Business case

• Defined
  • Purpose
  • Business Case defined
  • Outputs, outcomes and benefits
  • Types of Business Case
• Approach
  • Overview
  • Developing the Business Case
  • Verifying and maintaining the Business Case
  • Confirming the benefits
• Approach - The contents
  • Typically contains
  • Reasons
  • Business options
  • Expected benefits
  • Timescale
  • Costs
  • Investment appraisal
  • Major risks
• Responsibilities

Key sections

• Introduction
• Business case
• Organization
• Quality
• Plans
• Risk
• Change
• Progress
• Introduction to processes
• Starting up a projectDirecting a project
• Initiating a project
• Controlling a stage
• Managing Product Delivery
• Managing a Stage Boundary
• Closing a Project
• Tailoring PRINCE2 to the project environment
• Directing Projects with PRINCE2

Responsibilities

The responsibilities relevant to the Business Case theme are outlined below.

Corporate or programme management

Provide the project mandate and define any standards to which the Business Case needs to be developed.
Hold the Senior User(s) to account for realizing the post-project benefits enabled by the project’s products.
Responsible for the Benefits Review Plan (post-project).

Executive

Responsible for the Business Case for the duration of the project.
Responsible for the Benefits Review Plan (for the duration of the project) unless being managed by corporate or programme management.
Oversee the development of a viable Business Case, ensuring that the project is aligned with corporate strategies, and secure the funding for the project.

Senior User(s)

Responsible for specifying the benefits upon which the Business Case is approved.
Ensure the desired outcome of the project is specified.
Ensure that the project produces products which deliver the desired outcomes.
Ensure that the expected benefits (derived from the project’s outcomes) are realized.
Provide actual versus forecast benefits statement at the benefits reviews.

Senior Supplier(s)

Responsible for the supplier Business Case(s) (if they exist) – see section on ‘Business case’ within ‘Tailoring PRINCE2® to the project environment’.
Confirm that the products required can be delivered within the expected costs and are viable.

Project Manager

Prepare the Business Case on behalf of the Executive.
Conduct impact analysis of any new or revised issues or risks that affect the project’s desirability, viability or achievability against the original basis for approving the project.
Assess and update the Business Case at the end of each management stage.
Assess and report on project performance at project closure.

Further details of project management team roles and their associated responsibilities are provided in the folder ‘roles and responsibilities’ as part of the product package.

PRINCE2® is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other countries.