “emergency” meant...
Matched on
terms: project, public
NAO recommendation
65match
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: assurance, project
Committee recommendation
61match
#19 - Home Office large asylum sites programme suffered poor value for money and significant failures.
In May 2024, the previous Public Accounts Committee reported on the Home Office’s development of alternative asylum accommodation to hotels, including large sites at Scampton and Wethersfield, the Bibby Stockholm vessel, and former student accommodation in Huddersfield. The Committee found that the Home Office’s value for money assessments of the large sites fell short of reality and risked...
Matched on
terms: public
NAO recommendation
60match
The challenges in implementing digital change
Individual departments and public bodies should: d) carry out proper evaluation and assurance in the early stages of a digital programme to understand its complexity and scope, assess how realistic the chance of success is and reflect this in the programme approach;
Matched on
terms: assurance, public
NAO recommendation
60match
Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Programme
• develops a clear assurance plan appropriate to the risks and maturity of the Programme. This should make the most of opportunities for the Programme to be externally assured, such as through the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.
Matched on
terms: assurance, project
Inquiry recommendation
60match
ETI-11 - Public Fund Protection
Scottish Ministers and local authorities funding light rail should protect public funds through: conditional grant payments with review hold points; critical review and approval of Business Cases and contracts; involvement in project delivery; and requiring local authority compliance with Transport Scotland procedures.
Matched on
terms: project, public
Inquiry recommendation
57match
RHI-13 - External Expertise on Project Boards
Project boards are an essential element of project management oversight and must include individuals who can challenge and who are not directly responsible for the day-to-day delivery of the project. Such boards, in appropriate circumstances, can benefit greatly from the inclusion of individuals external to the Northern Ireland Civil Service, preferably with experience/expertise in the project subject matter.
Matched on
terms: project
Inquiry recommendation
57match
RHI-11 - Project Management Disciplines
Best practice project and risk management disciplines should be the default practice within the Northern Ireland Civil Service when developing novel and complex policies and managing their implementation. These disciplines can be widely applied and should not be confined only to major or capital projects. They can be tailored to the specific circumstances of an initiative and are...
Matched on
terms: project
Committee recommendation
57match
#16 - 1st Report - Investing in the UK economy
Government can help transform access to finance by transforming public procurement support for UK businesses. The Procurement Act 2023 and associated reforms are a step in the right direction. However, we are not convinced that individual departmental targets will be effective. Strong performance monitoring arrangements will be needed to ensure that department targets are having their intended effect....
Matched on
terms: public
Committee recommendation
57match
#6 - Fourteenth Report: Readying the NHS and social care for the COVID-19 peak
Policies designed to create additional capacity quickly, while necessary, have resulted in a lack of transparency about costs and value for money. The NHS boosted its potential maximum capacity for the peak in April by building Nightingale hospitals across the country and signing contracts with independent providers for 8,000 additional beds, which was announced on 21 March. The...
Matched on
terms: public
Committee recommendation
57match
#13 - Home Office underestimated large accommodation site set-up costs due to optimism bias and inadequate expertise.
We were concerned by the Home Office’s assessment of the set-up costs to convert the two former RAF bases to accommodation. At the outset, the Home Office estimated that such costs would be £5 million for each site, but the costs increased to £49 million at Wethersfield and £27 million so far at Scampton. We asked the Home...
Matched on
terms: public
Committee recommendation
57match
#4 - Clarify OVfM's scrutiny process for investment proposals, including selection criteria and methods.
The Treasury must clarify how the OVfM will scrutinise investment proposals in the Spending Review process. This should include the criteria by which the OVfM selects investment proposals for scrutiny. The Treasury should also provide the method by which such investment proposals will be scrutinised, including the time horizon over which projected savings will be assessed. In addition,...
Matched on
terms: project
Committee recommendation
57match
#15 - Home Office failed to complete a full business case for the Northeye site acquisition.
The Small Ministerial Group, established around November 2022, implemented concessions to the process of acquiring sites, including dispensing with the requirement for a full business case before approving acquisitions. The Home Office began drafting an outline business case for the acquisition of the Northeye site, dated 1 March 2023, but never completed it.42 When asked why a full...
