GPD-PN 01/25: Functional Standard GovS 002: Project Delivery, version 2.1

Version 2.1 of GovS 002 replaces version 2 and has the same purpose, scope and intent. The main changes include:  

• the explicit inclusion of context on policy and evaluation in clause 3.2 and in the core text, as appropriate 

• a new clause 4.4.4 has been added to describe the role of senior officer accountable for project delivery in an organisation 

• amendments have been made to clauses 5.2 and 6.2 to make portfolio, programme and project governance roles (the portfolio director, portfolio manager, programme manager and project manager roles) mandatory  

• new clauses 8.8 and 8.9 have been added to cover the transition, use and disposal of a solution in support of the guidance on the same topics in The Teal Book 

• the inclusion of references to The Teal Book throughout  

• minor amendments to annexes, including the removal of the former annex C content on roles which has been moved to The Teal Book 

As a reminder, functional standards are a key part of the government’s governance framework. GovS 002: Project delivery sets the expectations for the direction and management of portfolios, programmes and projects in government.  

The purpose of the standard is to: 

• ensure a consistent approach to project delivery across government 

• provide a framework for planning, managing and delivering portfolios, programmes and projects successfully 

• clarify accountabilities and responsibilities for key roles within project delivery 

• drive continuous improvement in project delivery capability 

Adherence to this standard is mandatory for all central government departments and their arm’s length bodies. It is designed to be a tool to help senior leaders ensure that portfolios, programmes and projects are delivered efficiently, effectively and provide value for money for the taxpayer.  

We expect all departments to review their local guidance and processes to ensure they remain aligned with the updated standard. 

This status of government functional standards is set through Managing Public Money and was first communicated to government organisations through DAO letter 05/21. 

Our priority remains to ensure that all organisations in scope can at least meet the mandatory (‘shall’) elements of the standard. At the same time, advisory elements of the standard should be applied proportionately to the size and complexity of the functional work done by your organisation and used to drive continuous improvement over time. There is built in flexibility for each organisation to decide how to meet the standard in practice and our teams remain available to provide advice on this. 

The mandatory elements reflect consensus from across government about what is essential, including existing requirements about spending or regularity. Failure to adhere to functional standards remains an indicator of heightened risk about underlying transactions and would trigger additional scrutiny and likely corrective action. 

To support organisations in assessing compliance, identifying gaps and creating plans to address any gaps, we have produced two supplementary publications: 

• The Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework – this is a tool that helps organisations to understand how mature they are in meeting the standard 

• The Teal Book: Project delivery in government – this is the core reference for how to do project delivery in government, providing practical advice and guidance on how to deliver the practices defined in the standard 

We have spoken before about our intention to provide better support and use of the Continuous Improvement Assessment Framework as a tool to help us collectively mature the delivery of portfolios, programmes and projects and that remains our ambition. Our teams will be in touch with you to explain our plans for this in due course. 

The functional standard is a key tool for managing risk and ensuring robust assurance and control. It provides a stable basis for senior, expert or independent support and challenge, which is essential for effective risk management and for identifying what needs to improve. 

Specifically, this and all functional standards provide a baseline of expectations that are being drawn on by: 

• audit and risk committees 

• the Government Internal Audit Agency 

• external independent scrutiny bodies, such as the National Audit Office for their value for money studies 

By ensuring your organisation’s ways of working align with the practices required in the standard, you can be confident that you have a robust framework in place for managing risk and assurance. 

Beyond their core role in governance, all functional standards continue to be used more widely across government to build capability and drive professional development. You will find them embedded in: 

• government curriculum and professional development activities for project delivery professionals 

• expectations for Senior Civil Service performance 

• arrangements for business planning, performance and earned autonomy 

We encourage you to consider how you can leverage the updated standard for project delivery within your own organisation to support these wider uses and further enhance project delivery capability. We are also making greater use of the standard to ensure that the products and services we provide to support the maturity of project delivery across government are consistent and aligned. 

We trust that you will disseminate this information to your project delivery teams and stakeholders, including your counterparts in arm’s length bodies, and ensure that the updated standard continues to be embedded within your organisation’s practices. 

Becky Wood

Government Head of Function for Project Delivery

Chief Executive Officer, National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority