Indeed, today's report by the Independent Monitoring Commission almost writes itself.

As one senior security source told this newspaper: "The trend line is pretty well established".

The IRA is going away - not coming back, and for all the talk of republican dissent over policing, the Adams-McGuinness leadership looks more solid than ever.

And this is the context for the latest assessment of the IMC. It is about the political developments within the republican movement, and it's about the IRA melting away.

The Sinn Fein leadership entered that ard fheis knowing the IRA was with it - with it, in terms of helping sell the Adams motion in all the private talks that were the build-up to Sunday's conference.

Today, the monitoring commission will acknowledge how the republican political leadership has delivered since the Adams speech of April 2005, when he asked the IRA to take "courageous initiatives which will achieve your aims by purely political and democratic activity".

Sunday's vote on policing was under the Sinn Fein banner, but much of the heavy lifting that had to be done was by the IRA.

The organisation hasn't spoken publicly on the policing question, but there is a belief that it met in the period before the ard fheis - possibly in a " convention".

That there is no army council or 'P O'Neill' statement setting a republican face against the policing decision is hugely significant.

It means the IRA at all levels is still with Adams and McGuinness - and this after the most difficult of all questions that have been asked within republicanism.

This decision on policing is as big - maybe even bigger - than those that were taken on ceasefires, on ending the armed campaign and decommissioning.

In the war the police were the enemy, but not any more. The peace is changing things - republicans are opening their minds to new possibilities.

For all the huffing and puffing of the usual dissidents, there wasn't the wind to blow the mainstream movement off its chosen course.

Now, everyone will watch the implementation of Sunday's decision - watch republicans take their first steps into policing.

The Chief Constable, Sir Hugh Orde, was travelling to the United States last night, where during a 48-hour visit taking in Washington and New York, he will give his assessment of developments.

He will face questions not just on the historic Sinn Fein vote, which will change the future of policing, but he'll be asked about the stuff of yesterday - the collusion that was highlighted in last week's report by the Police Ombudsman.

So, in terms of the writing of the latest IMC report, there is an obvious script line to describe the developments within republicanism.

The story of the loyalists is much more complicated.

In the background all sorts of activities are continuing.

The UVF and Red Hand Commando may have prepared a draft statement on " future intent", but it is so deep in the loyalist pocket you could be forgiven for thinking it had been lost.

And this will work itself into the writing of the IMC.

The loyalist leadership has not delivered in the way that Adams and McGuinness have, and organisations such as the UVF, the UDA and the Red Hand Commando have a lot of catching up to do to get anywhere near the IRA.