Today, Transport for the North (TfN) has published the latest findings from our Northern Appraisal Playbook, complete with advice and tools to help boost transport investment across the North. The full document is now available and will support local partners to apply existing flexibilities within the Green Book and Transport Appraisal Guidance to their own business case development.
What is the Northern Appraisal Playbook?
Our Strategic Transport Plan (STP) highlights the need for an appraisal system that works for the North. This builds on feedback from our local partners that too often investment in the North is constrained by an appraisal process that does not reflect wider social, economic and environmental benefits.
In response to this feedback, we commenced work to develop a Northern Appraisal Playbook. We reviewed the current Green Book to explore where it could be used more effectively to support business cases in the North and have made recommendations to our partners and government on improvements to the current appraisal system.
The Playbook captures our findings, identifying existing challenges within the appraisal system. Several of these challenges can be resolved by better use of existing tools, whilst others require a more fundamental shift in the approach to appraisal at national level.
How can I apply the Playbook’s findings?
The publication of our practical document is readily accessible to all our local partners and wider stakeholders, offering tips and best practice on how to strengthen business cases, using flexibilities offered by the Green Book and using tools that we have developed.
Our work is based on evidence of how existing appraisal systems can be strengthened to better reflect the conditions and opportunities that exist in the North.
The flexibilities which can be applied to strengthen Northern business cases include:
Local partners across the North can apply these flexibilities now, supported by our existing tools and models. Further details on how we can support, are available via the TfN Offer.
What is next for the Playbook?
The Playbook’s findings have been applied to live case studies in the North and reviewed by academia. This process identified several areas for us to consider through further research and engagement, which could result in more fundamental changes for economic appraisal and business case development in the North.
We are committed to working with government, our partners and stakeholders to progress this work, and realise any potential to significantly strengthen the case for infrastructure investment in our region.
We will use our research findings to effectively advocate for change, working with colleagues in Treasury and the Department for Transport. We have already started this dialogue, writing to Treasury on behalf of our local partners, in relation to Treasury’s latest Green Book review announcement. A copy of the letter can be found here.
For further information on our Northern Appraisal Playbook, how you can access our TfN Offer to apply current flexibilities in your own business case development or to provide feedback on applying these approaches, please email [email protected].