Appendix One  Our audit approach

1  This study examined whether the Department for Transport (the Department) is managing its rail franchising programme effectively to drive value for money. Our key areas of review were:

•  the Department's reform of rail franchising following the collapse of the InterCity West Coast contract award in 2012;

•  the direct awards, short-term single tender actions which the Department used in order to create a manageable staggered programme of competitions;

•  the Department's commercial approach; and

•  the Department's management of interdependencies between rail franchising and other aspects of the rail system.

2  Our audit approach is summarised in Figure 6. Our evidence base is described in Appendix Two.