Careful investment appraisal lets you figure out which opportunities are a great deal and which ones you should avoid like the plague. Similar to any other investments, the investments in transport are also long lasted, and costly, and at the same time have great impact on the economic development of communities and regions. Investment decisions should be therefore well thought and various alternatives should be compared carefully before choosing the preferred option.
We have seen further investment in transport announced in the last week’s budget. The Chancellor backed the Crossrail 2 rail link (connecting Surrey and Herts through London) and gave the green light to the HS3 rail link and the four-lane upgrade of the M62 (between Manchester and Leeds) including upgrades for the cross-Pennine A66 and A69 roads.
The generation of monitoring and evaluation evidence helps us to find out whether investments have been effective, delivered value for money and achieved the expected outcomes. This evidence improves our ability to demonstrate accountability and helps us to refine our appraisal assessments and forecasts for future decision making.
Since more decision making is being taken at the local level under the devolution plans, it has become important to learn about what works and why/why not and use this knowledge to advance understanding and decision making.
We at i-Select Consultancy have therefore designed a training course on ‘Transport appraisal in investment decisions and ex-post evaluation’. Further information about the course and how to book your place can be found here.
Zeenara Najam
Director, i-Select Consultancy Ltd
