5.8 In 2001, OGC introduced the Gateway process, a performance management tool to allow the public sector to track and assess the effectiveness of projects, including PFI schemes, throughout their procurement process. Gateways are designed to ensure that any potential problems are addressed early on in any tender process. The process for each stage is outlined in Box 5.1 below.
5.9 All new central civil government procurement and NHS projects must undergo Gateway reviews, which are conducted on a confidential basis for the benefit of the senior official and ownership of the report rests with them. The senior official is then accountable for implementation of recommendations. Typically, the review team agrees an overall project assessment of red, amber or green for the inclusion in the Gateway report.
5.10 From April 2003, the Gateway process is being piloted in local government sector PFI projects by the Public Private Partnerships Programme (4Ps) (see paragraph 5.14), as recommended by the Byatt review.
Box 5.1: The Gateway process Gate 0 Strategic Assessment: The evaluation is applied at the start of a project or programme and is designed to consider the strategic assessment of the business need. Gate 1 Business Justification: This evaluation occurs once there is an outline business case in place. Its aim is to confirm that the business case is robust and make recommendations for improvements where necessary. Gate 2 Procurement Strategy: Prior to the invitation for tender, this gate considers the project's potential for success and its ability to proceed. Gate 3 Investment Decision: This gate is intended to establish whether the recommended investment decision is appropriate prior to the contract being awarded. It also examines the processes in place to select the supplier. Gate 4 Readiness for Service: the purpose of this gate is to examine how the organisation will implement business change associated with delivery and how robust the solution is. It should also assess whether there is a basis for evaluating the projects ongoing performance. Gate 5 Benefits Evaluation: The focus here is ensuring the delivery of benefits and value for money as set out in the initial business case. |