Useful Links

General Links

• Green Book guidance
  The full text of the 2003 HM Treasury Green Book Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government is available at this site, along with HMT business case resources, supplementary guidance and detailed departmental guidance.
• DFP Accountability & Accountancy Services Division
  Contains all current letters of guidance and other resources including Managing Public Money Northern Ireland (MPMNI).

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 Toolkit
  This provides a practical overview of the policy development process. It consists of a number of workbooks covering key steps in the process, such as justification and set-up; developing and analysing the evidence base; identifying and appraising policy options; impact assessment; and the consultation process.
• The Cabinet Office Strategy Unit
  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

• Policy Toolkit Workbook 4
  This is a practical guide to impact assessment of a wide range of social, economic and environmental impacts. Includes checklists and templates tailored to suit a variety of different impacts.
• Integrated Impact Assessment
  Although superseded by The Policy Toolkit, there still are a number of useful impact assessment links at this page.
• BIS impact assessment guidance
  This site is geared towards assessing impacts on business but contains material that is of general relevance to impact assessment.

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.
• HM Treasury PPP guidance
  Treasury's main PPP page, containing links to a wide range of relevance guidance.
• Infrastructure Procurement: Delivering Long Term Value
  March 2008 HMT policy document
• PFI: Strengthening Long-Term Partnerships
  March 2006 HMT policy document.
• HM Treasury Supplementary Guidance on the Taxation of PFI and the Public Sector Comparator

Implementation, Management and Monitoring

• Successful Delivery (NI)
• Launched in June 2009, this site contains detailed guidance and resources for programme and project management (PPM). It covers the full range of PPM issues including, among other things, Managing Successful Programmes, Gateway Reviews, PRINCE2, and Benefits Management.
• Office of Government Commerce (OGC)
  Contains guidance and resources for a wide range of issues related to public procurement and programme/project management.

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 NIGEAE.

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.

Other Useful Sources

• Central Procurement Directorate
• Equality Directorate
• European Division
• Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)
• Land and Property Services
• Strategic Investment Board
• Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE)