Go slow to go fast

Due diligence processes can increase government success by committing to a 'go slow to go fast' approach, as illustrated in Figure 3.2.

Due diligence can help avoid early announcements or releasing early design solutions and delivery models that reflect an incomplete understanding of benefits. Premature announcements are directly linked to poorer project performance and undermine good project behaviours.48

If due diligence is done thoroughly, at the right time and is properly supported, it will result in a clearly defined project with lower costs, faster delivery timeframes and reduced risk overall.49 It can also help reduce the variability of cost, and schedules between projects.50

Research shows that successful projects are supported by clear problem definition, scope and design, and improved transparency in risk identification and management. If these are evident when the project is commercially awarded, it will deliver better outcomes. These benefits are well-documented in multiple Auditor-General reports on infrastructure project outcomes conducted across Australia.51

Broader research shows projects employing these practices will be 24% more predictable with costs, 30% more likely to generate greater customer satisfaction, and more likely to be delivered within faster and more predictable timelines.52

Figure 3.2: A project that 'goes slow to go fast' is more likely to succeed