Preparations for Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games on track but key risks remain

Planning for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games is on track but there are risks to particular projects. The organisers are managing these but are unable to completely eliminate them.

An Audit Scotland report published today, Progress report 2: planning for the delivery of the XXth Commonwealth Games 2014, says that the main organisers (Commonwealth Games Scotland, the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and Glasgow 2014 Ltd) are committed to delivering the Games to the required standard within the approved £524 million budget.

When fieldwork for this report was carried out in November, planning was generally where it should be at this stage and all venues and other infrastructure projects were forecast to be ready on time for the Games and within budget. However, there are key risks in delivering some developments, including the Athletes’ Village and the development of Hampden Park as a track and field athletics venue.

Hampden Park and the Athletes’ Village are due to be completed less than five months before Glasgow hosts the Games in July and August 2014. If difficulties arise more money may be needed to ensure they are ready in time.

There is also a risk that security costs may be higher than expected based on the experience of other Games. Security planning for the Glasgow Games is still at a relatively early stage and it is not yet clear whether the security budget is expected to cover all security costs.

The pace of preparation for this type of event typically increases from around this stage onwards. A key priority for the Games’ Organising Committee is making sure it recruits sufficient and experienced staff at the right time to continue the good progress. It is currently reviewing its staff requirements in order to do this.

Auditor General for Scotland, Robert Black, said:

“Arrangements for hosting the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games are currently on track, with all venues and infrastructure forecast to be ready in time and on budget. Because around 70 per cent of the infrastructure is already in place, the risks involved in this major project are less than for other Games.

“Nevertheless an event like this is always going to have risks. At this stage, the organisers are identifying and managing these risks but cannot eliminate them completely. The key risks are potential cost increases. Many aspects of the Games are still under development and therefore these costs are uncertain. The organisers aim to deliver the Games within the £524 million budget, and to do this they will need to maintain tight control over spending and review their plans and budgets regularly.”

The Games are intended to have lasting benefits for the people of Scotland. The Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council have legacy frameworks for the Games that include encouraging physical activity, learning and cultural creativity, driving business development and community regeneration, and increasing employment opportunities.

Chair of the Accounts Commission, John Baillie, said:

“Considerable amounts of money, time and expertise are being invested in delivering a successful Commonwealth Games. All partners are aware of the major opportunity to leave a lasting legacy for both Glasgow and Scotland, plans are in place and some benefits are already being seen. It is clearly important to manage closely the key risks that have been identified and build on the progress already made.”