Chapter 13 Issue Code: PROC13.

01

Date of Issue May 04

Post Project Review
Originator: WSNTG

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 3
1. Purpose 3
2. Scope 3

PROCEDURE 4
3. Two Stage Final Report 4

3.1 INTERIM FINAL REPORT (IFR) 4

3.2 EU REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 4

4. Final Report 5

4.1 FINAL ACCOUNTS 5

4.2 SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION 5

4.3 FORMAT OF THE FINAL REPORT 5

4.4 GENERAL 5

4.5 HISTORY OF PROJECT 5

4.6 CONSTRUCTION 5

4.7 OBJECTIVES 6

4.8 OUTPUTS 6

4.9 OPERATION OF THE WORKS 6

4.10 FINANCIAL DETAILS 6

5. Lessons Learned 6

5.1 PROJECT DIARY 6

5.2 AGENDA ITEM AT PROJECT MEETINGS 7

5.3 LOG OF LESSONS LEARNED 7

5.4 CENTRAL DATABASE 7

5.5 REPORTING URGENT MATTERS 7

5.6 POST PROJECT REVIEW MEETING 7

5.7 REVIEW MEETING AGENDA 7

5.8 ANALYSIS STRATEGIES 8

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5.9 PERFORMANCE REVIEW 8

5.10 REVIEW MEETING MINUTES 8

5.11 REVIEW MEETING REPORT 8

CHECKLIST 9

REFERENCED AND RELATED DOCUMENTS 11

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INTRODUCTION

1. Purpose
Post Project Review (PPR) is a key element of any good project management system and is a specific
requirement of the Department of Finance in relation to the implementation of Capital Expenditure
Programmes. For EU co-financed projects there are further conditions in relation to the completion of
projects and the submission of final reports. This chapter applies to all projects under the main Water
Services Investment Programme. The information collected from projects should be gathered, not just for
the benefit of the project participants, but for the collective benefit of all Local Authorities

The main purposes of the Post Project Review are threefold:

(a) Meet EU and Department of Finance requirements
• Meet the various requirements of the EU in relation to the drawdown of EU aid.

• Ensure that information is collected in a manner that facilitates financial audits and the
aggregation of national statistics.
(b) Assess Project Performance
• Provide an assessment of the management of the project.

• Allow for a full evaluation of the impact and effectiveness of the project, In particular in terms
of the environmental and economic objectives set.

• Determine the final outturn cost and identify any cost increases over the original estimates
and tender prices.

• Ensure that the appropriate structures for the proper maintenance of the works in question
and for the ongoing monitoring of their performance have been put in place.
(c) Learn for the Future
• Record the key project experiences, both the good and bad.

• Determine causes.

• Document the things that should be done differently in future projects.

• It is vital that any lessons learned are recorded to inform future project managers, so that
constructive initiatives are repeated and errors are avoided.

2. Scope
This procedure applies to all projects under the main Water Services Investment Programme. The
information collected from projects should be gathered, not just for the benefit of the project participants,
but for the collective benefit of all Local Authorities.

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Originator: WSNTG

PROCEDURE

3. Two Stage Final Report

The post project review includes the preparation of a Final Report in two stages, the analysis and reporting
of lessons learned and the submission of Final Accounts for each contract.

3.1 Interim Final Report (IFR)

The first stage of the post project review is the preparation of an Interim Final Report (IFR), which is to be
submitted to the DEHLG within six months of Substantial Completion of the project. The purpose of this
stage is to provide an early assessment of the management of the project, to collect information on the
physical outputs and to provide financial details to enable the early drawdown of EU aid for co-financed
projects.

3.2 EU Reporting Requirements

For EU co-financed schemes, further more detailed requirements in relation to the compilation of payment
schedules, publicity and project review must be provided. The IFR should contain the following elements:

• Financial details which should provide, in so far as it is known, the final outturn cost, broken
down by contract and including details of non-contract expenditure in accordance with the
categories of expenditure set out in the Payment Claim Forms (WSIP/O2).

• For all EU projects there is a requirement that there must be an itemised breakdown of
expenditure under the project. This is essential to ensure that expenditure is eligible for EU
recoupment and is needed to prepare a final payment claim on the project for submission to the
EU Commission. It is not necessary for the Local Authority to forward vouchers, invoices, bank
statements etc., to the DEHLG but these must be available for inspection in relation to all of the
items of expenditure for which EU recoupment is sought. The schedule of expenditure should
be in the format set out in Form WSIP/03 (Circular L12/98).

• Project management details and project history which should provide, in summary, the history
of planning and construction of the project and should refer to any difficulties encountered in
the implementation of the project. Details of any cost overruns or delays, the employment
impact both during the project and long term, procurement procedures adopted etc., should
also be included.

