NSW Government Investment Framework

About the NSW Government Investment Framework

The Investment Framework identifies requirements, recommendations, and guidance for different stages of an initiative’s development, appraisal, monitoring and evaluation. It applies to projects, programs, regulations, and policies. The framework includes primary guidance documents, technical guidance and supplementary guidance materials.

The NSW Government’s Investment Framework includes:

• NSW Performance and Wellbeing Framework    
  • sets out the overarching wellbeing themes for NSW residents
  • defines outcomes for government services and policies
  • measures and reports on the performance of services and quality of life.
• Business Case Guidelines
  • sets mandatory requirements, recommendations and best practice guidance for developing business cases
  • supplemented by templates and technical notes.
• NSW Government Guide to Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA)  
  • when sets out when you need to do a CBA, what is required, and best-practice guidance
  • supplemented by sector frameworks and Rapid CBA tool.
• Evaluation Guidelines
  • requires agencies to coordinate monitoring and periodic evaluation of ongoing and new initiatives
  • sets out mandatory requirements, recommendations, and guidance for evaluation planning, design and reporting
  • supported by a series of technical notes and workbooks.
• Guide to Better Regulation
  • sets out requirements for agencies proposing new, or amendments, to legislation or regulations
  • helps agencies in developing regulation that is required, reasonable and responsive to the economic, social, and environmental needs of NSW
  • assist agencies in applying the 7 Better Regulation principles.
• Benefits Management Guide
  • best practice guidance for identifying, measuring, monitoring and handover of benefits.
• First Nations Investment Framework
  • guidance on good practice for designing and conducting economic appraisal and evaluation of initiatives that impact First Nations people.
• Carbon Emissions in the Investment Framework
  • sets out requirements on carbon emissions in the Investment Framework and presents carbon values agencies must use when conducting a CBA.
• Disaster Cost-Benefit Framework  
  • guides the use of cost-benefit analysis for disaster resilience initiatives
  • includes a flood cost benefit analysis tool to calculate costs and benefits of flood resilience initiatives. 

NSW Gateway policy

The NSW Government Investment Framework is complemented by the NSW Gateway Policy, which provides external assurance that projects and programs are effectively developed and delivered in line with government objectives.