From Green Book to Green Light: Better Business Cases
Mark Williams
Time
14:00 - 14:45
This session will provide an overview of HM Treasury’s Better Business Cases and Green Book approach.
This is the structured, evidence based, collaborative, decision-making approach used by Public Servants across UK Central Government, the NHS and increasingly Local Government. Also, this approach is used by Overseas Governments and organisations such as the World Bank and UN. In addition, Private Sector organisations working with the Public Sector need to understand this approach and finally given the strength and depth of this approach many Private Businesses also consider this approach.
Project Managers have two key roles here. Firstly, in leading on the development of the (Project) Management Case (one of the Five Cases). Secondly, progressing the development of a Business Case often needs its own project management given the range of Stakeholders and Activities.
The Business Case is intended to be a living document, used to identified but then track the benefits, costs and risks across the project, contract, asset lifecycle.
The foundations of HM Treasury’s Business Case approach can be tracked back decades. However, there has been constant refinements, including via periodic Green Book Reviews. Also, with the launch of the accredited training programme in 2012/13 which APMG operates for HM Treasury. Since its launch over 30,000 people have been through this training.
A recent development from APMG and partners is 5CS which automates this evidence based, structured, decision-making and benefits tracking process.
Mark is both a Better Business Case trainer (having trained over 3,000 public servants and led the training workstream on the Green Book Review 2020) he also works as a consultant on some of the more complex Public Services programme and projects. Mark will draw on this very practical experience to provide context to the topics of Business Cases and decision-making.
Your Takeaways
- An overview of HM Treasury’s Better Business Case and Green Book approach;
- An understanding of the unpinning principles;
- Insights on the roles that Project Managers play here;
- Some practical examples of things that have gone well, and some that have not;
- An introduction to the 5CS approach which automates this evidence based, structured, decision-making and benefits tracking process.
About Mark
Mark has held senior roles in a Big4 firm and a Global Consultancy as well as working in HM Treasury and Cabinet Office. He started in public services audit then moved into advisory / consulting where he has worked extensively with public services and also organisations that engage with governments. He has worked on some of UK public services most challenging programmes and projects as well as numerous overseas projects. He is a qualified accountant, but has long-standing commercial, project management and property & infrastructure experience.
In parallel with his consulting work Mark continues to be involved in developing and delivering training programmes. For example, he was the sponsoring partner for the Big4 firm’s public services learning & development programme. He piloted the World Bank’s PPP training, including in the Middle East and East Africa. He led the training workstream on the Green Book review 2020 for HM Treasury. Mark has trained over 3,000 public servants / suppliers to the public sector in HM Treasury’s better business case (decision making) approach, both in the UK and around the World.
Mark trained and mentored on Cabinet Office’s project leadership programme and more recently developed the ICAEW/CIPFA sustainability certificate to cover local government and wider public services involved in delivery. He has trained a wide range of finance courses, especially with respect to finance business partnering. In all of Mark’s training delivery he is able to draw on case studies from his ongoing consulting experience. Mark has also been a non-executive director / voluntary board member for a range of organisations, including ICAEW and CIPFA.