Business case template Val-IT

The sections set out below are identified as core elements of a detailed business case by the IT Governance Institute and Information Systems Audit and Control Association. Use of the template needs to be tempered by an understanding of their approach to business case management via their Value management series, available from the Val-IT site.

Business Case document controls

• Programme name
• Business sponsor
• Programme manager
• Revision notes
• Validation signatures
• Approval signatures

Executive summary

• Programme context
  1. Name
  2. Business Sponsor
  3. Track record of management team
  4. Category of investment
  5. Programme description/profile
• Synopsis of business case assessment
1. Programme contribution (value)
2. Programme timing (schedule)
3. Risk, financial return and alignment scores
4. Dependencies
5. Key risks
• Comparative value summary

Are we doing the right things? (Why?)

• Financial benefits (full economic life cycle, best case, worst case, most likely case)
1. Description and quantification, including cash flow (cash in and cash out)
2. Measurement
3. Assumptions and sensitivity
4. Accountability
• Financial costs (full economic life cycle, full ICT and business costs, best case, worst case, most likely case)
1. Total commitment and funding request for this stage-gate
2. Assumptions
3. Accountability
• Non-financial benefits (alignment)
1. Description and quantification
2. Measurement
3. Assumptions and sensitivity
4. Accountability
• Non-financial (alignment, efficiency) costs
  1. Description
  2. Impact and mitigation strategy
• Risk analysis (key risks and mitigation strategies)
• Organisational change impact
  1. Affected stakeholders
  2. Change management approach
  3. Change management costs
• Impact of not doing the programme
• Opportunity cost

Are we doing things the right way? (What and how?)

• Alternative approaches
• Selected approach
• High-level analytic mode
• Programme milestones
• Critical success factors
• Programme dependencies
• Enterprise architecture compliance
• Security policy compliance
• Key risks

Are we doing things well? (How?)

• Programme execution plan
  1. Description / definition of projects
  2. Planning assumptions
  3. Technology impact
  4. Staffing and organisation (resource profile over time)
  5. Schedule and costs
• High level benefits realisation plan
• Risk management
• Change management
  1. Objectives
  2. Framework
  3. Communication approach
• Governance structure (controls)
• Key risks

Are we getting benefits?

• Description of benefits (projected life, full economic life cycle, best case, worst case, most likely case)
• High level benefits register
• Financial benefits
• Key risks

Appendices

• Detailed analytic model
• Detailed project plan
• Detailed risk management plan
• Detailed benefits realisation plan
• Full benefits register