1.5 Government's central assurance mechanisms, such as Gateway Reviews, can be effective in isolation, but are more so when designed and operated as an integrated system. An integrated assurance system should have clear objectives, the necessary resources and the ability to improve project delivery while minimising burden. It should also be built to last, to ensure that it can continue to deliver benefits to government into the future.
1.6 In 2010, we set out the principles that underpin an effective assurance system.2 A good assurance system should highlight any breach of time, cost and quality control limits, as agreed when approving the business case, and trigger appropriate intervention. Improved visibility of project performance, tracked at the portfolio level, should lead to decisions across projects and departments. Assurance should also transfer lessons across the portfolio. Our report set out the four core components of an effective integrated assurance system. These are:
• Plan assurance requirements across the portfolio.
• Perform assurance reviews.
• Report the findings and lessons.
• Control and improve performance by using information in the system.
1.7 Our 2010 report found gaps in the effectiveness of the central assurance system for government's high-risk projects and highlighted key performance gaps:3
• The design of the central assurance system lacked coordination. The objectives for assurance were too focused on individual mechanisms and projects rather than delivering benefits across government through an integrated system.
• Departments varied in how they engaged with the central assurance system. Departments did not routinely plan and budget for assurance activity at the start of a project, making it difficult to plan assurance interventions across the portfolio of projects.
• Departments did not systematically capture information and learning from assurance, or use it to improve project performance. They relied on informal contact to transfer lessons across projects and organisations.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
2 National Audit Office, Assurance for high risk projects, June 2010.
3 National Audit Office, Assurance for high risk projects, June 2010.