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Creating Effective Business Cases
An effective business case approach at its core does two things:
- provides a decision-making framework that a range of stakeholders can progress in a structured, evidence building manner; and
- provides a way of documenting decisions, stakeholder views and with evidence build as a reference source.
This course will consider the creation of business cases for procurement, infrastructure and business change projects.
Apart from authoring, topics covered will also include review and evaluation of business cases and the programmes and projects that flow from them, including the need for effective management, governance and stakeholder engagement.
We draw on `HM Treasury best practice referenced below, which reflects a long-standing “principles-based” approach, meaning that it can be adapted to respond to any decision that a public body needs to take.
Our trainer brings a host of practical business case development experience and case studies and will share lessons learnt from over 30 years of working across public services.
At the Civil Service College, we tailor our courses to each attendee’s role and organisations, ensuring that each participant gets the most out of the training. Our courses and trainers are continuously updated and evaluated to ensure that we are always delivering the best service possible.
Key Training Features:
This course will draw upon current best practices including primarily the:
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HM Treasury Green Book: appraisal and evaluation in central government
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HM Treasury Guide to Developing the project business case
It will also cover:
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HM Treasury Orange Book. Management of risk – principles and concepts
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HM Treasury Aqua Book: guidance on producing quality analysis for government
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Review of quality assurance of government analytical models
Participants will be invited to discuss their own past and current projects, to the extent that they feel comfortable, within this confidential environment. The training will incorporate two or more videos that demonstrate business case failure followed by a discussion on the issues raised.
Participants will consider the features of a business case that are essential when seeking to:
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Undertaking procurement
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Renewing or replacing crumbling infrastructure
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Delivering business change
Who Can Attend:
Middle managers, project managers and anybody who may be asked to manage, author or review a business case. Collaborative working is a key principle of HM Treasury approach and therefore this course is important to all functional professions. The approach being trained is considered to be best practice and is suitable for all those in the public and third sectors or for anybody in a civil society organisation seeking governmental funding.
Learning Outcomes:
Participants will be able to
- Develop comprehensive but focused business cases
- Identify and describe the sources of best practice
- Be aware of current best practice thinking in business case development
- Explain the typical points and causes of failure in a business case
- Undertake informed stylistic reviews of business cases
The goal is for business cases to be approved at each stage of their development first time, without extensive reworking. Historically it has been estimated that UK public services spend over £1bn per year on business case development. HM Treasury guidance suggests that by following a best practice approach, 30% to 40% of the time taken and costs of production can be saved. Also, business cases will be more robust.
Summary
Duration
10:00 - 16:00
Price
£625 + VAT
Location
Civil Service College, Westminster, London
Face to Face
VirtualIn-House Option
This course is available In-House and can be tailored to meet your individual training requirements.
EnquireLead Trainer
Mark Williams FCA
Mark has held senior roles in a Big4 firm and a Global Consultancy as well as working in HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office. He started in public services audit then moved into advisory / consulting where he has worked extensively with public services and also organisations that engage with governments. He has worked on some of UK public services most challenging programmes and projects. He is a qualified accountant, but has long-standing commercial, project management and property & infrastructure experience.
Read BioMark Williams FCA
Mark has held senior roles in a Big4 firm and a Global Consultancy as well as working in HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office. He started in public services audit then moved into advisory / consulting where he has worked extensively with public services and also organisations that engage with governments. He has worked on some of UK public services most challenging programmes and projects. He is a qualified accountant, but has long-standing commercial, project management and property & infrastructure experience.
In parallel with his consulting work Mark continues to be involved in developing and delivering training programmes. For example, he was the sponsoring partner for the Big4 firm’s public services learning & development programme. He piloted the World Bank’s PPP training, including in the Middle East and East Africa. He led the training workstream on the Green Book review 2020 for HM Treasury. Mark has trained over 3,000 public servants / suppliers to the public sector in HM Treasury’s better business case (decision making) approach, including via CIPFA.
Mark trained and mentored on Cabinet Office’s project leadership programme and more recently developed the ICAEW/CIPFA sustainability certificate to cover local government and wider public services involved in delivery. He has trained a wide range of finance courses, especially with respect to finance business partnering. In all of Mark’s training delivery he is able to draw on case studies from his ongoing consulting experience. Mark has also been a non-executive director / voluntary board member for a range of organisations, including ICAEW and CIPFA.
Lead Trainer
Maurice Diamond
Maurice Diamond is a thought leader, senior executive, economist, and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and PFM Practitioner with extensive UK and international experience. In particular, Maurice’s career has focussed on leading change in public and third-sector organisations with the key objective being to improve stewardship in the public sector.
Read BioMaurice Diamond
Maurice Diamond is a thought leader, senior executive, economist, and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and PFM Practitioner with extensive UK and international experience.
In particular, Maurice’s career has focussed on leading change in public and third-sector organisations with the key objective being to improve stewardship in the public sector. Amongst other skills, Maurice has substantial experience in project management, business case development, public procurement and PPP.
He has advised on complex procurements in the UK, Europe, Africa and Asia covering institution building through transactional advice and monitoring and evaluation and has used this experience to provide coaching, awareness, education, public lectures and training on complex procurements for senior civil servants and ministers. Maurice is a recognised expert on PPPs and led a UNCEFACT project group authoring a recommendation on PPP in trade facilitation.
Maurice has been awarded three prestigious procurement awards, including a gold award for innovation in Procurement from the Management Consultancy Association. Maurice is accredited to deliver the APMG World Bank-sponsored CP3P qualification.
Maurice has
- Planned managed and led projects and procurements across a range of services and in a number of countries
- Authored and reviewed Business Cases/ Feasibility Studies ensuring that they are focussed and testing that the outcome will meet the business need.
- Undertaken reviews and audits of organisational performance and governance and, where appropriate, recommended and implemented change.
- Advised on the business delivery structure of government agencies and led subsequent reorganisations, mergers or divestments.
- Reviewed existing processes, procedures and systems and staffing competencies and working together with staff to develop new processes, and define and select new financial and administrative systems.
- Managed a review and update of the HMT Green Book
- Implemented resource accounting across a range of public sector organisations including the Cabinet Office, Ministry of Defence and govt agencies
- Devised and proposed business changes for Central medical stores in a number of countries across Africa, South America and Central Asia.
Amongst other agencies, Maurice has worked for USAID, PEPFAR, SMCS (Supply Chain Management Systems), UKAID (FCDO), World Bank and its agencies such as the IFC.
Maurice has experience working in over 25 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Europe, North and South America and central, south and southeast Asia and has delivered training online to participants in many more.
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