Business Case Prompt
Business Case Prompt (an abridged business case template)
Project Title: [Insert Title]
Lead Service: [Insert Service Area]
SRO: [Insert Name]
1. The Strategic Case
[The “Why”. Explain the problem and your proposed solution.]
The Case for Change (The Problem)
[Briefly describe the current operational issues. Focus on the “pain points” for your service. Examples:
- Inefficiency: High reliance on manual data entry or agency staff to manage backlogs.
- Poor Engagement: Low public participation or reliance on inaccessible PDFs.
- Risk: What happens if you do nothing? (e.g. continued costs, statutory delays).]
The Proposed Solution
[What are you proposing to do? Be specific.
- e.g. “Procure an AI driven data extraction tool to automate validation.”
- e.g. “Implement a map based consultation platform for the Local Plan.”]
Key Objectives
[List 3-4 SMART objectives. What will this achieve?
- e.g. Reduce officer processing time by X hours per week.
- e.g. Increase consultation responses from under-35s by Y%.
- …]
2. The Economic Case
[The “Value”. Specify why the preferred option is the right choice.]
Options Summary
[Compare your proposal against the “Do Nothing” baseline.]
| Option | Benefits (Financial & Non-Financial) | Risks |
| Option 1: Do Nothing | – No new spend required. | – Service issues (outlined above) continue. – Risk of statutory failure / backlog growth. |
| Option 2: Proposed Solution | – [e.g. Reduced manual admin] – [e.g. Better public trust] – [e.g. Better data quality] | – Implementation time required. – User adoption challenges. |
Value Statement
[One sentence explaining why Option 2 is the best path. e.g. “Option 2 is recommended as it solves the immediate processing backlog and delivers better value than continuing to fund agency staff.”]
3. The Financial Case
[The “Cost”. Is it affordable?]
Summary Financial Impact
[Estimate the costs for the project lifecycle (e.g. 1-3 years).]
| Cost Element (£) | Year 1 | Year 2 | Total |
| One-off Costs (Implementation, training) | |||
| Recurring Costs (Licenses, support) | |||
| Total Cost | |||
| (Less) Cashable Savings | |||
| Net Cost to Council |
Funding Source
[Where is the money coming from? e.g. Existing Planning Service Budget (Cost Code X), MHCLG Grant, Reserves.]
4. The Commercial Case
[The “Deal”. How will the tool/service be bought?]
Procurement Route
[How do you intend to buy this? e.g. “We will procure via the G-Cloud framework to ensure compliance and speed.”]
Key Requirements
[List the non-negotiables for the contract.
- Term: e.g. 12 month pilot + 1 year extension.
- Data: Council must retain ownership of all data.
- Integration: Must integrate with [System Name].]
5. The Management Case
[The “Delivery”. How will the project be overseen?]
Project Team
- Project Lead: [Name]
- Key Support: [e.g. IT support, Comms lead]
Key Milestones
[When will it happen?]
- Procurement Start: [Date]
- Contract Award: [Date]
- Go Live / Launch: [Date]
- Review/Evaluation: [Date]
Top Risks
[What are the top 3 things that could go wrong, and how will you fix them?]
- [e.g. Low staff adoption -> Mitigation: Dedicated training sessions and “champions”.]
- [e.g. Tech integration delay -> Mitigation: Early engagement with IT security.]
- [e.g. Supplier failure -> Mitigation: Contractual exit clause.]