NI Practical Guide to the Green Book

• Introduction
• The Basic Steps of an Economic Appraisal
• What is Economic Appraisal and When is it required?
• Step by Step Appraisal Guidance
• Policy and Programme Appraisal
• Appraising Assistance to the Private, Voluntary and Community Sectors
• PPP Projects and Procurement Issues
• Appraising Information Technology Projects
• Appraisal of Accommodation Projects
• Business Cases
• Approval of Departmental Expenditure
• Implementation, Management and Monitoring
• Evaluation
• Expert Advice, Use of Consultants and Training
• Terminology and Abbreviations
• Appendices

Useful Links

General Links

• The Green Book
  The full text of the 2003 HM Treasury Green Book Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government is available at this site.
• DFP Accountability & Accountancy Services Division
  Contains all current Dear Accounting Officer (DAO) Letters and other resources including Government Accounting Northern Ireland (GANI).

Policy Appraisal and Evaluation

• The Policy Link
  OFMDFM website containing the full text of A Practical Guide to Policy Making in Northern Ireland. Also provides bulletins on recent developments in research and policy issues and draws attention to relevant news and resources.
• The Policy Hub
  Cabinet Office Strategy Unit website providing access to initiatives, projects and tools that support better policy making and delivery; guidance on the use of research and evidence in policy evaluation; and links to research resources and tools from the UK and around the world.

Impact Assessment

• Integrated Impact Assessment
  Includes guidance on integrated impact assessment, covering a range of impacts and tailored specifically to suit local policy requirements.
• Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA)

Risk Analysis

• HM Treasury Supplementary Guidance on the Treatment of Optimism Bias
• OGC Risk Management Guidance

PPP/PFI Projects and Procurement Issues

• Public Private Partnerships in Northern Ireland
  Provides information on local PPP/PFI projects and documents including the policy framework document Working Together in Financing our Future and the Report of the Public Private Partnerships Working Group: Review of Public Private Partnerships.
• PFI: Meeting the Investment Challenge
  July 2003 HM Treasury policy document on PFI projects
• HM Treasury Supplementary Guidance on the Taxation of PFI and the Public Sector Comparator
• PFI: Strengthening Long-Term Partnerships
  March 2006 HM Treasury PFI policy document

Implementation, Management and Monitoring

• Office of Government Commerce (OGC)
  Contains guidance and resources for a wide range of issues related to public procurement and programme/project management.
• The Successful Delivery Toolkit
  Contains good practice guidance and tools for procurement, and management of programmes, projects, risk and benefits.
• The Gateway Review Process
• Achieving Excellence in Construction guidance
• PRINCE2 website

Evaluation

• EVALUATION IN THE NORTHERN IRELAND CIVIL SERVICE: A GUIDE FOR DEPARTMENTS
  
  This guide to the evaluation of policies and programmes was published by DFP in 1994. Some of its examples and references are out of date, but its general principles are still sound. It should be read in conjunction with the NI Practical Guide to the Green Book.

Auditing

• The Northern Ireland Audit Office

The NIAO's objectives are to provide effective support to the Northern Ireland Assembly in its task of holding Departments and their Agencies to account for their use of public money and effective local government audit.
• The National Audit Office

The NAO audits the accounts of all central government departments and agencies, as well as a wide range of other public bodies, and reports to Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which they have used public money.

Sources of Advice

• Central Procurement Directorate
• Equality Directorate
• European Division
• Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)
• Lands and Property Services

On 1st April 2007, Land & Property Services was established as an executive Agency within the Department of Finance and Personnel for Northern Ireland. The intention to create the Agency was announced in the Review of Public Administration in March 2006. The Agency has been established initially from the merger of the former Rate Collection Agency and the Land and Property Services. This will be followed by the addition of Land Registers of Northern Ireland and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland from 1 April 2008. Until 1 April 2008, both Land Registers of Northern Ireland and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland will continue to operate as separate agencies.
• Strategic Investment Board
• Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE)