Project managers and business analysts must be able to develop and defend a business case by justifying their projects. Additionally, program managers are asked to verify the benefits realization stated in a business case against their programs. Developing a Business Case provides the program manager, project manager and/or business analyst with hands-on practice developing and documenting a project business case. As part of the course, participants receive detailed templates for developing a business case document and the associated economic spreadsheets. Participants then use the templates to develop a business case based on a robust case study.

This course also provides participants with the necessary skills for evaluating, comparing and prioritizing business cases for the purposes of building an annual project portfolio.

This course has been updated to reflect the BABOK® Guide-Version 2.0.

• Purpose of the Business Case
• The main body of the document
• Project description (template—Microsoft® Excel 2003)
• Stand-alone economics (template—Microsoft® Excel 2003)
• Issuing the Business Case
• Initially during enterprise analysis
• Updated during the solution development life cycle (SDLC)
• Upon defining solution requirements (waterfall SDLC)
• Iteratively during each solution increment (agile SDLC)
• Business Case Analysis and Ranking Projects
• Discretionary and nondiscretionary projects
• Hurdle rates to filter discretionary projects consideration
• Project slate development process
• Project Economics
• Create a project income stream using cost, benefits and duration
• Calculate economic indicators
• Payback period
• Return on investment (ROI)
• Net present value (NPV)
• Cost-benefit ratio (CBR)
• Internal rate of return (IRR) for a project
• Project Portfolio Development
• Comparative analysis or criteria-based grid techniques
• Evaluate and select projects for execution based on business contributions and economics