Government to keep Gateway reviews secret

The government has rejected calls for the Gateway process used to monitor IT projects to be made public.

In July the Commons' Work and Pensions sub-committee investigation into the problems facing public sector technology programmes produced seventeen recommendations to improve the department's performance.

The government's response to the report, published last week, acknowledged a number of areas raised by the committee but rejected calls for the publication of the independent Gateway reviews conducted at key points in the procurement and implementation process.

'There are legitimate concerns around the need to protect government departments' onward programme of competitive supply, and to protect the inherent value of the openness and candour of the Gateway process currently afforded by confidentiality,' says the response.

The government also rejected calls for legislation to enforce best practice, along similar lines to the US Clinger-Cohen Act. Legislation can lead to a 'tick-box' approach and the current programme of support and monitoring is more effective, it says.

Recommendations accepted by the department include the need to set realistic deadlines, the importance of independent concept viability studies and the involvement of stakeholders before contracts are signed.

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