Section 5 - General guidance
The documents below are available in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF). If you do not have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer you can download the software free of charge from the Adobe website.
For alternative ways to read PDF documents and further information on website accessibility visit the HM Treasury accessibility page.
5.1 Opinion letters
This OGC note explains why Government departments should not in future, as a matter of general policy, issue "opinion letters" on the powers of a particular department or authority to enter into a contract (usually a PFI contract) or on the authority of a particular official to sign the contract.
5.2 Draft project governance guidance
This guidance looks at a number of aspects of project governance. The intention is not to set out a rigid template but to provide a framework for Authorities to think through the issues and how best to resolve them.
Also included is a consideration of the roles of independent reviews (such as the OGC Gateway reviews), the links to the formal project approval processes (such as Project Review Group (PRG) for some Local Authority projects), and the impact of public sector issues.
5.3 Budgeting and accounting for PPP/PFI transactions
HM Treasury finance director letter - draft IFRS accounting standard for PFI
The FD letter introduces a discussion paper on accounting for PPP arrangements, including PFI contracts, under IFRS.
Further information on how to record PPP/PFI contracts and how to seek a classification of a project and the technical guidance on national accounts standards for PFI and similar transactions can be found in the Budgeting and classification section of the HM Treasury website.
5.4 - OGC/HMT joint guidance on using the competitive dialogue procedure
This OGC and HM Treasury joint guidance aims to assist contracting authorities with the competitive dialogue procedure, which is used when procuring complex projects. The new guidance aims to clarify a number of issues, with a view to lead to a reduction in the time and cost of many public sector procurements.
5.5 - Joint venture guidance: a guidance note for public sector bodies forming joint ventures with the private sector
This document replaces the previous guidance note for public sector bodies forming joint venture companies with the private sector, issued in December 2001. It looks at the issues associated with the creation and use of joint venture entities across the wider procurement spectrum.
5.6 – Managing complex capital investment programmes using private finance.
This model to provide guidance to Departments on HMT’s and NAO’s expectations of how they should manage their programmes involving PPP and PFI projects.
5.7 – PPP technical update 2010
This document sets out the recent changes made to PPP/PFI and updates the delivery framework for projects going forward.
5.8 – HM Treasury review of competitive dialogue
HM Treasury has a historical commitment to the Committee of Public Accounts (PAC) to review the impact of the competitive dialogue procurement process. Colleagues in the Cabinet Office’s Efficiency and Reform Group are currently undertaking a Lean Procurement Review to uncover the causes of delay in the procurement process and to suggest actions to rectify them.
It is hoped that the findings of this 18 months study will complement and contribute to this valuable piece of work and this report has been submitted as evidence to the ERG Review for their consideration.
5.9 - Making savings in operational PFI contracts
This guidance is the final version of the draft guidance by the same name which was published in January 2011. It is intended to help government departments and local authorities identify opportunities to reduce the cost of operational Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts.It highlights the need for strong contract management to achieve optimum performance from a PFI contract and suggests options public sector bodies may consider to reduce the cost of a contract.
It also includes sources of support and emphasises the importance of protecting value for money. The guidance draws on engagement with central and local government and the findings of savings pilots at Queen’s Hospital in Romford and Ministry of Defence projects.
Share