• For EU co-financed projects only, a note on the publicity measures undertaken throughout the
life of the project. In particular, the note should highlight how the role of the EU has been
publicised. Sample material should be provided as an appendix to the report.

• The physical outputs from the project should be clearly identified and ‘as completed’ drawings
for the works enclosed.

• Where a project involves the provision or upgrading of a treatment works, an account of the
future operation of the works should be provided. This should include details of the monitoring
and management arrangements for the operation of the works and should provide an estimate
of the ongoing operational costs involved.

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4. Final Report
The second stage involves the preparation and submission of a Final Report to the DEHLG. This report
will update the Interim Final Report, as required, and provides a general assessment of the impact of the
project in terms of the environmental and economic objectives set and, where appropriate will review the
operational performance to date.

4.1 Final Accounts

The third part of the post project review is the preparation of Final Accounts for each contract.

4.2 Substantial Completion

Local Authorities are required to submit to the DEHLG a copy of the Certificate of Substantial Completion
or the Certificate of Taking Over, as the case may be, for all individual contracts within one month of their
issue.

Substantial completion of the project refers to the date of issue of the last major certificate on a
construction contract. For the purpose of determining the substantial completion of a project, the Local
Authority should exclude ongoing work such as the carrying out of minor repairs arising from a
construction contract, the installation of monitoring or telemetry equipment where such is not part of a
main contract, landscaping, etc.

4.3 Format of the Final Report

The Final Report (FR) should include a 1 to 2 page Executive Summary, and should provide information
under the following headings:

4.4 General
A short description of the works including details of the main physical indicators e.g. length of pipelines laid
or refurbished, number of pumping stations, description of treatment works etc.

4.5 History of Project

A short history of the planning of the project, including details of how the project addressed the main
planning and environmental requirements, reasons for the technology used and the location of works
chosen and a description of any investigation contracts awarded.

Analysis of the parameters (e.g. population projections, tourist numbers, housing completions etc.) used to
determine the size of the project and the extent to which they remain valid.

Procurement details relating to the various contracts under the project and of measures taken to ensure
compliance with the relevant EU Procurement Directives. Dates and reference numbers for the various
PIN, contract and award notices for contracts under the scheme should be given, e.g. below threshold,
contract awarded before date of coming into force of Directive, etc.

4.6 Construction
A review of the construction phase of the work, including a description of any problems encountered,
information on the extent to which the project met agreed schedules and details of modifications to the
works and any cost increases arising.

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4.7 Objectives
The objectives of the project and the extent to which these have been met, the environmental and
economic impact of the project, insofar as this is known at the time.

Comment on the extent to which the project contributes to ensuring compliance with EU environmental
directives and meeting national environmental and economic objectives.

Set out the direct employment impact of the project in man-years, broken down between contract and
supervision/consultancy, and the number of jobs created in the ongoing operation of the project.

4.8 Outputs
Detail the physical outputs from the project and the direct employment of the project in man-years, broken
down between construction work and consultancy/supervision.

4.9 Operation of the Works

Provide an assessment of the operation of the works post commissioning, including the annual
maintenance costs and quality and quantity outputs, indicators for monitoring purposes, estimates of the
additional revenue, if any, expected from the project, including any capital contributions under the polluter
pays principle, estimates of the number of jobs created in the ongoing operation of the works and details,
as appropriate, of the capacity of the plant.

4.10 Financial Details

The FR should contain a general statement of the income and expenditure on the project. It should
summarise the financial position including details in relation to the following matters:

• Cost estimates for the project at various stages (Preliminary Report, Contract Documents,
Tender Prices and Final Outturn) and the main reasons for variations in these.

• Actions in relation to the application of the polluter pays principle and details of capital
contributions or other charges received by the Local Authority in relation to the project.

• Expenditure on land purchase with details of the cost per acre, and of any land remaining
surplus to requirements at the end of the project.

5. Lessons Learned
It is essential that the project be reviewed as soon as possible after completion, to establish lessons
learned, both good things and bad and to analyse these lessons and record them centrally. Even at the
end of a project many of the key lessons can be forgotten or the details distorted. For this reason a
regular record of lessons learned should be kept.

5.1 Project Diary

It is recommended that the Project Leader keep a project diary from the commencement of the project. In
this diary the Project Leader should record all problems, innovations, initiatives, unplanned events and
issues that were encountered on the project, noting their causes/sources and the solutions/outcomes that
emerged.

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5.2 Agenda Item at Project Meetings

The Project Leader should ensure that lessons learned are made an agenda item at project meetings and
that any item which could contribute to collective learning is raised, discussed, problem solved and
recorded in the project diary.

5.3 Log of Lessons Learned

The Project Leader should maintain a Log of Lessons Learned in the Quality Plan, in which all significant
lessons, both the good things and the bad will be recorded in summary form.

