Costing Policies: A Toolkit for the Voluntary and Community Sector

Voluntary and community sector groups regularly call on government to introduce a new policy or to change an existing policy. In deciding how to respond, government will (among other things) consider the costs of implementing the policy. So, if the sector is to influence government, it should do likewise. 

Including costings adds credibility to policy asks and at the very least will make it more difficult for government to dismiss them as unrealistic or not fully thought through. It is particularly important to consider the financial implications of policy asks at a time when the public finances are under increased pressure. 

This toolkit is a beginners’ guide, aimed at non-specialists who want to make estimates of the financial costs to government of implementing their policy asks. The focus is on costing public policy recommendations rather than funding applications. The toolkit is compatible with the government’s methodology for assessing policy proposals. 

We are holding a training session, that will equip participants with the skills to navigate the toolkit, on 28 June 2016 in NICVA. Find out more and register here.