Change description : 2026-02-05 15:30:00: The Green Book has been 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. [Guidance and regulation]
The Green Book webpage is being updated to reflect the environmental principles policy statement coming into effect from 1 November.
18 November 2022
New link to collection page (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/the-green-book-and-accompanying-guidance-and-documents) to improve signposting.
Removed link to sign up to the Green Book newsletter. Link can be found on the collection page (Green Book and Accompanying Guidance and Documents).
30 March 2022
Updated for 2022
3 December 2020
Updated with HTML version of The Green Book 2020.
25 November 2020
Updated with The Green Book 2020.
19 November 2020
Reduced content on page.
21 July 2020
Updated with 'Infrastructure Business Case: International Guidance, Infrastructure Business Case: International Guidance Annexes and Infrastructure Business Case: International Case Study'.
23 April 2020
Added Business Case Templates documents to the page
19 March 2019
Updated with revised version of 'Access to training and accreditation in best practice business cases'.
18 October 2018
Replaced 'Public sector business cases using five case model: guidance' with 'Business case guidance for programmes', 'Business case guidance for projects', 'Business case guidance for programmes (International version)' and 'Business case guidance for projects (International version)'.
6 March 2018
New version of the Green Book published, as well as accompanying academic paper.
11 November 2016
Link to new guidance on Treasury approvals for programmes and projects added.
20 October 2015
Updated better business cases guidance published
19 November 2014
updated 'Access to training and accreditation in best practice business cases' publication
6 August 2014
Public sector business cases using the five case model: templates file (.doc) replaced (with (.odt)
11 April 2014
'Agile digital and IT projects: clarification of business case guidance' published
4 February 2014
Updated guidance on public sector business cases using the 'five case model' published