How To Become a Gateway Reviewer

What is a Gateway Review?

Gateway Reviews are reviews of major procurement projects by independent specialists at defined decision points in projects.

Interviews with significant project stakeholders are held and the examination of project documents undertaken.

Gateway is not an audit, a detailed technical review or an inquiry, but a review by experienced ‘peers’ to provide a ‘fresh’ view of the project to the sponsoring agency.

Gateway Reviews are conducted at six decision points (or gates) in the procurement cycle.

Why a Gateway Review?

Gateway Reviews independently assess whether an appropriate level of discipline is applied through the procurement cycle. The benefits of Gateway Reviews can include:

  • Identification of project improvement opportunities
  • Early intervention to offset emerging deficiencies
  • Overcoming ‘group think’ in project teams
  • More accurate project scoping and estimates
  • Reduced time and cost overruns
  • Improved alignment of services with available funds
  • Improved procurement discipline
  • Improved risk management

Why become a Reviewer and what to expect?

Gateway Reviews are rewarding and developmental to all participants. Reviews involve a short period (approximately 3-4 days including reading time) of intense activity looking at a program or project. The majority of time is spent interviewing the project team and project stakeholders and reading the project documentation.

As a Gateway Review Team member you will come to understand a project’s origins, the outcomes it seeks to achieve and how those outcomes link to the Agency’s service and or asset strategy. You will be briefed on the means by which the project has been developed and how the impact of the project is planned to be delivered.

It is the team’s role to identify areas of improvement and make recommendations that will support the delivery of the project.

You will have to present your findings as succinctly and persuasively as possible.

Being part of a review will give you a real insight into how other government agencies manage their procurement, including risk management, service delivery and change management. You rapidly gain a good understanding of the project and identify where improvements can be made.

You will see how Gateway Teams are selected, and why individual team members are chosen to balance with your own skills and experience.

Working as part of a team you will benefit from the process, both personally and for the projects and programs you work on.

What skills and experience are needed?

All Gateway Reviewers must work well in teams and have advanced interviewing, communication, negotiation and influencing skills.

Each Reviewer has knowledge and practical experience of a specialist skill, often program and project management, business analysis or procurement.

Other examples of specialist skill backgrounds include:

  • Information, Communication and Technology
/
  • Property Portfolio Management and Construction Management

  • Risk Management
/
  • Benefits Management

  • Facilities Management
/
  • Contract Management

  • Change Management
/
  • Procurement

  • Finance
/
  • Demographics

  • Value Management
/
  • Cost Estimating

  • Master Planning
/
  • Total Asset Management

  • Economic Appraisals

To participate in a Gateway Review it is expected that you have at least 5 years experience in your chosen discipline.

Why be a Gateway Reviewer?

There are benefits to you and your Agency:

  • Professional development
  • Networking opportunities
  • Assists in defining and structuring projects
  • Assisting your agency in achieving successful Gateway reviews

What are the main challenges?

  • Being able to read and understand the project documentation in a short time
  • Fitting the reviews into your schedule
  • Planning for the review in short periods
  • Obtaining crucial information during interviews
  • Reviewing agencies that have an insufficient understanding of Gateway
  • Extracting corporate knowledge not documented
  • Asking relevant questions during interviews
  • Managing sponsor expectations during debrief

How to become a Gateway Reviewer

If you are interested in becoming a Reviewer, you should attend our one-day “Familiarisation Workshop”.

By the end of the workshop you will understand:

  • The principles of Gateway
  • The background of Gateway Reviews
  • The stages of a Gateway Review
  • The benefits of Gateway Reviews to each of the stakeholders
  • Your role as a member of a review team

To become a Gateway Reviewer, you will need to complete the Nomination Form. This can be faxed or emailed to the Gateway Review Team.

This form will help you to set out your skills and experiences so that the Gateway Team can assess the type of program and projects you can most usefully review. This information helps us decide what role you could take in a review team and the scale of program or project you could successfully review.

Gateway Reviewer Nomination Form

Name: / Title / First / Last
Position
Branch/Division/Office
Agency/Company
Phone / Mobile
E-mail address
Address
Suburb / State / Postcode
Sector / <select sector>PrivatePublic

Summary CV [Please describe your skills briefly (i.e. approx. 100 words)]

NSW Treasury Personnel Only

Government agencies currently working with:

Industry Sector Experience [Please tick all relevant options]

Accounting
Agriculture
Architecture/Design
Arts/Entertainment
Audit
Banking/Finance
Construction
Education/Training
Emergency Services
Engineering
Health
ICT
Insurance
Justice
Law Enforcement
Legal
Local Government
Maritime
Mining
Power Utilities
Science & Technology
Social/Community Services
Telecommunications
Town Planning
Transport/Rail
Water and Sewerage

Skills and Strengths [Please tick all relevant options]

Asset Management
Business Analyst
Business Case Development
Change Management
Communications/Marketing
Community Consultation
Contract Management
Corporate Planning
Customer Service
Demographic Studies
Economic Appraisals
Environmental Management
Facility Planner
Financial Analysis
Human Resource Management
Industrial Relations
Logistics
Network/Systems Operations
Operations Management
Policy Development
Procurement
Program Management
Project Management
Property Development
Public Sector Comparator
Quality Assurance
Quantity Surveying
Records Management
Research & Development
Risk Management
Safety Management
Security
Stakeholder Management
Strategic Planning
Tender Evaluation
Total Asset Management
Value Management

Availability

I am willing to act as a Reviewer: Once or Twice a year

Amount of notice required: weeks notice

I am willing to travel within NSW to conduct Gateway Reviews:Metropolitan and Rural

Metropolitan only

I would like to be considered as a registered Review Leader:

Gateway Training

I have not had any training in the Gateway Review System:

I am registered as a gateway reviewer in other jurisdictions

Review memberJurisdiction:VicDate

QldDate

WADate

BrisDate

UKDate

NZDate

Review leaderJurisdiction:VicDate

QldDate

WADate

BrisDate

UKDate

NZDate

Information provided on this form can be shared with Gateway Units in other Australasian jurisdictions:

Please forward this form with a current CV*, (*Max. 2 pages) to the Gateway Team

Email:

11:39: 00 Monday, 23 November 2009