Business Case Proposal
Executive Summary
Provide an executive summary (high level) that captures only the essential elements of the business case being presented. Include the strategic overview for the business case and the most pertinent facts.
Phase 1: The Strategic Context
1 Business Needs and Desired Outcomes
Use the following sections to identify the need (problem or opportunity) facing the organization, and/or department/unit and the desired business outcomes.
1.1 Strategic Environment
1.1.1 Organizational Overview
Describe the current environment to build a strong rationale for the proposed investment. This organizational overview should include:
Mission
Strategic vision, goals, and service objectives
Current activities and services, including key stakeholders and clients
Organizational structure (high level)
Existing capacity-financial and human resources
1.1.2 Business Need
Identify the business need in the form of a concise well-structured statement that addresses the problem or opportunity. This statement should be no more than one or two sentences.
1.1.3 Drivers for Change
Identify the internal and external drivers that have triggered the business need for the investment proposal.
1.1.4 Business Outcomes
Describe the expected results or benefits (high level) that the investment is striving to achieve at the end of an intervention or change.
1.2 Strategic Fit
Describe how the proposed investment fits within the organization's broader strategic context and contributes toward its goals and objectives. This subsection should map the investment proposal to the organizational overview's objectives.
1.3 Detailed Description of the Business Need
1.3.1 Problem/Opportunity Statement
Restate the Business Need statement that addresses the problem or opportunity.
1.3.2 Constraints
List and describe internal or external constraints that place limits or conditions on the investment.
Examples: Hard deadline, Pre-determined budget, subject matter expertise, contract provisions, privacy or security considerations. External factors: social factors, environmental issues or concerns, political reasons, economic factors, technological issues. Internal factors: resources, expertise, business requirements, legal requirements, facilities.
1.4 Scope
1.4.1 Boundaries
Define what is to be included within the scope of the investment and explicitly state what is excluded from the investment.
1.4.2 Stakeholder Analysis
Describe key stakeholders, their specific roles, and their contributions to the realization of the investment.
Phase 2: Management and Capacity
2 Managing the Investment
Complete the following sections to describe how the strategic investment will be managed.
2.1 Governance and Oversight
Describe how the proposed investment would fit within the Organization's broader governance and oversight structure. Identify where business case updates will be reported and how often updates will be provided.
2.1.1 Project Management Strategy
Demonstrate that the organization has and will apply a sound methodology to manage the project during its life cycle and through post-implementation.
2.1.2 Implementation Plan
Outline how the project will be implemented to demonstrate that the proposed investment has been appropriately thought through and that the estimates presented are within an acceptable degree of accuracy. List the specific tasks that need to be performed in order to meet the objectives listed above.
2.1.4 Schedule and Approach
Identify the core work streams and associated milestones. List schedule for completion of each task and overall project completion. A Gantt chart may be used in this section to illustrate the schedule.
2.1.5 Estimated Costs
Determine costs associated with each task and for overall project completion. Include estimates for all labor involved (including benefits - assume 33%), and also any equipment or supply costs.
2.1.6 Project Review Strategy
Provide an overview of the methods and processes that have been or will be implemented to gage the project's progress and how that progress will be communicated to the project team, project sponsor, and other stakeholders. Consider the impact, if any, on existing policies and standards.
2.2 Risk Management Strategy
Demonstrate that the organization has a function in place to manage the risks of the project.
2.2.1 Risk Summary
Describe the attributes of each risk related to the investment. A risk summary should include identification of each risk, an assessment of its probability of occurrence, potential impact, mitigation and contingency.
2.2.2 Risk Register
Identify the relationship of the investment to the organization's existing risk register, if applicable.
2.2.3 Risk Management Approach
Describe how the project will monitor and manage risk.
2.3 Change Management Strategy
Describe the potential impact of the proposed change on organizational culture, systems, and processes and on people and how change will be managed during and after the project.
2.4 Performance Measurement Strategy
Describe how the organization will address performance measurement for project implementation and benefits realization.
2.4.1 Key Performance Indicators
Compare each option against industry-standard benchmarks. If benchmarking information is not available for a specific option it should be stated.