The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
continues its inquiry into the Government’s management of major
projects with a session featuring evidence from academics involved
in Project X, a research initiative focused on major project
delivery.
The Government’s Major Projects Portfolio currently has 133
projects with a total value of £423 billion. This includes high
profile infrastructure projects such as Crossrail, HS2 and
Hinkley Point but also major Government ICT projects, projects to
transform public services, and major defence procurement
programmes. In addition, individual departments manage numerous
capital projects outside the Major Projects Portfolio. PACAC is
examining how well the Government manages its major projects,
what steps it should take improve, and ways to equip the Civil
Service with the skills and capacity to manage and deliver major
projects.
In this session, the Committee will hear from four Project X
programme leaders. Initiated by the Infrastructure and Projects
Authority and with grant funding from the Economic and Social
Research Council, Project X aims to identify what does and does
not work in major project design, using its findings to improve
the Government’s capacity to deliver large-scale infrastructure
projects. It seeks to bring together civil servants, academic
experts and external project professionals.
The Committee is expected to focus on how well the UK delivers
major projects when compared with other countries, the extent to
which short-term political considerations can affect the planning
and delivery of major projects, and whether the Government is
learning the right lessons from its evaluation of major projects.
Tuesday 9 July
10.00
Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Witnesses
-
Professor Michael Bourne, Cranfield University, Project X
- Dr
Richard Kirkham, University of Manchester, Project X
-
Professor Michael Lewis, University of Bath, Project X
-
Professor Terry Williams, University of Hull, Project X
