Internally, shortfalls can be addressed through staff skills appraisals (undertaken six-monthly or at the end of the three month probationary period for new employees). This could include the development and implementation of individual employee performance plans including the charting of monthly progress against these plans. Disciplinary action could also be taken against employees, if appropriate. From an external perspective, managing shortfalls relate to consortia that fail to maintain expected delivery standards as stipulated under concession deeds. Apart from applying penalties and abatement (see 'Penalties and abatements'), shortfalls may potentially be mitigated through sub-contracting arrangements, the modification of KPIs (see 'KPI modification') or through contract amendment (see 'modification of existing services' and 're-allocation of risk') - assuming that the implementation of one of these options will continue to deliver VfM outcomes for service users and tax payers.