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DfE Government Major Project Portfolio data, September 2019 (csv)

Updated 9 July 2020
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GMPP ID Number DFE_0009_1617-Q2 DFE_0006_1415-Q3 DFE_0011_1819-Q2 DFE_0010_1819-Q1 DFE_0012_1920-Q1
Project Name Apprenticeships Reform Programme Priority School Building Programme 2 Social Work England T Level Programme Test Operation Services Transition Programme (TOpS)
Department DFE DFE DFE DfE DFE
Description / Aims To create more high quality apprenticeships, meet the skills needs of employers and the country, to create progression for apprentices and to widen participation and social mobility in apprenticeships. Meeting the needs of the school buildings in the very worst condition across the country. Establishing a new specialist social work regulator, Social Work England, which will focus on public protection and practice improvement. To manage the development and delivery of new T Level qualifications, closure and benefit realisation Programme of work to move from a multi supplier model to a single supplier model
IPA Delivery Confidence Assessment (A Delivery Confidence Assessment of the project at a fixed point in time, using a five-point scale, Red – Amber/Red – Amber – Amber/Green – Green; definitions in the IPA Annual Report on Major Projects) Amber/Red Amber Amber Amber/Red Amber/Red
Departmental commentary on actions planned or taken on the IPA RAG rating. The IPA Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) rating at Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) was Amber/Red, which has declined since last year’s Q2 1819 Amber, due primarily to the following factors; - The amber/red rating at Q2 has improved, and is now Amber. This is a reflection of the reduced delivery risk now that the apprenticeship service has been scaled up to enable access for non-levy paying employers. The move of non-levy employers onto the digital platform happened in January as scheduled, and it was hitch-free. - The severity of predicted funding uncertainty we reported in Q2 has now reduced. Whilst we are still concerned about the uncertainty in demand and the challenges this brings around forecasting, most recent data on apprenticeship starts suggests the funding overrun predicted in 2020/2021 will no longer be the case and the pressures for subsequent years have also reduced. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) Amber/Red IPA DCA, the following non-project operating environment activities have impacted the original Q2 IPA DCA; - Covid 19 -The economic impact of the virus will have a lasting impact on apprenticeship delivery. Apprentices are being furloughed and laid off; and our delivery chain in respect of independent training providers, and providers of end point assessment is also likely to be put at risk. This work is fast paced and we have not yet got a full evaluation of final impact on forecasted future numbers. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) Amber/Red IPA DCA, the following primary project actions have impacted the original Q2 IPA DCA; - A bridging business case is now in place to cover the one year SR settlement for 2020/21, and we are working on a new full business case that focusses on longer term delivery. The IPA Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) rating at Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) was Amber, which has improved since last year’s Q2 1819 Amber/Red, due primarily to the following factors; - We maintained a strong performance in entering building contracts and completing building projects. During the 12-month period ending Q2 19-20 we signed 115 new contracts, in line with our forecast. We handed over 55 buildings in the period. - We made significant progress in completing the feasibility work on the most complex schemes, moving them through to procurement. - We have made changes to programme data and Quality Assurance to improve forecasting accuracy which is supporting the overall improving trajectory. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) Amber IPA DCA, the following non-project operating environment activities have impacted the original Q2 IPA DCA; - The Covid-19 outbreak has re-directed priorities and in some cases, staff (but not delivery teams), to urgent Covid-19 related work. We have prioritised work as necessary and do not expect this to impact on project delivery. The construction industry has been impacted by Covid-19 and we are still reviewing the likely impact of this on project timescales with teams. The IPA Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) rating at Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) was Amber, which has not changed since last year’s Q2 1819 Amber, due primarily to the following factors; - During the June-August 2019 the planning assumption was that Social Work England would go live in April 2019 (this was subsequently revised to September 2019 and a confirmed go-live was announced in the same timeframe (June-August 2019). Risks during this period were around the successful recruitment of high calibre staff and ensuring a digital platform was in place. - In June-August 2019 Social Work England's go-live date of 2 December 2019 was announced. Although progress was good and on track, the risk for potential problems with the Customer Relationship Management systems development or data transfer could not be ruled out. