10 We identified from our reports, the key enablers that allow the public sector to act as intelligent customers across all phases of a project. They are:
• accurate data to make informed choices; provide accurate estimates of time and cost, get better outcomes for less, and secure value for money;
• skills, capacity and experience to assess whether complex major projects represent a good deal over the life of the contract;
• effective accountability and project assurance with appropriate empowerment to ensure that projects and programmes only go ahead where they will deliver value for money; and
• challenge to the method of procurement, the scope of the deal and the business case assumptions to identify opportunities to obtain better deals.