Green book - UK Government guidance on appraisal

HM Treasury, 2026

Document Status

Current

Supplement

Construction Management Supplement

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.

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

Subjects

Publisher History

The HM Treasury is the UK's economics and finance ministry, responsible for formulating and implementing the Government's financial and economic policy. Its aim is to raise the rate of sustainable growth, and achieve rising prosperity and a better quality of life with economic and employment opportunities for all.


Information

NBS

NBS has produced specification systems and information products for construction industry professionals for more than 40 years. The National Building Specification is the recognised UK national standard and is used by over 5,000 organisations. NBS is part of RIBA Enterprises Ltd.

Accuris

We connect trusted knowledge to customers' workflows – mitigating risk, increasing efficiency and accelerating innovation For more than 60 years, leading R&D and engineering-intensive organizations have relied on us to achieve on-time, on-budget delivery of complex projects and new products. We deliver an unparalleled combination of technical content and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to surface answers from the vast universe of technical knowledge, both inside and outside the organization. In a single interface, we connect the dots between information scattered across many different sources, allowing technical professionals to make better, more informed decisions faster.