How to measure and manage the UK Government’s major project portfolio

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to stimulate changes to the way performance data is used to improve performance taking the government’s use of project data as an example. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses systems theory to review the way the government’s major projects portfolio should be analysed. Findings This paper concludes that broader engagement in the analytics process should be considered as a way of improving insights and learning from reviews. The paper suggests that report alone has limited value. Research limitations/implications By taking a systems approach, this study raises questions about the methods used to manage data analysis and system improvements. Systems thinking is a useful tool to consider applications such as the performance of the government’s project portfolio, but there are many other approaches that can be applied. Practical implications This study makes very specific recommendations around the roles and responsibilities of people and teams at different levels in the system. Roles and activities are described together with recommendations about interfering in and overreaching these roles and activities. Originality/value This paper synthesises a number of systems approaches together with a view of why “we measure” to create a framework for analysing approaches to performance improvement. The practical application provided here gives insights into how these approaches can be used in real-life contexts.