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Supplementary guidance

The Green Book sets out the core principles. Supplementary guidance to the Green Book on particular aspects of investment appraisal can be accessed through the links below.

Managing risks
Optimism bias
Taxation, PFI, and the Public Sector Comparator
Sustainability and Value for Money - a quick guide
Market effects of subsidies
Impact Assessments (IA)
Third Sector: funding relationships
OGC Gateway

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Managing risks

Managing risks

  • Treasury webpage


Managing risks to the public: appraisal guidance


Principles of managing risks to the public


Orange Book on risks

  • Provides broad based general guidance on the principles of risk management, enhanced to reflect lessons learnt HMT October 2004


Management of Risk (OGC)

  • Office of Government Commerce detailed guidance on the practical application of the principles and concepts of the Orange Book


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Optimism bias (OB)

Green Book guidance


OB in transport planning

  • PDF file of OB in transport planning
  • Provides OB up-lifts for certain types of transport infrastructure projects; and guidance on using them; and discusses the underlying causes and institutional context for OB in transport projects and how to reduce it
  • Summary (DfT)


OB adjustments for regeneration, decent homes, and fire projects (Communities and Local Government)

  • Guidance and research reports in these three areas, including PFI projects


Mott Macdonald report: Review of Large Public Procurement in the UK


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Taxation, PFI, and the Public Sector Comparator

Guidance


KPMG Report

  • PDF file of KPMG Report
    KPMG Report on identifying and measuring the differential tax receipts from Private Finance Initiative schemes for the purpose of economic evaluation against a Public Sector Comparator - July 2002


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Sustainability and Value for Money - a quick guide

Sustainability and value for money - a quick guide

  • A short and straightforward outline about value for money when buying goods and services, for non-economists and non-finance professionals responsible for managing procurement projects


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Market effects of subsidies

Market effects of subsidies (OFT)

  • Guidance to assess whether a proposed subsidy is likely to have a significant effect on competition and, if so, to incorporate this into the wider appraisal HMT/OFT 2007


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Impact Assessments (IA)

IA toolkit (Cabinet Office)


Conjoining guidance (Cabinet Office)


Completing competition assessments in impact assessments: draft guidelines for policy makers (2006) (OFT)

  • Accompanies the competition assessment part of the IA process, and contains useful information on assessing the costs and benefits to competition of a range of policy designs. (Currently in draft form pending completion of consultation.)


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Third Sector: funding relationships

Third Sector: funding relationships

  • Guidance for distributing public money to the third sector, addressing: stability in the funding relationship (moving from one year to longer-term funding); timing of payments and balance of risk (payment in arrears); full cost recovery; and reducing the burden of bureaucracy.


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OGC Gateway

OGC Gateway (OGC)

  • Detailed guidance on project management


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