Business Case development, including Green Book (Tom Stannard)

Tom Stannard, Corporate Director – Regeneration & Economic Growth, Wakefield Council

Business Case development, including Green Book CPD workshop

Tom Stannard is Corporate Director for Regeneration & Economic Growth at Wakefield Council. Tom took up his new position in September 2018 after three years as Director of Economy & Skills at Oldham Council – and is responsible for Wakefield’s regeneration and economic growth services, including economy and skills; planning, transport and highways; environmental services; property; and arts, culture and leisure. He attended the IED’s ‘Business Case development, including Green Book’ CPD workshop in May 2019.

“We frequently use Green Book appraisal to support capital project development, and also have a need to submit external funding bids e.g. for housing infrastructure funding using a methodology and government appraisal scheme broadly akin to Green Book,” Tom explained. “The IED event, which I attended in Manchester, was designed to assist my oversight of multiple bid processes and to further embed understanding of practical use of Green Book in capital project appraisal and management at the Council.”

Tom described the workshop as “highly practical, with good worked examples and a sufficient level of detail on the green book itself”. He added: “The whole day was lively, interactive and the trainer (IED Executive Director Nigel Wilcock) encouraged a good level of networking and participation. I have applied my learning in oversight of project management via our major capital projects board both at project initiation and in evaluation regarding benefits realisation from capital investment. It is also supporting our staff in external grant funding bids that require broad adherence to Green Book methodology, and helped to improve our approach to benefit realisation and our success in attracting external funding.”