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Frequently Asked Questions for Gateway Reviewers

What is Gateway?

Gateway is a project assurance methodology that involves short, intensive reviews at critical points in the project's lifecycle by a team of reviewers not associated with the project. This provides an arm's length assessment of the project against its specified objectives, and an early identification of areas requiring corrective action. Please refer to this website, the Guidance and Handbook documentation for more detailed information about the Gateway methodology.

Will training be required?

Yes, training in the Gateway methodology will need to be obtained prior to conducting a Gateway Review. If you are in the Australian Government, and have submitted a nomination form to the Assurance Reviews Branch contact the Assurance Reviews Branch to receive notification of training dates. Those from the Private sector, or from State or local governments, will need to arrange their own training at their own expense. Finance currently recognises the training provided by BTLi Pty Ltd (BTLi) as suitable for Gateway reviewers. Details on course schedules and costs can be obtained by contacting BTLi via their website [External link].

Where do I find detailed information about what is required from reviewers when conducting reviews?

The Responsibilities of Reviewers are outlined on the Gateway website under the section ‘Role of Gateway Reviewers'. The Guidance and Handbook documentation provides further information about Gateway reviews and reviewer requirements.

What type of experience do I need? Do I need to have all the proposed skills eg. project management, procurement, construction?

We need a wide range of people and skills to assist with reviews. You need at least one of the proposed skills outlined in the Conditions of Participation for the private sector or Evaluation Criteria for the public sector. You do not necessarily need skills in all the relevant areas, you only need at least one to qualify. Some reviewers generalise in a number of fields, others specialise in one particular field.

Are there regular reviews in which I can take part in?

The Gateway methodology is designed to apply high risk, high value projects as this is where it can usually provide the most assistance. The number of Gateway Reviews that will be undertaken is not able to be predicted as this is driven by the number of projects in Gateway and the timeframes of individual projects.

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I need to plan my year ahead, can you let me know if I've got a good chance of being selected as a reviewer?

We will not know in advance the number, or type, of projects coming forward for approval, or whether the Australian Government will approve these projects, or whether the project will be subject to Gateway reviews. Therefore we will usually be required to schedule the Gateway reviews and engage the appropriately skilled reviewers within a tight timeframe and are not able to plan the year ahead. You would also appreciate that the number of potential reviewers is much larger than the number of Gateway reviews being conducted. You may be contacted by the Assurance Reviews Branch should a review require your particular skills and experience.

If you do not hear from the Assurance Reviews Branch, however, this does not mean that you will never be selected for a review. Occasionally you may be requested to update your details.

How many reviews are going to be completed in the one year?

There will not be a set number of reviews each year. It depends on whether the project is above the financial and risk thresholds and whether it is approved by the Australian Government.

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Can I provide you with an information flyer about our company, I believe we can provide you with the right people for Gateway Reviews.

The Assurance Reviews Branch approaches individuals for their particular expertise for Gateway Reviews rather than approaching consultancy companies. However, we are happy for companies to coordinate the nomination of appropriate individuals within their organisation. Nominations from the private sector must be in the form of the 'Application for inclusion on the Gateway MUL2' [Excel Document - 46 KB]. Should there be individuals in your company that meet the requirements to be a Gateway Reviewer, we look forward to receiving their applications.

I have submitted a number of applications from my company, if you decide you require one of my employees to be a reviewer, how do you go about engaging them?

Should an individual from your company appear suitable for a particular review, the Assurance Reviews Branch will approach the individual directly to confirm their availability and interest. If selected, we will engage the individual through the company by signing a Letter of Agreement with the Business Entity. The Letter of Agreement will state the chosen individual as the specified personnel and the company can only provide that specified individual for the Gateway review. Should that individual no longer be available, that individual or the company must notify the Assurance Reviews Branch as soon as possible and another alternative reviewer, who may or may not be from your company, will be selected. The Assurance Reviews Branch is under no obligation to select a reviewer from the same organisation.The Assurance Reviews Branch engages individuals for their particular expertise for Gateway reviews rather than engaging with specific consultancy companies.

Does my daily rate affect my chance of being selected as a reviewer?

This depends on the individual's skills and experience. Each time a project is being reviewed, the pool of potential reviewers will be scanned to select individuals with the appropriate skills for that particular project review. Once a number of potential reviewers are selected, a value for money assessment will then take place to find the reviewer with the right skills and experience compared with a number of other factors (one of which is the daily rate).

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Can you read my CV and give me feedback whether I have the skills you are looking for?

We can not give you qualitative feedback on your CV. As a matter of fairness we have a standard assessment process to deal with all applications and we need to abide by that. If you submit an application, we will respond to your application in terms of whether it meets our requirements for inclusion on the MUL / reviewer database.

I'm thinking of applying for the Gateway MUL, but I don't want to pay for the training if I may never be selected. Can you give me some feedback to help me decide whether I should do the training?

It is difficult for us to determine which specific reviewer skills we will require as each project being reviewed will be unique and require different reviewer skills.

It is not essential to do the training before we consider your application for the MUL. If your application is successful and we include your name on the MUL, then it would be advantageous for you to do the training. Please bear in mind, that although people may be on the MUL and have done the training, there is no guarantee of being selected as a reviewer as we will be developing review teams based on our assessment of reviewer skill requirements for the project and reviewers available at the time.

With that background, it is a matter for your judgement as to whether you should do the training.

Contact for information on this page: Assurance Reviews

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Last Modified: 22 November, 2011