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Managing major projects

Major public projects in the Government's current major projects portfolio are expected to cost over £450bn. There are also many other projects across government. This huge investment of taxpayers' money needs to be spent well. Managing these projects also brings major challenges because they are so long, complex, technically difficult, and are often part of high profile and high-risk transformation of public services.

These projects can also compete with each other for resources, equipment and skills. This means government needs to make sure that the timing of different projects is coordinated - especially as competition for resources can increase costs. One project can depend on the outcomes of another, making coordination and management still harder.

To make sure that these projects are affordable and successful, government needs much stronger project management skills and it needs to make more accurate cost and time estimates. It also needs to improve its ability to identify and manage both risks and the impact of external events.

Key NAO publications: Framework to review programmes (Sep 2017);  Delivering major projects in government: PAC briefing (Jan 2016); Welfare reform - lessons learned (May 2015); The DECA: Understanding challenges in delivering project objectives (Oct 2013); Assurance for major projects (May 2012); and NAO Guide: Initiating successful projects (Dec 2011)

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Survival guide to challenging costs in major projects

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.

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Published:
21 Jun 2018
Whitehall road plate

Implementing the UK’s exit from the European Union: Infrastructure and Projects Authority

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

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Published:
24 Nov 2017
Railway tracks

Modernising the Great Western railway

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.

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Published:
9 Nov 2016