Developing a Business Case

You Will Learn to:

• Prepare and document a business case for a discretionary or nondiscretionary project
• Evaluate business cases using quantitative and qualitative criteria
• Compare business cases based on cost/benefits
• Prioritise business cases for the purpose of building a project slate

Course Overview

Project managers and business analysts must be able to develop and defend a business case justifying their projects. Additionally, programme managers are asked to verify the benefits realisation stated in a business case against their programmes. Developing a Business Case provides the programme manager, project manager and/or business analyst with hands-on practice developing and documenting a project business case. As part of the course, participants receive detailed templates for developing a business case document and the associated economic spreadsheets. Participants then use the templates to develop a business case based on a robust case study.

This course also provides participants with the necessary skills for evaluating, comparing and prioritising business cases for the purposes of building an annual project portfolio.

This course has been updated to reflect the BABOK® Guide-Version 2.0.

Course Topics

1. Purpose of the Business Case
   1. The main body of the document
      • Project description (template—Microsoft® Excel 2003)
      • Stand-alone economics (template—Microsoft® Excel 2003)
2. Issuing the Business Case
   1. Initially during enterprise analysis
   2. Updated during the solution development life cycle (SDLC)
      • Upon defining solution requirements (waterfall SDLC)
      • Iteratively during each solution increment (agile SDLC)
3. Business Case Analysis and Ranking Projects
   1. Planning for disputes
   2. Discretionary and nondiscretionary projects
   3. Hurdle rates to filter discretionary projects consideration
   4. Project slate development process
4. Changes Management: Risk vs. Opportunity
   1. Project Economics
   2. Create a project income stream using cost, benefits and duration
   3. Calculate economic indicators
      • Payback period
      • Return on investment (ROI)
      • Net present value (NPV)
      • Cost-benefit ratio (CBR)
      • Internal rate of return (IRR) for a project
5. Project Portfolio Development
   1. Comparative analysis or criteria-based grid techniques
   2. Evaluate and select projects for execution based on business contributions and economics
6. Quality Assurance and Acceptance
   1. Typical types of contract inspections:
      • In-process inspections
      • Materials inspection and test
      • Pre-final inspections
      • Final inspections
   2. Acceptance (criteria, place, and rejection)
   3. Warranties (types and issues)
7. Payment Management
   1. Contract payment objectives
   2. Typical contract payment methods
   3. Progress payment process
   4. Buyer measurement and valuation
   5. Lien waivers
   6. Final payment process
   7. Invoice and payment challenges
8. Terminations – What to know, what to do
   1. Mutual agreement
   2. Default or cause
   3. Notifications – what to say
   4. Settlements
9. Contract Closeout and Termination
   1. Termination of a contract
   2. Contract closeout procedure
   3. Contract closeout checklist
   4. Documenting and sharing lessons learned