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) Amber IPA DCA, the following non-project operating environment activities have impacted the original Q2 IPA DCA; - Assumptions around Social Work England's go live date was driven by confidence in the projects ability to switch on regulatory functions at the same time the previous regulator switched off and therefore avoid any risk of public protection being compromised. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) Amber IPA DCA, the following primary project actions have impacted the original Q2 IPA DCA; - The development of the Customer Relationship Management system and subsequent testing; and the quality of data being transferred from the previous regulator. - The completion of the recruitment of Social Work England's Board; and the Executive team all helped in strengthening and supporting an effective governance for the project allowing them to respond the challenges that had previously been noted. The IPA Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) rating at Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) was Amber/Red, which has not changed since last year’s Q2 1819 Amber/Red, due primarily to the following factors; - An assurance review by IPA in December 2019 also had an Amber/Red DCA. In this review, a major risk was identified to September 2020 roll-out that the Technical Qualification (TQ) would not be developed, agreed and available for first teaching in September. However, this has since been agreed and signed off in April 2020. - The long-term sustainability of the T Levels programme has major challenges, the most immediate of which is its position in the upcoming Spending Review. The T Levels unique value in the wider qualifications landscape needs to be clearly set out to address this. - The strategic landscape for T Levels is not considered to be stable. If T Levels are to be part of the journey from Level 2 to Level 4 and employment, there needs to be consistency of approach across the reform landscape. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) Amber/Red IPA DCA, the following non-project operating environment activities have impacted the original Q2 IPA DCA; - The Covid-19 outbreak has re-directed priorities and in some cases, staff, to urgent Covid-19 related work. However, we do not anticipate that this will impact the ability to deliver in September 2020 as staff continue to work at pace, re-prioritise work where necessary and seek appropriate steers from Ministers. - Cabinet Office/No 10 have restricted government comms during the Coronavirus outbreak, which has resulted in comms on T Levels being paused. This will impact our planned comms and engagement strategy, which is currently under review. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) Amber/Red IPA DCA, the following primary project actions have impacted the original Q2 IPA DCA; - The delay to the approval of the Technical Qualifications originally posed a distinct threat to the September 2020 launch. These have since been approved by IfATE and Ofqual and are ahead of first teaching in September, eliminating what was one of the most significant risks to delivery. - An assurance review by IPA in December 2019 stated that "In short, the amber red confidence rating reflects the complexity and size of the challenges described above to the long term delivery. If the Review Team was assessing the confidence in the delivery of the September 2020 milestone, we would assess confidence as Amber. This reflects the good work the programme has undertaken in its contingency planning, stakeholder engagement and close working with the AOs – as well as significant progress shown with employer and providers." The IPA Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) rating at Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) was Amber/Red, due primarily to the following factors; - The Delivery Confidence Assessment rating was due to slippage in the readiness of the school-facing portal by the original delivery plan deadline of 31 August 2019. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) Amber/Red IPA DCA, the following non-project operating environment activities have impacted the original Q2 IPA DCA; - The 2019/2020 test cycle was cancelled in March 2020 due to Covid-19 and school closures. Covid-19 may have impacts on operational delivery of the 2020/21 test cycle. Specific risk mitigations and contingencies caused by Covid-19 outbreak will need to be considered. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) Amber/Red IPA DCA, the following primary project actions have impacted the original Q2 IPA DCA; - Additional resources were committed by the prime supplier which proved more effective at managing delivery. This was assisted by greater transparency of information and process, commitment to delivery deadlines and joint working sessions. The result was that operational deliverables were met as required until the point of cancellation of the 2020 test cycle. -Improvements made in our joint working led to increased delivery confidence and working relationships led to a Amber rating by the IPA in November 2019.