5.4 Central Database

The DEHLG will nominate an individual to maintain a central database of lessons learned on projects,
categorised by key subjects. Ultimately, this information will be incorporated into this Procedures Manual
at the next revision.

5.5 Reporting Urgent Matters

Should any Project Leader encounter a problem or lesson learned, which he/she believes should be
reported on immediately, that person should:

• Record the lesson learned in the log of Lessons Learned appended to the Quality Plan.

• Post the information immediately to the person responsible for maintaining the central
database.

5.6 Post Project Review Meeting

At the end of the project, before the project has been officially closed out, the Project Leader will hold a
Post Project Review Meeting.

The Project Leader will require the attendance of key Local Authority, Consultant and other personnel who
have played an active role in the implementation of the project to attend the Post Project Review Meeting.

The Project Leader or nominee will chair this meeting.

5.7 Review Meeting Agenda

The following elements and dimensions of project performance should be included as agenda items for the
meeting:

• Technical issues

• Programme/Schedule issues

• Statutory issues

• Cost issues

• Unplanned issues

• Performance issues

• Consulting Engineer related issues

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• Contractor related issues

• Supplier related issues

• Local Authority related Issues.

5.8 Analysis Strategies

For each of the issues listed in the agenda, the following questions should be raised, discussed and
resolved:

• What was successful?

• What innovations/initiatives were undertaken?

• What was unsuccessful?

• What problems were encountered?

• What unplanned issues arose?

• What issues should have been anticipated?

• What solutions were developed?

• What should be done differently in the future?

• What lessons were learned?

5.9 Performance Review

For the main particpant groups, Consultants, Contractors, Suppliers and Local Authority personnel, the
following questions should be addressed:

• How well did they perform?

• What did they do well?’

• What did they do badly?

• How might their performance improve in the future?

• What improved performance would they ask of the other participants?

5.10 Review Meeting Minutes

The Project Leader will record all the action items arising from the meeting, assign responsibilities and
deadlines for these actions and follow up to ensure that the agreed actions have been implemented.

5.11 Review Meeting Report

Immediately on completion of the Project Review Meeting, the Project Leader should submit a report to the
DEHLG based on the findings of the Review Meeting and the contents of the project diary. This report
should identify all the lessons learned and document recommendations for ensuring that these lessons are
recorded in the central database so that all future Project Leaders will be able to access the information
and incorporate it into their project planning in the future.

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CHECKLIST

Interim Final Report

Financial Details:
• Final Outturn Cost
• Broken down by contract
• Details of non-contract expenditure
Breakdown of Expenditure
• Set out in accordance with Form WSIP/03
• Documents available for examination
Project Management details
• History of Planning
• History of Construction
• Difficulties encountered
• Cost overruns
• Delays
• Procurement procedures adopted
Publicity measures undertaken (EU co-financed projects)
• How EU role publicised
• Sample material appended
Physical Outputs Identified
‘As completed’ Drawings enclosed
For Treatment Works
• Future operation details
• Management arrangements
• Monitoring arrangements
• Estimate for ongoing operations
Final Report
Executive Summary
• One to two pages
General
• Short description of works
• Main physical indicators (pipeline lengths, number of
pumping stations, etc)
History of Project
• Handling of planning and environmental issues
• Reasons for technology used
• Reason for choice of location
• Details of investigation contracts
• Analysis of parameters used to determine project size
• Validity of parameters used.
• Procurement details for various contracts
• Measures taken to comply with EU Procurement directives
• Dates and Reference Numbers for PIN, Contract and Award
Notices
Construction
• Review
• Problems encountered
• Performance against schedule
• Details of modifications and costs arising

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Objectives
• Objectives set
• Performance against objectives
• Environmental and economic impact
• Contribution to compliance with EU environmental
objectives
• Impact on employment during project
• Ongoing jobs created
Outputs
Operation of the Works
• Quality and quantity outputs
• Annual maintenance costs
• Indicators for monitoring
• Additional revenue expected
• Jobs created
• Plant capacity details
Financial Details
Cost estimates for each stage:
• Preliminary Report
• Contract Documents
• Tenders
• Final Outturn
• Main reasons for variations
• Actions in relation to polluter pays principle
• Capital contributions/charges received
Expenditure on Land Purchase
• Cost per acre
• Land remaining surplus to requirements
Lessons Learned
Project Diary
• Problems
• Innovations
• Initiatives
• Unplanned events
• Causes and solutions
Agenda Item at Project meetings
Log of Lessons Learned
Post project review meeting
• Key issues discussed
• Lessons Learned recorded
• Action List
• Review Meeting Report
− List of Lessons Learned
− Recommendations for future projects

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REFERENCED AND RELATED DOCUMENTS

L12/98 Recoupment of Expenditure on Water Services Capital Projects

L4/99 Water Services Investment Programme: Post Project Review

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