The characteristics and benefits of the Gateway Review Process have ensured that it is well received throughout central civil government in the United Kingdom. The process has been successfully applied to projects undertaken by all its central civil departments including the Ministry of Defence. Departmental and industry reaction to the introduction has been extremely positive, with improvements to project delivery already demonstrated. Consultation with Gateway practitioners and other contacts in other jurisdictions has highlighted reactions and experiences.
A number of benefits have emerged from the UK experience of implementing the Gateway Review Process, including increased assurance that the expected service delivery outcomes will result, delivery of projects within budget and time constraints, better management of risks inherent in projects, increased stakeholder satisfaction, and a snapshot of the procurement health of key projects for Senior Responsible Owners. [2] Specific comments include:
project owners who have received Gateway Review reports on their projects are supportive of the process and have benefited from recommendations contained in the Review report;
it is of paramount importance to keep the Gateway Review Process separate from capital approval sections of government. Gateway Reviews are about ‘helping projects succeed’. They are not part of the approval process;
the Gateway Review Process must add value and support to projects, with the initial focus on high-risk projects; and
the need to improve project delivery for projects which cut across departmental or jurisdictional boundaries is not well recognised or accepted (a common misperception is that ‘all physical-build projects are low risk’).
The cost of the Gateway Review Process to the central civil government in the UK is reported as approximately 0.01 per cent of the overall cost of projects. Office of Government and Commerce Value for money reviews have confirmed that average cost avoidance of 3-5 per cent are being achieved when best practice recommendations from review reports are implemented. The cost avoidance result from early implementation of actions needed for successful project delivery. For example a project with a total estimated investment of $100 million would generate an average cost of $10,000 to undertake a Gateway Review that could result in average cost avoidance of between $3 and $5 million.