Major Projects Advisory Group

Existing infrastructure in Ireland, particularly in areas like transport, water, and healthcare, needs significant upgrades and expansion to meet the demands of a growing population and a modern economy. With a portfolio encompassing diverse, interconnected investments, the scale and complexity of the pipeline of projects necessary to deliver the NDP provides a significant challenge to delivering efficiently and effectively.

However, recent history of major projects had been characterized by:

• Budget Overruns: projects exceeding initial approved cost estimates;   
• Schedule Delays: projects failing to meet planned completion dates;
• Benefits Erosion: projects delivered overbudget and late reduces the efficacy of the investment on peoples lives;
• Complex Stakeholder Management: navigating diverse interests and regulatory requirements.
• Lack of Standardised Processes: Inconsistent project management practices across different agencies.

This led to public dissatisfaction, increased costs, and hampered economic development. Recognizing the need for expert oversight and independent advice, Barry O’Driscoll’s appointment onto the newly established MPAG provides independent expert oversight on diverse and complex infrastructure investments, providing credible counsel to Ministers. The mandate includes:   

• Providing independent advice and assurance on major public capital projects.
• Reviewing project business cases, risk assessments, and progress reports.   
• Identifying potential issues and recommending mitigation strategies.
• Promoting best practices in project management and governance.
• Providing assurance to the Government on the viability and deliverability of major projects.   

The new level of oversight, alongside the Government’s External Assurance Process, brought Ireland in line with leading international performers, and the International Monetary Fund’s Public Investment Management Assessment in Ireland recommendation.

Odvantage fully subscribe to the need to speed up the project investment cycle, conscious of the myriad of technical, environmental, economic and regulatory challenges that any successful project must navigate. Our team adopts a proactive approach, engaging with project teams at key stages of the project lifecycle, providing constructive challenge and real-world risk-based methodology to the review process.

Standard review formats target the core issues with the greatest potential to distort and disrupt project delivery:

• Case for Change
• Value for Money
• Feasibility
• Implementation
• Evaluation

Our reviews revealed several key issues and opportunities, notably:

• Improved Project Governance: a need to improve the review process, streamlining response documents from departments, and increasing the scrutiny of the external assurance reviews.
• Enhanced Cost Control: estimates in terms of the costs, inflation and risks were often outdated by the time the project was submitted to the EAP and MPAG process, which would’ve resulted in projects being approved with insufficient funding from the outset.
• Improved risk identification and management: estimates did not always adequately account for risks to the scope and delivery programme and inflation.  Through robust comparison of similar projects within a reference class, the inherently challenging need to forecast likely outturn costs and schedule can be made more realistic.
• Increased Transparency and Accountability: publication of independent reports and recommendations enhanced public trust and confidence in the government’s ability to deliver major infrastructure projects.
• Capacity Building: the facilitation of knowledge transfer and capacity building within government agencies, promoting a culture of project management excellence.

Our input to MPAG has played a vital role in improving the delivery of major infrastructure projects in Ireland. By providing independent expert advice, promoting best practice, and enhancing transparency, MPAG has contributed to significant improvements in project governance, cost control, and schedule management. Projects successfully reviewed for investment included:

– a public transport infrastructure programme in Ireland, managed by the National Transport Authority (NTA). With the core aim of substantially improving bus services in major Irish cities, this large-scale effort to modernize and expand bus services seeks to create a more sustainable and efficient transportation future.

Metrolink – Ireland’s first high-capacity, high-frequency metro railway. It aims to significantly improve public transport connectivity, integrating with existing services (Irish Rail, DART, Dublin Bus, and Luas), and supporting the growth of the Greater Dublin Area.

Clonburris Strategic Development Zone – a 280 hectare development area of strategic national economic and social importance, located in West Dublin. The goal is regeneration, developing sustainable urban growth, addressing local housing needs and stimulating the regional economy.  

Elective Care Centres – a key part of the Sláintecare vision for transformation of healthcare in Ireland, these new hospitals in Cork, Galway and Dublin will provide dedicated facilities for high-volume, relatively low-complexity elective cases.

Water Supply Project – aimed at delivering a 170km pipeline, securing a reliable and sustainable water source for a significant portion of the country’s population. The project is critical to address increasing water demands due to population and economic growth, whilst also building resilience against climate change impacts.

Luas Finglas – extending the existing light rail network to the Finglas area, providing local economic stimulation through improved access to employment, education, and healthcare. The project is a key step in expanding Dublin’s highly successful light rail network, improving connectivity and outcomes for local people.

The outcomes of our reviews are primarily focused on providing independent, expert assessments of major public projects to help the government make informed decisions, mitigate risks, and ultimately deliver better value infrastructure for the country.

To date, MPAG has successfully enabled the following: