Recommendation ETI-6: Optimism Bias in Business Cases
From Edinburgh Tram Inquiry Report, published 19 September 2023.
Recommendation
All versions of the Business Case, including any Business Case required as a result of altered assumptions, should include an assessment of risk that takes account of optimism bias in accordance with the current published government guidance.
In brief (written by this site)
In November 2023, Màiri McAllan, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition, stated to the Scottish Parliament that while the recommendation was directed at project leads and local authority officials, the administration and its public bodies "already operate in line with these recommendations and best practice" (Màiri McAllan response, Nov 2023). The Minister stated that this was evidenced by an established record of delivering major infrastructure projects, including the Queensferry Crossing and Borders Railway (Màiri McAllan response, Nov 2023). The record holds no update since the Scottish Government's response of November 2023 (Màiri McAllan response, Nov 2023).
Sources
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
The remaining thirteen recommendations cover a range of areas relating to the governance and delivery of light rail projects. While these recommendations are directed squarely at project leads and Local Authority officials, there is a link to much of the work being done by this Government and its agencies, including Transport Scotland.
I am pleased to report that this Government and its public bodies already operate in line with these recommendations and best practice as evidenced by our excellent record of delivering major infrastructure projects including the Borders Railway, the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme, the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and the Queensferry Crossing over the Forth Estuary, a complex engineering feat that has put our workmanship to the front and centre of global engineering.
How this response relates to the recommendation
Site note: The statement gives this passage once, for what it calls "the remaining thirteen recommendations", and does not list them. The site records it on ETI-5, ETI-6, ETI-7, ETI-9, ETI-13 and ETI-14, the recommendations the site addresses to the Scottish Government that the statement does not answer elsewhere.
Delivery
No statement on delivery from Scottish Government has been found in the sources searched (last checked 31 January 2026). This is separate from the response above.
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- Scottish Government
Response