Gateway reviews

What is Gateway?

Gateway is an assurance methodology for major investments which was developed by the United Kingdom's Office of Government Commerce (OGC) in 2001. It is an independent and confidential peer review process that examines projects and programmes at key points in their lifecycles to assess their progress and to rate the likelihood of successful delivery of their outcomes. A Gateway review takes one week.

Gateway is not an audit, and does not stop a project or programme. The Gateway process:

• adds a third level of assurance
• increases confidence in alignment of projects with Government strategic objectives
• increases confidence in investment decisions
• increases confidence in delivery of required project benefits to time and budget

Gateway is applied in a number of international jurisdictions including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Australia. It was implemented in New Zealand in 2008 on the direction of Cabinet, and to date more than 250 reviews have been completed.

Below is a diagram illustrating how Gateway reviews align with programme and project lifecycles:

What Projects Does Gateway Apply to?

The following agencies are in scope for Gateway peer reviews:

• all departments (including departmental agencies) as defined by the Public Finance Act 1989 (PFA)
• the following types of Crown entities:
  • Crown agents
  • Autonomous Crown entities
  • Independent Crown entities
  • Crown entity companies, including Crown Research Institutes
• companies listed on Schedule 4A of the PFA.

These agencies must complete Risk Profile Assessments (RPA) for all significant investments identified on multi-year plans. Agencies must provide to Treasury any RPA for any investment proposal that has a medium or high risk profile. The RPA must be completed as soon as practicable, to enable early central agency involvement with a programme or project if required.

• All investment proposals that are determined to be high risk by the RPA will have the appropriate investment review applied, including Gateway peer reviews
• The responsible Minister may also request that a project or programme be subject to Gateway peer reviews

Training

The Gateway Unit holds one day Gateway Training and Awareness workshops. These are aimed primarily at:

• helping sponsors and key personnel of major government projects to know what to expect and how to get best value out of a Gateway review
•  training prospective Gateway reviewers.

Government chief executives, senior managers and senior project team members who want to gain a better understanding of the Gateway Review process and what to expect during Gateway Reviews are welcome to attend. Participation in a workshop is a requirement for anyone wishing to become a Gateway reviewer.

The workshops, run by an accredited training provider, are designed around a realistic project case study and cover the principles and techniques of the Gateway Review Process.

To register for Gateway training email the Gateway Unit ([email protected]) along with your CV or Profile and you will be added to the waitlist.