What is a Business Case?

SectionContentWHATA Business case is a framework for planning, managing, and obtaining approval for investments in change. The Business case often includes a justification for the change, i.e., a strategic need; the expected benefits, costs, and risks; timescales; critical success factors; and a description of resources needed. The Business case is a live document, and a project or programme should constantly be assessed against the Business case to determine its ongoing viability/achievability. There may be different levels of Business cases, such as an outline business case (in which enough information is analysed to determine whether resources should be committed) or a detailed business case.HOWThe business case should estimate the costs of the project/programme and weigh these against the anticipated value of benefits. Where possible, benefits and costs should be quantified, and where the benefits or costs are qualitative, proxy measures should be developed. Examples of costs to b…