3.1 This section of the guidance examines how best to get value for money from a benchmarking exercise. It is important that both the Authority and the Project Company are jointly and closely involved throughout the process. However, it is the Project Company's responsibility to manage the process. The Project Company, in consultation with the Authority, should ensure that the following issues are properly addressed:
• that the cost comparison only reflects the services being benchmarked;
• that the cost comparison includes factors relating to risk inherent in a change of service provider, such as mobilisation costs, which should be verified by the Authority;
• whether individual services are to be benchmarked separately, or all together; and
• the reliability of benchmarking data and the ability to verify its appropriateness as a comparator for the service provided.