Timetables and administration
15. Public and media criticism of several capital
projects has resulted from their failure to meet expected opening
deadlines. Consistent themes have emerged about the causes of
delay, including difficulties in securing funding, negotiating
contracts, finalising design and construction. Consequently, many
projects have instigated a phased opening system. However, although
some criticism of the delays is justified, most of the projects
are no more than six months behind their original timetable. In
1998, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport stated that
80 per cent of projects should be completed during the year 2000.[53]
To date, 72 projects have opened. The Millennium Commission expects
that about 150 projects will have opened by the end of this year,
which represents about 80 per cent of capital projects.[54]
That suggests that concerns about delays may have been exaggerated.
16. The Millennium Commission's administration has
received both criticism and praise from the projects that it has
funded.[55]
Some projects criticised it for the complexity of its bureaucracy
and contractual arrangements or for the inexperience of its staff.[56]
Some projects also felt that they had experienced a different
relationship with the Millennium Commission before and after receipt
of the grant, and felt that the Commission had interfered too
much in design and content decisions.[57]
The Commission said that it aimed to "avoid unnecessary bureaucracy"
and adopted a "flexible approach".[58]
17. The Commission's staff were praised and tributes
were paid to the "competent and effective"[59]
and "balanced and co-operative" administration.[60]
The Deep in Kingston-upon-Hull said that the Commission's reporting
requirements had "proved a good discipline to follow and
... the format [had been] adopted for ... reporting to all other
funding organisations".[61]
18. The Millennium Commission said that it encouraged
"projects to learn from one another".[62]
The Magna project felt that it had benefited from the Commission's
"ability to bring experience from other projects".[63]
We consider the sharing of best practice to have been beneficial
both to the capital projects and to the Millennium Commission.
We recommend that the Government consider ways to ensure that
the increased expertise in project management that has resulted
is not dissipated when the Millennium Commission concludes its
work.
53 HC (1997-98) 818-II, p 12. Back
54 Evidence,
p 122. Back
55 Evidence,
pp 20, 27, 152. Back
56 Evidence,
pp 27, 150. Back
57 Evidence,
p 150. Back
58 Evidence,
p 125. Back
59 Evidence,
p 188. Back
60 Q
119; Evidence, pp 174, 176. Back
61 Evidence,
p 173. Back
62 Evidence,
p 125. Back
63 Evidence,
p 166. Back
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