Development of a Policy Appraisal Checklist for the Environment Agency of England and Wales

Abstract

This paper describes the development of a simple integrated approach to policy appraisal for use within the Environment Agency for England and Wales. The approach was developed by the Environment Agency's National Centre for Risk Analysis and Options Appraisal, and is intended as a first version of a tool to allow policy makers in the Agency to consider the possible environmental, social, economic and resource use impacts of the policy options available to manage risks, and to allow the monitoring of impacts of policy options selected. The context within which the approach was developed is discussed — including existing literature on, and experience of, policy and integrated appraisal respectively, as well as the needs and resources of the Environment Agency with respect to policy appraisal. The paper provides a description of the approach developed before highlighting issues for further development. The guidance summarised here is version 1, which is being rolled out for use by policy authors within the Agency in 2000 and 2001. The process will inevitably be iterative and it is intended over the next two years, following further application and road testing, that subsequent versions of the guidance will be produced.