Green book - UK Government guidance on appraisal

Publication Year

2026

Document Status

Current

Abstract

Comprises guidance for public sector bodies on how to appraise proposals before committing funds to a policy, programme or project. Emphasises the need to take account of the wider social costs and benefits of proposals, and the need to ensure the proper use of public resources. Covers: overview of appraisal; the overarching policy framework; rationale and objectives; generating options and longlist appraisal; shortlist appraisal; distributional analysis and place-based analysis; valuation of social costs and social benefits; presentation of results; monitoring and evaluation.

Document History

Last updated: 5 February 2026 - Updated in line with commitments arising from the Green Book Review 2025. It is radically shorter and simpler, with duplication and wordiness reduced throughout. The document has been restructured, with most annexes having been merged into the core text to improve comprehensibility. Substantive changes have been made throughout, such as: Value for money and benefit-cost ratios (BCRs) have been reframed, public sector fraud and error have been clarified, and "evaluation" has been removed from the document's subtitle. Document type: guidance. First published: 18 April 2013.

ISBN

9781918417128

Publisher Information