The Department told us that factors outside of its control have contributed to the delays, for example, COVID-19 limiting its engagement with stakeholders and local authorities and political change impacting its ability to obtain cross-Government agreement.10 However, the Department also accepts the programme was impacted by poor initial set up including: running the programme as three separate projects and poor programme management capability and capacity.11 The Department recognises that it could have had better engagement with stakeholders.12 These weaknesses in the set- up to the programme are reflected in the Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s June and September 2022 reports.13 The Department told us it has since looked to implement comprehensively all the IPA’s recommendations. It told us it has since worked to: • run the reforms as an integrated programme. • improve its programme management office set up, resourcing and governance, bringing in a programme delivery specialist senior responsible owner and project management specialists. • improve stakeholder engagement by really hearing and responding to the concerns of stakeholders.14 5 Infrastructure and Projects Authority, Mandate, January 2021 6 C&AG’s Report, paras 17 and 2.8 7 C&AG’s Report, paras 15, 1.7, 2.6 and figure 7 8 Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Update on packaging reforms to help drive down inflation – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), July 2023 9 Qq 11, 13; C&AG’s Report, paras 15 and 2.6 10 Qq 9, 22 11 Qq 22, 24, 27, 28 12 Q 24 13 Qq 22, 24; C&AG’s Report, para 2.8, 2.14 14 Qq 22, 24, 27 Government’s programme of waste reforms 11