Business Case Development

Our approach to investment management, or Business Case, is to apply simple, common-sense ideas and practices that help organisations to direct their resources and achieve the best outcomes from their investments.

In summary, the process takes an organisation down an investment journey by finding out:

What is the actual problem?

What is the evidence that the problem exists?

What are the benefits of solving the problem?

How are the benefits going to be measured?

What are the interventions to address the problem?

What is the best option (combination of interventions)?

Can the solution be delivered within the time and budget constraints?

1. Define 2. Analyse 3. Decide 4. Implement 5. Benefits 6. Control

Define

Determine the actual problem and the root causes.

Identify and verify the evidence that the problem exists.

Is it clear what the problem is that needs to be addressed, both the cause and effect?

Is there sufficient evidence to confirm both the cause and effect of the problem?

Does the problem need to be addressed now?

Does the defined problem capture its full extent/scope?

Investment Logic Map

A single-page depiction of the logic that underpins a single investment. It represents an ‘agreed investment story’ that is created through the structured discussion of the workshop. It is written in plain English in a way that will allow a layperson to understand the language and the concepts. It provides the core focus of an investment and is modified to reflect changes to the logic throughout its lifecycle.

Outcome:

Preliminary Business Case

Investment Logic Map

Analyse

Determine the benefits of solving the problem.

Work out how the delivery of the benefits will be measured and reported.

Have the benefits that result from fixing the problem been adequately defined?

Are the benefits of high value to the government?

Are the KPIs SMART and will they provide strong evidence that the benefits have been delivered?

Have key dependencies critical to benefit delivery been considered?

Investments are often shaped with little understanding of the benefits expected to be produced. This workshop will:

Identify the KPIs and measures and potentially targets and timelines that the investment will need to deliver; and specify how the delivery of the benefits will be measured and reported.

The output of this workshop is a Benefit Management Plan (BMP) made up of a Benefit Map and Benefit Profile.

Outcome:

Benefits Management Plan

Change Management Plan

Decide

Determine and recommend the best option or combination of interventions to solve the problem.

Identify and evaluate the changes required to deliver the benefits.

Has a reasonable spread of strategic interventions been identified and packaged into sensible strategic options?

Is there evidence to demonstrate that the strategic options are feasible?

Were the strategic options evaluated fairly to reflect their ability to respond to the problem and deliver the benefits?

Is the preferred strategic option the most effective way to address the problem and deliver the benefits?

Business cases often fail to consider the full range of things can address the identified problem. This workshop will: 

• Explore the interventions that could deliver the expected benefits and KPIs;

• Formulate and evaluate a mix of response options;

• Consider interventions and options that focus on managing demand, improving productivity as well as changing supply; and

• Assess response options and select the preferred response for the expected future state.

Outcome:

Options Analysis

Full Business Case

Implement

Implement the changes using the appropriate methodology.

Have the project options been specified clearly, including key risks, assumptions, constraints and dependencies?

Consistent with the preferred strategic option, has a reasonable spread of project options been analysed?

Is the recommended project solution the best value for money way to respond to the problem and deliver the expected benefits?

Is the procurement strategy the most appropriate for this investment and attractive to the market?

This workshop ensures that attendees develop a solution that is consistent with the foundations established in previous workshops. This workshop will: 

• Confirm the preferred response (following cost and timeframe assessment) and the interventions it contains; 

• Identify and evaluate the changes and assets that are required to implement the preferred response and deliver the benefits; 

• Define a recommended solution for the expected future state; 

• Confirm the circumstances (change in condition or an event) where the preferred response may be inadequate or inappropriate, and the triggers requiring a change in response; 

• Identify cost range, timeframe for project and benefit delivery, key risks and uncertainties, dis-benefits and critical interdependencies associated with the recommended solution; and 

• Consider any policy levers and policies that may impact this solution and identify any action or areas to investigate further as the project progresses.

Outcome:

Project Management Plan

Change Management Plan

Delivery of products and/or Services

Benefits

Monitor if the solution delivers the originally expected benefits.

Monitor usage and adoption of the changes.

Has an appropriate change management strategy been provided to support benefit delivery?

Has an appropriate benefits management strategy been outlined?

Has the transition from development/construction to operation been adequately considered?

Is the governance structure identified and is it appropriate for this investment?

A short document that specifies the benefits an investment will need to deliver to successfully address an identified problem. There are two parts in a Benefit Management Plan. The benefit map and the benefit profile. Together they document the KPIs, measures, baselines and targets to be used as evidence that the benefits have been delivered. The Benefit Management Plan also defines the dates the benefits are expected to be delivered, who is responsible for their delivery and how they will be reported.

Outcome:

Usage and Adoption Analysis

Control

Review the changes to determine what new activities or changes could significantly improve the effectiveness of the organisation and Business Case.

When you get to the closing stages of your project (i.e. after implementation), you need to put together some documentation and guide the team through some of the steps to sustain the change.

A control plan can help them keep it all going.

As with all of the elements of an improvement, the control plan needs to be handed over to the Process Owner to manage.

Don’t assume that they will get it the first time. You’ll probably need to walk them through several times.

You will probably need to do the tasks the first few times with them.

A control plan is not static. They are meant to be changed as circumstances change. This is the responsibility of the Process Owner.

The Process Owner has the responsibility of handing over the control plan (along with all other documentation and explanations of the process) to the new Process Owner if there is a change of job or restructure

Outcome:

Additional Improvements

Business Case Effectiveness Review

Learnings

Stages of business case development