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Wovex & the Green Book

 

From outcomes to evidence your reviewers can trust.

Turn your business cases, proposals and Gateway reviews into a single story from spend to strategic outcomes - with exports your reviewers recognise.

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Why the Green Book matters

The Green Book is a guide the UK government uses to help choose the best ideas for the country. It explains how to:

  • Come up with different options

  • Compare them to see which one helps people the most

  • Check that the money is being spent wisely

  • Plan how to track whether the idea actually works

Three Stages of a Business Case


Not all business cases need significant detail from the start, so the three stages of a business case are usually referred to:

  • SOC – the first outline (Strategic Outline Case)

  • OBC – a more detailed plan (Outline Business Case)

  • FBC – the final version before going ahead (Full Business Case)

 

The Gateway Review information below will help you understand how a business case evolves as it progresses through different assessments.

What is the Five Case Model?


When the UK government plans something big, like a new project, a business case is written with five parts:

  1. Why it’s needed (Strategic)

  2. How it helps people (Economic)

  3. Who will provide it (Commercial)

  4. How much it costs (Financial)

  5. How it will be managed (Management)

A business case that includes them is said to 'follow the Five Case Model'.

What is expected from you?

Some key highlights you are expected to show:

  • Options and Appraisal: a longlist and shortlist, with social value analysis and sensitivity testing.

  • Five Case Model: a coherent Strategic, Economic, Commercial, Financial and Management Case across SOC → OBC → FBC. 

  • Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E): a plan to track outcomes and learn what works. (An additional book, the Magenta Book, expands on this.) 

  • Benefits management: outcomes framed as public/social value, with owners, measures and baselines. 

 

Below is help to get this information together.

1. The Strategic Case

A Clear line of sight

  • Build a Benefits Map to link initiatives → enablers → benefits → strategic goals.

  • Assign owners and clarify dependencies so reviewers see governance in one view.

  • Export the map and a one‑page narrative directly into your business case pack (SOC/OBC).

Outcome: reviewers see why this investment advances goals, not just what it costs.

Strategic-case-–-5-case-model-3

2. The Economic Case

Outcomes, Measures, and Baselines

    • Define measures for each benefit; capture baselines and expected change.

    • Tag benefits (e.g., financial vs. non‑financial; direct public‑sector vs. wider social value) to support. public/social value framing. Government Project Delivery

    • Use CSV/Excel exports to feed your CBA/CCE models or departmental templates (we play nicely with your economists’ spreadsheets).

 

Outcome: your appraisal team gets clean inputs, traceable back to an owner and data source.

Note: Wovex does not replace specialist economic models; it organises the benefits data and evidence to support Green Book appraisal and sensitivity analysis. 

Economic-case-5-case-model

3. The Commercial Case

Delivery assumptions & dependencies

    • Capture assumptions, risks and dependencies at benefit/initiative level.

    • Attach procurement‑relevant evidence (market insights, delivery constraints) to the affected outcomes.

 

Outcome: Your Commercial Case references a consistent set of assumptions with audit history.

Commercialcase-5-case-model

4. The Financial Case

Costs meet outcomes

    • Import high‑level cost lines (from finance or PPM) and link them to initiatives/benefits.

    • Export a benefits vs. cost summary for your OBC and FBC packs.

 

Outcome: Finance reviewers can reconcile investment lines to the outcomes they support.

Financial-case-5-case-model

5. The Management Case

Monitoring, Evaluation & Benefits Realisation

    • Turn your benefits map and register into a benefits realisation plan with owners and update cycles.

    • Schedule check‑ins (quarterly/bi‑annual) and track actuals vs. forecast.

    • Export a monitoring & evaluation summary aligned to Magenta Book expectations.

 

Outcome: reviewers see a credible, proportionate plan to manage delivery, monitor outcomes and learn.

Management-case-5-case-model

Green Book Deliverables

What Wovex Gives You

Strategic-case-–-5-case-model-3

1. The Strategic Case

Rationale & Objectives

Benefits map showing strategic alignment

Goals, Objectives, Benefits & Measures library

Benefit owners, and sign-off of accountability acceptance

Economic-case-5-case-model

2. The Economic Case

Evidence for options & social value

Benefits register with measures

Baselines, forecasts & standard categories

Spreadsheet export for local cost benefit analysis

Commercialcase-5-case-model

3. The Commercial Case

Delivery arrangements documented

Assumptions/risks/dependencies logged per initiative/benefit

Evidence supporting procurement

Value Agreements - clear benefit expectations

Financial-case-5-case-model

4. The Financial Case

Affordability information

Costs linked to initiatives/benefits

Export of benefit vs cost summary

Detailed worksheets of discounted flows & ratios

Management-case-5-case-model

5. The Management Case

Manage delivery, monitoring & evaluation

Realisation plan and forecast/actual monitoring

Automated update chasing & calculations

Progress/status/trend dashboards & reports

Specific Things You Need

Wovex supports the Green Book and Five Case Model. 


