The need for project evaluations
Most Government Programmes to include Local Growth Fund, Getting Building Fund and UK Shared Prosperity Fund will require delivery bodies to commission independent project closure evaluations and/or audits.
These evaluations should provide a report to the Accountable Body to confirm that projects have been delivered in accordance with contractual outputs, to allow Accountable Bodies and lead programme managers to then confirm this to Government for the project closure process.
As a former Local Enterprise Partnership and now an independent not for profit organisation, we hold extensive experience and a long track record in producing project monitoring, evaluation and closure reports. We appreciate that sometimes delivery bodies feel these exercises are just tick-box tasks and want to spend the minimum amount of money to tick-the-box. This approach is fine where a project has achieved all contracted outputs. However, as is often the case, projects fall short of achieving contracted outputs for varying reasons and for this reason we recommend that a more detailed report is prepared to justify the position and give the delivery body the greatest chance of not being in breach of contractual requirements with possible funding clawback. Depending on the extent of output reduction, in severe cases a full justification and audit report may be required to prevent funding claw back.
Our offer
Coast to Capital can therefore offer three levels of report to meet each of the above scenarios, all of which are compliant to Government standards set for project output evaluation;
Level 1 project evaluation: Where contractual outputs have been met.
This report meets the minimum standard for confirming the outputs achieved on a project and whether they meet the contracted requirements. We will examine the achieved project outputs comparing them to the contract and provide a commentary and professional opinion as to whether the project has fulfilled contractual obligations. This report is a low cost minimum option required to fulfil the contractual obligation to commission an independent report and is designed for projects where all contractual outputs are met. In preparing our report we work closely with the delivery body to gather evidence and encourage the widest trawl for this across all areas of project impacts. We will always take a pragmatic view in the round of project successes and help the delivery body articulate these providing a professional opinion on whether the project has achieved its objectives.
Level 2 project evaluation: Where not all outputs have been met.
This report is designed for projects where not all contractual outputs have been met and will assist delivery bodies articulate alternative outputs to present a case for mitigation of outputs that have been under delivered. The report will provide a robust commentary and analysis of each output measure against the contractual requirement. Where outputs have not been fully met we will seek and assist the delivery body to prepare sufficient evidence to explain the reason for the shortfall and quantify any other benefits that will help offset the deficiency in output achievement. The report is designed to give a compelling picture that despite under achievement of certain outputs, the project will have delivered on other unspecified outputs that will mitigate any under delivery.
Level 3 project evaluation: Where not all outputs have been met and there have been substantial project scope changes.
This report is designed for projects that have had substantial scope changes and where original contracted outputs have not been met. The report will involve a detailed project analysis and the presentation of a case to mitigate output losses and scope changes, together with a detailed value for money analysis to justify the scope changes. This report will include a detailed social impact analysis and detailed justified rationale for the project scope changes, together with an independent opinion backing up the changes.
We would be pleased to have a no obligation initial discussion with any delivery body about any project evaluation and in the first instance if this is of interest please contact:
Cali Gasson | Executive Director at Coast to Capital.
