RHI-21
Response
Accepted
Self-assessed
Sceptical Business Case Scrutiny
Recommendation
The Department of Finance's distinctive role in scrutinising business cases should be searching and sceptical, guarding against over-reliance on the assurances offered by the applicant Department.
Published Evidence Summary
The following publicly available evidence relates to this recommendation:
According to the Official government response (October 2021), the Department of Finance's role in scrutinising business cases has been strengthened, with the Department now applying non-standard conditions of approval for complex projects and employing a tailored monitoring approach. According to the NIAO Second Progress Report (October 2024), this proactive stance guards against over-reliance on assurances from applicant Departments.
How was this assessed?
Assessed by gemini-2.5-flash on 19 Mar 2026
Checked data held on this site (government responses, progress updates, independent evidence)
External sources searched: www.gov.uk, www.finance-ni.gov.uk, www.legislation.gov.uk, hansard.parliament.uk
Jurisdiction
Northern Ireland
Response
Accepted
Response
Accepted
Accepted
Department of Finance
07 Oct 2021
[Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 19-23, 29-33 together as a group under the 'Governance and Financial Controls' theme.] Accepted in full. Addressed through the Review of the Expenditure Approval and Business Case Processes. DoF now applies non-standard conditions of approval for complex projects; tailored monitoring approach demonstrates proactivity.
Progress Timeline
Official Report
15 Oct 2024
NIAO Second Progress Report (October 2024): Implemented. DoF's distinctive scrutiny role for business cases maintained and strengthened.
Source
Inquiry
RHI Inquiry
Report
The Report of the Independent Public Inquiry into the Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) Scheme
13 Mar 2020
Responsible Bodies
Department of Finance
Primary
Themes & Tags
Recommendation age
6.0 yrs
Last formal update
525 days ago