How do you use it

The Integrated Appraisal Toolkit is divided into a number of categories or 'themes', all of which are important considerations in striving for a sustainable future for the North West. Each theme is identified in the menu on the left hand side of the screen. Clicking on the theme will direct you to a screen that asks you a question about the likely impact of your policy or proposal in relation to the theme.

You are given a number of standard answers to choose from for each question, ranging from a significant positive to a significant negative impact, and including options if the theme or the particular question is 'not relevant' or if the likely impact is 'not known'.

Your answer will determine the colour code ascribed to the theme in the left hand menu. This 'traffic light' system will help you to target the iterative process of improving outcomes where impacts are initially envisaged as negative.

Concise background information is presented above the question to help you determine its relevance to your policy or proposal. More detailed information is available through the links provided on each question page:

• Overview - a more comprehensive account of current policy and strategy drivers relevant to the particular theme, with direct links to source documents provided for ease of reference.
• Good practice - examples of good practice from across the region that may offer some useful precedents for your initiative.
• Hints and tips - practical advice and issues to consider when completing the question.

A box allows you to enter a justification for your answer. You will have to provide this information to register the response and ensure that the outcome of your appraisal is transparent. Your answer may be qualitative or supported by quantitative information.

Depending on your answer to specific questions, further questions in the same or different objectives may become recommended.

The ‘View Impacts’ and 'Question Map' buttons give you access to the overall structure of the questions and the answers you have given in relation to them. Clicking on a question in either viewing option takes you directly to the screen for that question, which should make the toolkit easily navigable.

You can chose the type of output that you generate by completing the Integrated Appraisal Toolkit, which can include a printout of your answers and justifications for each of the questions (which may be a useful complement to any funding application that you submit in relation to project proposals), or a colour-coded summary of your answers.