  • Use our Evidence Pack collection as an appendix for Gateway packs (benefits register, target/forecast timeline, map, and Value Agreements). 

  • Keep an audit trail of updates/owners to answer “who changed what, when.”

  • Align your Wovex processes for assurance to IPA guidance (e.g., benefits realisation and integrated assurance).

People-preparing-for-a-business-case-review-2

Preparing for Reviews

Gateway Reviews are  important checkpoints that help make sure big government projects stay on track, don’t waste money, and actually help people. Benefits play a key role in these.

Gateway Reviews. These are like checkpoints you pass to make sure the project is still a good idea and is being done properly.

The Gateway Reviews

Gateway 0

Is This the Right Thing to Do?

 

Before you start:
“Should we even do this? Is it worth it?”

A check on if the project makes sense and will really help people.

Gateway 1

Are We Ready to Start Planning?

 

How will we do the project?
“Who’s doing what? What do we need? Does everyone agree?”

A check on if the team and rules are in place.

Gateway 2

Do We Have a Good Plan?

 

How is the plan?
“Is the plan clear and realistic? Do we know the cost and how long it will take?”

A check on the 'goodness' of the plan.

Gateway 3

Are We Ready to Start the Work?

Is everything in place? 
“Do we have the money? Are the people, etc. ready? Agreed on needed outcomes?”

A final check before the real work begins.

Gateway 4

Is Everything Going Okay?

During the project:
“Are we on track? Any big problems? Can we still finish on time?”

A check that all is going as expected.

Gateway 5

Did We Get What We Wanted?

After finishing:
“Do we have the outcomes expected? Helping people as hoped? Was it worth the money?"

A check on if the project was a success, and learning lessons for next time.

Preparing for Gateway 0, 1, and 2

What Wovex Gives You for Your First Three Gateway Reviews

Gateway 0 - Is This the Right Thing to Do?

At Gateway 0, reviewers want to know whether the programme is justified, aligned to strategy, and has clearly defined outcomes.

1. Wovex One-Page Benefits Map

Shows the full line-of-sight:

  • Strategic objectives, 

  • Required outcomes, 

  • Benefits & measures, 

  • Required enablers, 

  • Initiatives (early outline)

 

 

Answers reviewer questions:

  • “How does this investment support strategic priorities?”

  • “Is there a clear logic chain?”

 

 

2. Strategic Alignment Summary

A simple export from Wovex showing:

  • Each benefit

  • Which strategic goal it supports

  • Ownership and dependencies

 

 

  • “Are you addressing the right strategic needs?”

  • “Are there gaps in the outcomes logic?”

 

3. Early Benefits Register (High-Level Version)

Wovex exports include:

  • Benefit definitions

  • Benefit types (financial/non-financial / public/social value)

  • Early measures

  • High-level baselines or baseline plans

  • Assigned owners

 

 

 

  • “Is there a credible benefits framework feeding into the Strategic Outline Case? (SOC)”

  • “Have you identified the right benefits and owners?”

 

4. Initial Assumptions & Risks Log (Outcome-Linked)

Wovex exports include:

  • Key assumptions impacting outcomes

  • Early risks linked to benefits/initiatives

  • Ownership

  • Early mitigation thinking

 

 

 

 

  • “Have you considered delivery risks that affect value?”

 

 

 

 

5. Gateway 0 - Evidence Pack Export

Key Wovex output:

  • Benefit map (image or cloud share)

  • Value Agreement

    • Strategic alignment summary

    • Key assumptions impacting outcomes

    • Overview narrative you can paste into your SOC

  • Early Benefit Register (Quick Download)

     

 

 

 

 

  • “Can you provide the information needed as part of your Gateway 0 submission pack?”

 

 

 

 

Gateway 1 - Are We Ready to Start Planning?

At Gateway 1, reviewers expect a more developed SOC or early OBC, with clearer benefits, options and evidence. 

1. Appraisal-Ready Benefits Register

Shows the full line-of-sight:

  • Clear definitions

  • Measures and baselines

  • Forecasts

  • Benefit trajectories / expected changes

  • Data sources & evidence notes

  • Ownership and accountabilities

 

 

Answers reviewer questions:

  •  “Are benefits measurable, credible and owned?”

 

 

2. Option-Linked Outcomes Summary

A simple export from Wovex showing:

If you are considering multiple options, Wovex lets you connect the benefits map and register to each option and export:

  • Benefits per option

  • Strength of alignment

  • Strategic and public value impact

 

 

 

 

  • “How does each option compare on benefits expected?"
  • Needed to feed into the Economic Case longlist/shortlist options analysis.

