11 Departments should:
i Identify in the business case the impact of a range of planning delays on cost and delivery for schemes that require planning permission using a range of scenarios. This should include ongoing consideration of whether a scheme continues to offer value for money.
ii Ensure that those elements of the business process (whether asylum related or not) which need to be coordinated properly are recognised as such and that the necessary coordination takes place at a sufficiently senior level to effect proper control.
iii Revisit the business need and justification for ongoing high profile programmes when other related policy developments and performance improvements are proposed, so that the impact of these changes on business need and value for money can be considered.
iv Include only realisable benefits in cost benefit analyses, and use sensitivity analysis to estimate the most likely realisable benefits over a range of scenarios.
v Clearly articulate from the outset the scope and purpose of a pilot or trial in a trial plan, which sets out what the pilot aims to achieve, how it is to be run, the period of operation, the number of participants or other factors, how it will be evaluated and how lessons can be drawn from it to inform wider policy and programme issues and subsequent projects.
vi Embed risk identification and management procedures further into the management of every project, manage risk proactively at all stages of the project from conception to delivery; calculate the likely cost associated with a risk maturing; and report to their Board if the likelihood of a risk maturing changes.
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Development of Home office and Border and immigration Agency investment Approvals Processes Wider policy and external issues clearly played a significant part in the termination of the Bicester project, and the Home Office and the Border and Immigration Agency have advised us that they have developed their investment approvals processes considerably over the period since the Bicester Accommodation Centre project began. We acknowledge the progress made in system and process improvements; their effectiveness will be audited fully in future examinations. Bicester Accommodation Centre project was one of the first projects considered by the Home Office Group Investment Board, which was set-up to scrutinise significant investments of £40 million and over. Whilst the Group Investment Board, and the Gateway process were involved in this project and provided challenge, the following improvements have since been made: ■ The Group Investment Board is now firmly embedded as part of the Home Office operating model and has developed alongside the wider project management capability within the Department. ■ The Border and Immigration Agency has set up a Joint Approvals Committee which acts as an initial scrutiny chamber, approving all Border and Immigration Agency projects over £1 million. Costs and benefits are challenged as part of this process. ■ The Home Office and the Border and Immigration Agency identified the need for a comprehensive approach to managing the overall portfolio of programmes and projects across the Department. New processes have been introduced to ensure that business cases are assessed for their strategic fit with existing operations and future business change programmes. ■ The Border and Immigration Agency now routinely identifies and monitors dependencies, risks and issues, both at individual project and programme level and across business change programmes, and flags concerns as necessary in the monthly reporting pack to its Board and Ministers. |