Project - Start Date (Latest Approved Start Date) 08/05/2015 01/05/2014 09/05/2016 25/10/2016 01/09/2018
Project - End Date (Latest Approved End Date) 01/04/2021 25/02/2025 30/09/2019 30/09/2023 30/03/2020
Departmental narrative on schedule, including any deviation from planned schedule (if necessary) The scheduled baseline project end date at Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) is 01/04/21, has not changed since last year's Q2 1819 date of 01/04/21, due primarily to the following factors; - The Programme baseline end date remains 01/04/21. The programme remains on track to deliver the stated reforms within this timeframe. At Q2 19-20 (30th September 2019) we forecasted the programme to be completed by Q1 24-25, with 90% of projects now scheduled to hand over by the end of 2021. 90% of projects are either complete, or construction is scheduled for completion in line with the baseline projection for the programme end date of December 2021 (allowing for a standard 12 months of defects liability period on the relevant construction works). The small percentage of cases (10%) which will be completed after December 2021 all have confirmed programmes for delivery, and just 5 projects are scheduled to complete after December 2022. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) baseline project end date of 30/09/19, the following primary project actions have impacted the original Q2 baseline project end date; - Internal readiness reviews resulted in the working assumption for Social Work England's go-live date being revised - primarily due to delays in the transfer of data from the existing regulator. Following a successful review in the period June-August 2019, and increased confidence in deliverability, a planned go-live date of 2/12/19, was made public. The scheduled baseline project end date at Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) is 30/09/23, has not changed since last year's Q2 1819 date of 30/09/23, due primarily to the following factors; - We remain committed to the delivery of T Levels from September 2020 though the current Covid-19 circumstances bring additional challenges, particularly for providers and for employers who might offer industry placements. We will continue to provide all the support we can to our partners throughout this period. - We have spoken to a majority of the 50 2020 providers regarding T Level in September and will continue to monitor. Providers are positive overall, but it’s important to note that the full impact of the Covid 19 has yet to have full effect and this picture may shift in the coming weeks. - The delay to the approval of the Technical Qualifications originally posed a distinct threat to the September 2020 launch. These have since been approved by IfATE and Ofqual and are ahead of first teaching in September, eliminating what was one of the most significant risks to delivery The scheduled project end date at Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) is 30/03/20, due primarily to the following factors; - The End Date for the Programme has been re-scheduled to 31 August 2020 to allow a review of operational service to be incorporated into the Gate 5 review.
Financial Year Baseline (£m) (including Non-Government Costs) £2,470.01 £740.80 £6.59 £105.60 £11.00
Financial Year Forecast (£m) (including Non-Government Costs) £2,183.00 £716.22 £11.00 £123.60 £11.14
Financial Year Variance (%) -12% -3% 67% 17% 1%
TOTAL Baseline Whole Life Costs (£m) (including Non-Government Costs) £11,347.41 £2,398.50 £21.31 £155.60 £125.61
Departmental narrative on budget/forecast variance for 2018/19 (if variance is more than 5%) The 19/20 in-year baseline / forecast variance at Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) of -12%, is due primarily to the following factors; - The budget itself of £2,470m was set in 2015, ahead of the apprenticeships reforms in 2017, and since then there have been a number of external factors that has impacted on the scale and demand for apprenticeships across the country that fall within a range that was expected when the original budget was set. Spending on the apprenticeship programme is demand led, and employers can choose which apprenticeships they offer, how many and when. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) 19/20 in-year baseline / forecast variance of -12%, the following non-project operating environment activities have impacted the original Q2 19/20 in-year baseline / forecast variance; - The lower spend reflects a number of different factors, including the demand for apprenticeships from employers resulting in lower levels of starts than originally anticipated. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) 19/20 in-year baseline / forecast variance of -12%, the following primary project actions have impacted the original Q2 19/20 in-year variance; - The apprenticeships service being implemented as a minimum viable service (MVS) Budget variance less than 5% The 19/20 in-year baseline / forecast variance at Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) of 67%, is due primarily to the following factors; - Baseline costs were taken from the final business case, which provided the expected costs of implementation at a point in time. Costs were subsequently recalculated up to the point at which SWE was expected to "go live" – the “go live” date was confirmed during Q2 19-20 as 2 December 2019. - Capital costs were above baseline due to additional digital requirements, as well as costs associated with premises outside the DfE estate. Additional DfE staff costs were not readily identifiable within the DfE system, so some modelling was implemented to arrive at an estimate for these costs. The 19/20 in-year baseline / forecast variance at Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) of 17%, is due primarily to the following factors; - In September 2019, an updated Strategic Overarching Business Case (SOBC) was drafted and submitted to the DFE Investment Committee. During this process we worked with all the different teams delivering the T Level elements and conducted a full review of the budgets required. During this process it was identified the budgets in the original SOBC and GMPP report had changed as the scope and delivery on the work had been agreed. The budgets were updated to reflect the latest figures. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) 19/20 in-year baseline / forecast variance of 17%, the following non-project operating environment activities have impacted the original Q2 19/20 in-year baseline / forecast variance; - The Cabinet Office advised our communication campaign colleagues to turn off the social media advertising in March 20, due to COVID-19. This led to an underspend in Financial Year 19-20. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) 19/20 in-year baseline / forecast variance of 17%, the following primary project actions have impacted the original Q2 19/20 in-year variance; - The delay in agreeing the first TQ has meant some of the networking events were delayed into financial year 20-21. This has caused an underspend in Financial Year 19-20. Budget variance less than 5%