 

 

 

3. Baselines & Data Readiness Checklist

Wovex gives you:

  • Baseline data

  • Data collection responsibilities

  • Data confidence ratings

  • Initial data quality assessment

 

 

 

  • “How will you measure this?”

  • “Are data sources available and credible?”

 

 

 

4. Delivery Ownership & Accountability Model

A Wovex export shows:
  • Benefit Owners

  • Measure Owners

  • Dependency Owners

 

 

 

  • “Do the right people have responsibility for delivering outcomes?”

 

 

 

5. Gateway 1 - Evidence Pack Export

Key Wovex output:

  • Enhanced Benefit map 

  • Value Agreement

    • Full alignment summary

    • Detailed narrative you can paste into your SOC/OBC

  • Extended Benefits Register (Quick or Full Download)

    • Baseline/data readiness overview

    • Risk/assumption updates

  • Initiative options

    • Option-outcome summary 

 

 

 

 

 

  • “Can you provide the information needed as part of your Gateway 1 submission pack?”

 

 

 

 

Gateway 2 - Do We Have a Good Plan?

The focus is now on Delivery Strategy:

  • Is the programme deliverable?

  • Are benefits realisation and delivery plans credible?

  • Is governance solid?

  • Is the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) plan robust?

1. Full Benefits Realisation Plan

Generated directly from Wovex:

  • Delivery timelines

  • Owners

  • Dependencies

  • Measurement cycles

  • Data sources

  • Forecast vs. actual trajectories

  • When benefits start/peak/end

 

 

Answers reviewer questions:

  •  “Is there a credible plan to realise the benefits?”

 

 

2. Integrated Outcomes & Delivery Roadmap

A Value Agreement export showing:

  • Delivery stages

  • When enabling activities complete

  • When benefits begin to accrue

 

 

 

 

  • “Show me visually how and when initiatives are going to deliver benefits."

 

 

 

3. Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Summary

Wovex provided:

  • Indicators (measures)

  • Baselines

  • Data sources & frequency

  • Who collects what

  • Methodology for evaluation

  • “What good looks like”

 

 

 

  • “How and when will data be collected, and by whom?"
  • "What calculations are used (if any)?"
  • "How will values be evaluated/reviewed?"

 

 

4. Governance & Reporting Model

Wovex will automate, support and provide:

  • Update cycles (quarterly, six-monthly)

  • Roles and responsibilities

  • Access controls

  • Assurance points

  • Change control and audit history

 

 

  • “Does the programme have sufficient governance of value/benefits for delivery?”

 

 

5. Forecast vs Actual Performance Dashboard

Wovex provides accessible progress updates and outputs:

  • Progress

  • Variances

  • Confidence levels

  • Benefits ahead/behind plan

  • Early warning indicators

 

 

  • “Do you have a clear system for monitoring and reporting outcomes?”

 

 

6. Gateway 2 - Evidence Pack Export

Key Wovex output:

  • Benefits Realisation Plan

  • Monitoring & Evaluation Plan summary

    • Process supported by Wovex 

  • Value Agreement

    • Providing the Integrated delivery–outcomes roadmap

  • Updated register (Quick or Full download)

    • Benefits/measures/owners/data sources

  • Governance & reporting model

  • Updated assumptions & risks

  • Narrative text

    • Aligned to the Management Case for the OBC/FBC

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • “Can you provide the information needed as part of your Gateway 2 submission pack?”

 

 

 

 

Built for public sector assurance

UK data residency by default.

Non-UK organisations can choose their residency to meet their requirements. Enterprise plan customers can choose their data region.

Role‑based permissions and audit‑friendly history keep control tight.

Start with AI Assist or imports

Quick and easy starts to get your projects included and relevant benefits and measures chosen.

UK Treasury standard categories and tags are included, so you will be automatically compliant with benefit standards!

FAQs

Frequently asked questions on the Green Book and Wovex.

Does Wovex “make us compliant”?

The Green Book is guidance, not a certification. Compliance rests on your content and process. Wovex organises evidence, owners and exports so you can follow the guidance and pass assurance with confidence.

Can Wovex run the economic appraisal for us?

No, your economists/finance team should perform Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA)/Cash and Cash Equivalent (CCE) analysis. Wovex provides structured inputs and traceable evidence (baselines, measures, sources) to feed those models.

How does Wovex help with Gateway reviews?

We provide the registers, benefits map, assumptions, and the ability to Monitor and Evaluate (M&E)  so that data is collected as evidence on if benefits are on track, and to assess benefits performance. All align with review expectations.

See your outcomes, measures and evidence aligned to the Green Book.

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