Stage 2: Project Proposal
Stage 2: Project ProposalStage 2: Project Proposal
This stage develops the mandate into a more detailed project proposal. The key elements are:
Strategic Fit
This includes many elements of the old NPMF2 Project Appraisal Form, but not the delivery and funding options appraisal. Instead, we are looking at this point for a more detailed review of the proposed project against alternative means of meeting the programme objectives. The reason for this is to enable the Programme Board to consider carefully whether this project is the most effective way to meet those objectives, before too much resource is used on detailed delivery planning.
Corporate Considerations
The Project Proposal stage also involves a more comprehensive review of the potential corporate implications of the proposed project than the old PAF. This is to enable us to identify potential legal, financial, property issues, etc. at an early enough stage to influence the decision on whether and how to take the project forward. This expanded corporate considerations review will also ensure that opportunities to contribute to cross-cutting objectives such as equalities, community safety and sustainability are identified at the outset and can be properly built into the project, rather than “bolted on” at a later stage.
These sections will be reviewed by nominated corporate officers (via the Programme Manager), who will comment on whether the relevant issues have been properly considered, and make suggestions for how they might be taken forward. This also serves to get the project onto the “corporate radar” and to provide an early warning of potential input needed to the project at a later stage if it is approved.
Risk and Impact Assessment
This section is looking for a high level review of likely costs, complexity of funding, timescales, risks, and level of stakeholder involvement. The project category will be identified by applying a simple assessment matrix, and this will determine further approval and monitoring requirements:
- Category A projects (high risk, high cost, high impact) require a project board and will be monitored by the Project Review Group (in addition to the Programme Board).
- Category B projects will also be monitored by the Project Review Group, but do not require a separate project board.
- Category C projects will be approved and monitored by the Programme Board only
- Category D projects will be approved by the Programme Board, but ongoing monitoring will be by divisional management teams (as part of “business as usual” delivery, such as the Local Transport Plan investment programme), with reporting to the Programme Board by exception only.
There are further details on the Project Risk and Impact Assessment in the Toolkit section.
Gateway 2
Gateway 2 requires the following form to be completed.