ICE comments on the Public Accounts Committee report on governance and decision-making on major projects

In response to the Public Account Committee's report, Governance and decision-making on major projects, Sam Gould, director of policy and external affairs at the Institution of Civil Engineers, said:

“The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on governance and decision-making for major projects is a welcome addition to the conversation about how to improve project delivery.

“The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and the PAC agree that increased Treasury oversight for projects is a smart move. Streamlining decision-making has long been identified by the ICE and others as a key area for improvement.

“The ICE also agrees with the PAC that it’s concerning that such enhanced oversight will only apply to projects expensive enough to be labelled ‘mega’.

“Improving delivery should be a priority for projects of every shape, size, and cost.

“The report also echoes the ICE's call for the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) to retain an independent voice so it can proactively and effectively challenge government.

“NISTA should also be given the ability to mandate the use of best-practice tools like the Construction Playbook to raise delivery standards across departments, whether or not projects meet the £10bn ‘mega’ threshold.”

Notes to editors

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