Matched on
terms: public
Committee recommendation
57match
#24 - HMRC has not formally assessed transaction-based reporting, despite its acknowledged compliance benefits.
HMRC has not pursued some controls used in other countries, including ‘transaction–based reporting’ where businesses are required to regularly report all sales and purchases to the tax authority, giving up to date information on the VAT owed.71 We asked HMRC why it had not pursued 63 C&AG’s Report, para 2.15 64 Q 37 65 C&AG’s Report, para 2.5...
Matched on
terms: public
Committee recommendation
57match
#5 - Strengthen HMRC VAT registration controls and explore transaction-based reporting benefits.
HMRC’s VAT registrations processes are far too open to abuse, and it is not exploring options to tighten controls sufficiently. Checking whether businesses are genuinely UK established is important for VAT because online marketplaces are liable for VAT from overseas businesses selling on their platforms but not for UK established businesses. HMRC does not routinely check addresses when...
Matched on
terms: public
Committee recommendation
57match
#39 - Department developing programme for disposing of HS2 surplus land and property
In February 2024, the previous Public Accounts Committee stressed the need for the Department and HS2 Ltd to develop a strategy for the disposal of land and property, and to balance the need for value for money for the taxpayer with the needs of those who have been affected. The Committee commented that the Department and HS2 Ltd...
Matched on
terms: public
Committee recommendation
57match
#34 - Department stresses need for correct financial incentives in new Euston delivery company.
The Department also pointed to the need to get the financial incentives right in the new delivery company, including what the shareholding and financial participation would be between the different bodies, so that people consider the collective interest, not just their own interests. The Department reasoned that having that in one delivery body, rather than dispersed across four...
Matched on
terms: public
Inquiry recommendation
56match
RHI-19 - Business Case Approval Redesign
The processes within a Department for approving new expenditure and business cases including, where it forms part of that process, the role of Casework Committees, should be thoroughly re-designed to be more rigorous, testing and independent. Such processes should be less bureaucratic and pay greater attention to examining the unique features of the project proposed.
Matched on
terms: project
NAO recommendation
56match
Investigation into the UNBOXED festival
We consider it important for public transparency and visibility that this evaluation should be published and should: ? include information to allow DCMS and Festival 2022 Ltd to fully understand the volume and nature of participation for each project alongside the final cost of each. This analysis could then be used in conjunction with the identification of other...
Matched on
terms: project, public
Committee recommendation
53match
#19 - 1st Report - Investing in the UK economy
We recommend that the Government establish comparable benchmarks that can be used to monitor performance over time against targets. Performance should be reported to Parliament annually, with both individual departments and the Government as a whole reporting the proportion of their procurement spend that goes to SMEs. Each department should set out what steps they are taking to...
Matched on
terms: public
Committee recommendation
53match
#18 - 1st Report - Investing in the UK economy
We recommend strong performance monitoring frameworks are established to ensure success in maximising public procurement from UK SMEs and the nation’s High Growth Firms. (Recommendation, Paragraph 68) 120
Matched on
terms: public
Committee recommendation
53match
#26 - Home Office acknowledges its 'entrepreneurial' asylum site acquisition approach was flawed.
During our evidence session, the Home Office described its approach to acquiring large sites as “entrepreneurial”. It explained that this strategy was about piloting and testing approaches while operating at speed with limited information.90 The Home Office explained this as a good approach for identifying what works, quickly learning from failures, and adapting accordingly.91 We therefore, asked the...
Matched on
terms: public
Committee recommendation
53match
#22 - Home Office failed to adequately assess acquisition risks and costs for Northeye site.
When the Chief Secretary to the Treasury approved the acquisition of the Northeye site on 25 March 2023, he noted that the value-for-money case was marginal and based on assumptions that were highly uncertain.71 The cost of remediating the building of asbestos and removing contaminated ground estimated at £20 million did not feature in the Accounting Officer’s advice.72...
Matched on
terms: public