‘Government must invest in people delivering major projects’ – APM responds to IPA annual report

Association for Project Management (APM) has responded to the Annual Report on Major Projects 2023-24, published by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA), which shows progress made on projects included in the Government Major Project Portfolio.

GMPP projects aim to provide innovative and meaningful benefits to the UK. The report states that the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) comprises 227 projects with a total whole life cost of £834 billion, up from £805bn in the previous annual report. It also shows that the portfolio contains £719bn of monetised benefits, but this does not take account for benefits that cannot be expressed in commercial terms, particularly around social value.

Commenting on the report’s findings, Andrew Baldwin, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at APM, said: "The sheer scale of these figures shows the value of the project profession and good project management. Failure to manage these projects effectively will not only cost UK taxpayers a huge amount, but will delay or prevent countless benefits from being delivered to communities around the country.

"The civil service must be equipped with the skills, competences and capability it needs to deliver these projects on time, on budget and to the right level of quality. It is therefore reassuring to see that the report states the number of Senior Responsible Officers undertaking or having already completed Major Projects Leadership Academy (MPLA) has increased from 66% to 76% in the last year. The IPA is doing good work. As the chartered membership organisation for the project profession, APM wants to see that continue as the IPA and National Infrastructure Commission prepare to merge into the government’s new National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA).

"Challenges such as skills gaps and rising costs bring uncertainty and risk to government plans. Projects are much more likely to succeed when the government invests properly in those responsible for delivering them. We therefore urge the government to continue to bridge skills gaps and increase its project capability through training, professionalisation and by ensuring that project leaders have the competences they need."

The IPA's Annual Report on Major Projects 2023-24 can be downloaded here