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Resolving PRINCE2 Business Case problems 

 February 27, 2016

By  Dave Litten

Business Case problems and issues within a PRINCE2 project

The main purpose of the business case theme is to ensure that the project focus remains on track to ensure that the benefits within the business case will be fully realised.  The source of potential conflict may be within the project itself or from the business environment outside of the project.

The following topics consist of various business related problems within the business case, along with suggested steps to take in order to resolve the problem.

Lack of Business Case objectives and purpose clarity.

Checklist steps:

  1. Ensure that the appropriate individuals with the knowledge, skills, experience, and authority are fully represented within the executive, senior user, and senior supplier roles
  2. Check that the number of individuals on the project board does not exceed five (as a guideline)
  3. If necessary hold a workshop in order to clarify the business purpose and objectives
  4. Ensure that the project justification along with designed and agreed benefits is understood, communicated effectively early and accepted by all key stakeholders. These must include the business, user, and supplier interests.
  5. If the clarity of business objectives and purpose remains unclear and cannot be agreed, consider the terminating the project

Key stakeholders do not have full confidence in the business case.

Checklist Steps:

  1. Ensure that the benefits and their measurement criteria are achievable and realistic
  2. Refer to any lessons learned from previous similar projects that may help validate the chosen benefits and the ability to measure them
  3. Check that those who fill the senior user role fully owned by identifying benefits and are committed to ensuring that they are realized
  4. Wherever possible make sure that each business case benefit and dis-benefit can be measured, and that those responsible for measuring fully understand the method for doing so and the are available within the time-frame for measuring
  5. Check and get assurance that dependencies, assumptions, and key  estimates are included in PRINCE2 Plans and that these reflect the current revision of the business case
  6. Use project assurance and that supplier assurance continues to confirm project progress and business risks, the that user obligations are being met, and  to check that the user and supplier stakeholders fully understand and agree the project requirements in sufficient detail
  7. Always use the business case to ensure there is a strong justification whenever there is a requested change to the requirements
  8. Ensure that any severe risks to the business case are addressed early within the project, and that for the resource’s and agreed mitigation actions are in place
  9. Double check that the project approach includes thoroughly researched options for the ‘do nothing’, ‘do the minimum’ and ‘do something’ potential actions.  In addition, ensure appropriate stakeholder understanding , review and agreement of the justification case for the chosen option
  10. If necessary, place the project on hold until all key stakeholders have been fully consulted and have a genuine commitment to the chosen project approach and in its linked business case
  11. If gaining full stakeholder agreement is not possible, then consider carrying out a feasibility study, or developing a partial working prototype/model  to demonstrate functionality or products, or even consider running a pilot project followed by a full roll-out project
  12. Use supplier assurance to check that costs and spend to-date is on track and that appropriate cost controls are in place
  13. Ensure that the business case remains viable, and if not, then terminate the project
  14. Initiate a project health check or an audit
  15. If there are any business case issues, how they had been properly recorded and assess for their business case impact and ultimate resolution.  If necessary, has the project manager raised an exception report, and if the project board has requested an exception plan, has this been created, reviewed, and a decision made by the project board on the next course of action
  16. If project costs are escalating, advise the project manager to create a lessons report layout why the original estimates were incorrect, and what the future impact is likely to be.  This report to include a recommendation by the project manager of new measures to improve project estimation and actions to control costs
  17. Ensure that the senior user is giving sufficient focus is giving sufficient focus on the realization of project benefits, and that where possible, project plans include arrangements to realize some benefits as early as possible

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Dave Litten


Dave has spent 25 years as a senior project manager for USA multinationals and has deep experience in project management. He now develops a wide range of Project Management Masterclasses, under the Projex Academy brand name. In addition, David runs project management training seminars across the world, and is a prolific writer on the many topics of project management.

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