Associate feature: A budget to lay the foundations for growth in Scotland?

With debt at its highest since the ‘60s, stagnating living standards and £22 billion of unfunded in-year spending pressures, the Labour government was handed a challenging inheritance upon entering office last year. 

Despite this, in delivering the first budget of the new Labour government, Rachel Reeves announced the largest settlement in real terms in the history of devolution by pledging £47.7 billion to the Scottish government. 

Billed as the budget to rebuild Britain and to lay the foundations for growth in Scotland, the UK government confirmed nearly £890 million of direct investment into Freeports, Investment Zones and other important local projects across Scotland. 

The budget also set in motion the first steps to establish Great British Energy by providing £125 million to set up the institution at its new home in Aberdeen. There was also support for green hydrogen projects in Cromarty and Whitelee.

The UK government will also provide £122 million for City and Growth Deals. This includes continued contribution to the Argyll and Bute Growth Deal which will deliver £25 million of investment in the region over 10 years. 

There’s much here that suggests the budget will deliver on the growth it promises, but it is in its delivery where the government will most impact the lives of people in Scotland. Here we discuss the things the government must get right as it gears up to deliver these vast and complex projects.

Strengthen decision making by working collaboratively

The role of project management in maximising impact, particularly in a fiscal environment where every decision carries weight, requires strong decision making backed by data. This is why we are calling for greater project input far earlier in the government’s policy making process. 
The complexities of project management in the public sector means that collaboration between civil servants and industry leaders is essential to drive effective project delivery across Scotland.

Project prioritisation and selection 

Aligning project selection with our overall objectives for the country requires effective project management so we can deliver meaningful outcomes for Scotland. We must also be careful to avoid having too many projects on at once and spreading project resource too thinly.
Nearly all major infrastructure projects today are delivered in volatile and complex environments, so setting projects up for success from the outset has never been more important.

Invest in skill

During times of uncertainty, it is especially important that projects are set up for success and that project management is conducted correctly throughout the lifecycle of all projects.
This can only happen through investment in people, with the goal of becoming chartered project managers. As the only chartered body for project professionals, we are pleased to see the impact the chartered standard is having as part of the Infrastructure Project Authority’s accreditation scheme for government professionals.

The value of getting project management right 

Good project management is essential for good government. By supporting ministers and partners to manage risk and prioritise, we can deliver better impact and improve value for money for the taxpayer.

The sheer scale and complexity of the government’s portfolio confirms the real value of getting project management right, and improving skills are core to the successful delivery of major projects. By setting a higher standard for the way we make decisions, challenge and respond to uncertainty, we can deliver projects in Scotland which benefit generations to come.

This article is sponsored by Association for Project Management

www.apm.org.uk