UNITED KINGDOM
More major Government projects are running into difficulties in the United Kingdom, with the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) estimating the number for which successful delivery appears to be unachievable has doubled from four to eight.
The joint Treasury and Cabinet Office Agency’s annual report on the 133 projects included in the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio found that the eight had major issues with project definition, schedule, budget, quality and/or benefits delivery, which did not seem to be manageable or resolvable.
These “red rated” projects are joined by another 38 projects that have been rated amber/red.
This means successful delivery is in doubt, with major risks or issues apparent in a number of key areas, and urgent action is needed to address these problems.
Overall, this means that about one-third of projects in the portfolio have been given the top-two warning ratings.
The eight red-rated projects are spread across three Departments: five at the Ministry of Defence, two at the Department for Transport and one at the Home Office.
Chief Executive of the IPA, Tony Meggs (pictured) said in his comments to mark the launch of the report that the Government had completed 26 major projects in the past year.
“The current portfolio of Government major projects remains a broad and ambitious one,” Mr Meggs said.
“It is vital that we continue to help create the right environment for their successful delivery.”
He said the IPA was collaborating with other Government functions to provide central support to projects related to the UK leaving the European Union (Brexit).
“Project delivery support to meet EU exit challenges is being coordinated across the Government functions from the Cabinet Office and the Department for Exiting the European Union,” Mr Meggs said.
“This support includes project and program management, digital services, commercial, and HR expertise, and is coordinated through the Cabinet Office’s functional support team.”
London, 6 July 2018