Departmental Narrative on Budgeted Whole Life Costs The baseline Whole Life Cost at Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) is £11,347.41 m, has decreased by £0.09 m since last year's Q2 1819 (£m) baseline Whole Life Cost of £11,347.50 m, due primarily to the following factors; As costs are directly proportional to the number of starts, as starts fall cost does too – there has been a reduction in the total costs compared to the previous year’s return is explained by a fall in the number of apprenticeship starts projected for 2019-20 and 2020-21 The baseline Whole Life Cost at Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) is £2,398.50 m, has not changed since last year's Q2 1819 (£m) baseline Whole Life Cost of £2,398.50 m, due primarily to the following factors; - There has been no revision to the baseline cost profile. Based on the maturity of the programme, the impact on changes to the remaining schools in the programme results in less fluctuations to the overall programme budget. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) £2,398.50 m baseline Whole Life Cost, the following non-project operating environment activities have impacted the original baseline Q2 Whole Life Cost; - There has been no revision to the baseline cost profile. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) £2,398.50 m baseline Whole Life Cost, the following primary project actions have impacted the original Q2 baseline Whole Life Cost; - There has been no revision to the baseline cost profile. The baseline Whole Life Cost at Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) is £21.31 m, has increased by £0.00 m since last year's Q2 1819 (£m) baseline Whole Life Cost of £21.31 m, due primarily to the following factors; - Baseline costs were taken from the final business case, which provided the expected costs of the implementation at a point in time. The change in SWE’s planned go live date did not impact on baseline costs. The baseline Whole Life Cost at Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) is £155.60 m, has increased by £9.40 m since last year's Q2 1819 (£m) baseline Whole Life Cost of £146.20 m, due primarily to the following factors; - In September 2019, an updated Strategic Overarching Business Case (SOBC) was drafted and submitted to the DFE Investment Committee. During this process we worked with all the different teams delivering the T Level elements and conducted a full review of the budgets required. During this process it was identified the budgets in the original SOBC and GMPP report had changed as the scope and delivery on the work had been agreed. The budgets were updated to reflect the latest figures. - In 20-21, the Strategic Business Case will be drafted and submitted to the Investment Committee (depending on COVID-19 work). The budgets will be reviewed, budgets may change further as additional work is scoped and delivered. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) £155.60 m baseline Whole Life Cost, the following non-project operating environment activities have impacted the original baseline Q2 Whole Life Cost; - The Cabinet Office advised our communication campaign colleagues to turn off the social media advertising in March 20, due to COVID-19. This led to an underspend in Financial Year 19-20. This will continue into Financial Year 20-21. The way networking and awareness raising with providers will have to be reviewed as we can not hold face to face events as planned, this will cause underspends will emerge. - Due to COVID-19 we may not be able to engage the employers needed to deliver the industry placements and therefore will not be able to deliver the expected amount of T Levels in September 2020, leading to an underspend. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) £155.60 m baseline Whole Life Cost, the following primary project actions have impacted the original Q2 baseline Whole Life Cost; - Through the SOBC, all the elements of T Levels have been reviewed and fully scoped. This has increased the WLC but we have a more robust T Level programme and delivery options to ensure the work is delivered effectively. The baseline Whole Life Cost at Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) is £125.61 m, due primarily to the following factors; - The whole life costs are based on internal staff costs alongside supplier costs for set up and delivery of 5 test cycles (from 2020 to 2024 inclusive). Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) £125.61 m baseline Whole Life Cost, the following non-project operating environment activities have impacted the original baseline Q2 Whole Life Cost; - As a result of Covid-19 the 2020 Test cycle has been cancelled which has resulted in a reduction of the costs payable with respect to this test cycle. Since the Q2 1920 (30th September 2019) £125.61 m baseline Whole Life Cost, the following primary project actions have impacted the original Q2 baseline Whole Life Cost; - The cancellation of the 2020 Test cycle has resulted in a renegotiation of the contract with suppliers.
Annual Report Category Government Transformation and Service Delivery Infrastructure and Construction Government Transformation and Service Delivery Government Transformation and Service Delivery Government Transformation and Service Delivery
The IPA Annual Report publishes the whole life cycle costs on projects, based on figures from their Business Cases, whilst the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline (NICP) focuses primarily on the upfront capital investment on a project. Where both documents refer to the same projects, this distinction will be the principal reason for any differences in the data sets published. Other government publications may use different methodologies to derive cost figures Not set Not set Not set Not set Not set