3.7 Both parties should agree the description and category of costs being benchmarked so that they are confident that they are comparing like with like. Where adjustment is required to facilitate a fair comparison between data, the parties must be explicit regarding the assumptions used to make such adjustments. The Authority and the Project Company must maintain suitably detailed records for audit purposes.
3.8 Validating benchmark data is a complex and specialised task and most Authorities are unlikely to have the necessary expertise, therefore specialist advice may be necessary.
3.9 It is unlikely that benchmarks will be agreed without an element of clarification and negotiation. Public sector managers have a responsibility to interrogate the data that they are presented with, and need to understand how conclusions were reached.