6.39 What extra flexibilities would be available under the proposals? What additional options are open? Are conditions attached to the exercise of certain options? The flexibilities and options available under PPP proposals should be described together with the situations in which it is envisaged that NHSScotland might take them up. The costs of taking them up should be set out, and the benefits of taking them up should be assessed, too.
6.40 This assessment will link back to the sensitivity analysis that has been carried out and to the "what if" scenarios. It will be particularly important to consider how flexibilities and options will allow the NHSScotland body to respond to changing healthcare needs, new pressures for efficiency improvements, etc. Judgements about the value attached to flexibilities and options are likely to be most appropriately dealt with through weighting and scoring techniques in a matrix assessment.
6.41 The risks of the different bids should be compared in the form of a matrix. The benefits of the various forms of risk reduction should be set out along with the other non-financial assessments of the bids. Ideally they should be brought together to form an overall benefit score for each of the bids. The bids can then be ranked in order of benefit.