In-depth-tools

The questions detailed in this framework are the high-level questions to ask about major projects and programmes. The following NAO tools provide further support for examining issues in more depth.

	Delivery Environment Complexity Analytic: Understanding challenges in delivering project objectives	Provides a framework for assessing the context in which outcomes are being delivered. It includes key principles of stakeholder engagement.
	Initiating successful projects	This 2011 NAO guide sets out key elements of project initiation.

	Framework to review models	Models generate the information on which a wide range of decisions are formed, from forecasting policy outcomes to estimating the financial feasibility of major infrastructure programmes. This framework is intended to aid those commissioning or undertaking analysis of a model with the aim of determining whether the model is robust and reasonable. It can be used for models of all levels of complexity and business risk.
	Over-optimism in government projects	Sets out factors which may lead to over-optimistic assessment of costs and benefits.
	Survival guide to challenging costs in major projects	Outlines some of the challenges in estimating and managing costs that we have observed in our work on major projects, and offers senior decision‑makers some ground rules and thoughts on factors to consider when challenging costs.

	Delivery Environment Complexity Analytic: Understanding challenges in delivering project objectives	Provides a framework for assessing the context in which outcomes are being delivered.
	Lessons from cancelling the InterCity West Coast franchise competition	Paragraph 6 of this report sets out a simple 5-stage model of assurance safeguards.
	Assurance for high risk projects	This 2010 report set out the good practice principles that would be present in a mature and effective assurance system.
	Lessons from major rail infrastructure programmes	Contains lessons from a variety of programme delivery arrangements.
	Managing risks in government	This 2011 good practice guide focuses on organisation-wide risk management, but the principles also apply to managing risks in programmes.
	Transformation guidance for audit committees	Sets out questions committees should ask during the set-up, delivery and live-running phases of transformation programmes.
	Over-optimism in government projects	Describes the principles of independent scrutiny and covers risks that lead to optimism bias in programmes.

	A Framework for evaluating the implementation of Private Finance Initiative projects	Sets out the issues that need to be considered in evaluating whether PFI projects have been implemented effectively, covering the life cycle of projects from initial strategic analysis to the mature operational phase. Many of the issues considered are applicable to non-PFI programmes.
	Performance measurement: Good practice criteria and maturity model	Pulls together good practice criteria and maturity models from a number of our earlier performance measurement frameworks and Choosing the right FABRIC - guidance published jointly with the Audit Commission, Cabinet Office, Office for National Statistics and HM Treasury. Its appendix provides links to a large number of related sources of information on performance measurement.
	Commercial and contracting management: insights and emerging best practice This web-page also includes: NAO contractual relationships audit framework Good practice contract management framework	Based on 100 studies on commercial and contractual issues that we have undertaken since 2000, this interactive document draws out common themes and identifies 20 areas of insight we feel government needs to think about going forward. The insights continue to be identified through our ongoing work and are summarised in this series of blog-posts on contract management.
	Evaluation in government	Cross-government report setting out what the government's evaluation requirements are, the sources of guidance, the extent to which they are followed and the quality of evidence, including a model for assessing the robustness of evaluation evidence.
	Helping Government Learn	This 2009 report included 11 case examples of organisational learning in the public sector.
	Lessons for major service transformation	This 2015 briefing outlines 11 lessons for managing service transformation, drawing on our report Welfare reform - lessons learned but also setting out broader principles from our work auditing government programmes and reporting on value for money.
	Mental health services: preparations for improving access	This 2016 report used six criteria to assess whether programmes are likely to be implemented successfully.
	Modernising the Great Western railway	Figure 9 of this report sets out good practice criteria for assessing performance information provided to the programme board.
	Outcome-based payment schemes: government's use of payment by results	Alongside this report is an analytical framework for decision-makers, a toolkit covering the structure, risks and challenges of payment by results schemes and a framework of questions for commissioners to consider.
	Transformation guidance for audit committees	Sets out questions committees should ask during the set-up, delivery and live-running phases of transformation programmes.