Understanding HM Treasury's Green Book: A guide for mathematical scientists

Abstract

HM Treasury’s Green Book is the UK Government’s overarching guidance on appraising (i.e., assessing the costs, benefits, and risks of) new policies, programmes, or projects. It guides decision- and policy-makers across Government departments and public bodies, and places strong emphasis on delivering value for money and public benefit. A familiarity with the Green Book can empower mathematical scientists to align their work with policy thinking, to engage with the UK Government at critical stages of policy- and decision-making, to translate research findings into real-world impact, and to support transparency and accountability in public spending. In this report we provide a high-level overview of the Green Book and its principles, and note significant scope for mathematical scientists in particular to engage with and influence the Green Book, appraisals processes, and thus—by extension—UK public decision- and policy-making more broadly.