This publication outlines some of the challenges in estimating and managing costs that we have observed in our work on major projects. It offers Accounting Officers and senior decision makers some ground rules and thoughts on factors to consider when challenging costs.
This report provides a summary of the UK government’s response to COVID-19 to date.
This investigation builds on our previous work and sets out the facts about the university technical colleges programme.
More recent version available We published an updated version of this framework in April 2021 Background Major programmes are expensive, high profile and carry great uncertainties and risks. It is not surprising that many fall short of their objectives, in terms of cost and/or outcomes. The NAO has completed about 140 reports on major projects […]
Until the government is able to establish effective oversight of the modern slavery system as a whole, it will not be able to significantly reduce the prevalence of modern slavery or show that it is achieving value for money.
This report examines the condition and capacity of HM Prison and Probation Service’s prison estate.
This report examines whether DfT and HS2 Ltd have protected value for money so far in their stewardship of HS2.
This investigation sets out the decision-making process, leading to the July 2017 announcement of the cancellation of three rail electrification projects: the Midland Main Line north of Kettering (to Nottingham and Sheffield); the Great Western Main Line between Cardiff and Swansea; and the Lakes Line between Oxenholme and Windermere.
This report examines the Ministry of Defence’s management of its large and complex infrastructure projects at nuclear-regulated sites.
Our Major Project Delivery Insights team are experts on a wide range of government projects, from infrastructure to defence equipment.
This report assesses how well Ofwat, Ofgem, Ofcom and the FCA measure and report their performance in protecting consumer interests.
This report builds on our previous work and takes stock of the Ministry of Justice’s Transforming Rehabilitation reforms
In May 2012, the Department of Transport expected the tram-train scheme to be completed by Dec 2015. It is now expected to be completed in May 2018.
The Department is exerting stronger oversight and sanctioning under-performing providers but there remain issues to resolve, such as more timely identification of underperformance and ineligible payments.
Although the Commission has improved as an organisation, it needs to overcome some persistent issues with the timeliness of some of its regulation activities if it is to sustain further improvement.
The National Audit Office has today published a briefing describing how the centre of government is overseeing and taking forward implementation of the UK’s exit from the European Union. The briefing focuses in particular on the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.
24 November 2017
The first Road Investment Strategy represents an important step forward towards better long-term planning of the strategic road network. However, the speed with which it was put together created risks to deliverability, affordability and value for money.
The cost of modernising the Great Western railway is estimated to be £5.58 billion, an increase of £2.1 billion since 2013, and there are delays to the electrification of the route of at least 18 to 36 months. The Department for Transport and Network Rail have begun to improve the management of the programme but they have more to do to protect value for money in the future.
The Department for Transport agreed to make a £30m grant towards construction of the Garden Bridge despite its concerns over value for money. The NAO’s review does not assess the value for money of the project as a whole.
There have been improvements in the way government plans and manages public sector activity, but the NAO does not consider that there exists a coherent, enduring framework for planning and management.
This report is published alongside ‘Spending Review 2015’.