Purpose

[To document the justification for the undertaking of a project based on the estimated cost of development and the anticipated business benefits to be gained. The Business Case is used to say why the forecast effort and time will be worth the expenditure. The ongoing viability of the project will be monitored by the Project Board against the Business Case.]

Reasons

[An explanation of the reasons why the project outcome is needed]

Options

[Brief description of the different options considered for the project]

Benefits Expected

[Expressed in measurable terms against today's situation]

Risks

[Summary of the key risks of the project]

Cost

[Extracted from the Project Plan]

Timescales

[Summary of the Project Plan]

Investment Appraisal

[Illustrates the balance between the development, operational, maintenance and support costs against the financial value of the benefits over a period of time]

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Once your Business Case Document is completed check the document against the following Quality Criteria:

• Can the benefits be justified?
• Are the Project Plan and Business Case aligned?
• Are the reasons for the project consistent with corporate or programme strategy?