Better Business Cases (BBC)Better Business Cases is a best practice model for choosing the right solutions for your business. It is intended to be a business planning tool. Our trainer (Lewis Weatherall) was part of the team that introduced the material to New Zealand, developed much of the guidance and has an active BBC consulting practice. Our courseware was the first in the world to be certified for the Foundation and Practitioner exams. Across the board we have in depth practical experience in business case development along with project and programme management.
Better Business Cases (BBC) OverviewThe Better Business Cases (BBC) approach was developed collectively by the New Zealand Treasury, HM Treasury (UK) and the Welsh Government to better support fully-informed and evidence-based decisions for Public spending. BBC does this by providing:
The Better Business Cases approach is structured around the UK Five Case Model (see the diagram above), developed in 2001 as a consequence of a number of concerns raised about the performance of UK public sector ICT projects. The Five Case Model provides a disciplined, step by step approach that helps to ensure that each of the key aspects of a robust investment proposal is explicitly and systematically addressed as part of the business case development process. This ensures that important aspects of the analysis are less likely to be omitted or under-weighted.
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- The Economic Case ensures that a wide range of investment options have been evaluated and that the preferred option optimises value for money
- The Commercial Case ensures that any proposed procurement is commercially attractive and viable
- The Financial Case demonstrates that the preferred solution is affordable and can be funded
- The Management Case provides assurance that processes and capabilities are in place to ensure that the preferred solution can be successfully delivered.
BBC Process
Better Business Cases is a staged and flexible process. For smaller, non-contentious investment decisions, a concise single stage business case can be used to fully inform a decision to invest in change. For more complex investment decisions, the five cases can be developed step-wise using a scalable business case development process that ensures that there are sufficient off-ramps for stakeholders to be well-engaged, as well as ensuring the development effort is fit for purpose in relation to the decisions being sought. The Better Business Cases toolkit includes a menu of alternative template tools that can be used, regardless of whether the decision being sought is for a highly contentious and large scale programme, or for a straight-forward, non-contentious, small scale and internally funded project.
Better Business Cases is internationally recognised as the good practice standard for developing business cases for investment proposals. BBC is required for all New Zealand State Sector capital spending proposals that require Cabinet ministerial approval. It is recommended by HM Treasury and the Welsh Government for the preparation of business cases and is widely used across the UK Public sector.
BBC practice is rapidly growing. In New Zealand, BBC is being adopted by a growing number of organisations, not just for capital expenditure, not just in the Public sector and not just for large scale funding proposals. BBC is a flexible, pragmatic and common sense tool for supporting business decisions in a wide range of contexts. It provides managers with a valuable tool for successfully delivering on their strategic plans, particularly in complex, dynamic or resource-constrained environments.
BBC integrates fully with good practice programme and project management and quality assurance. Project or programme delivery commences with a robust BBC business case that plans early for successful delivery of objectives.
BBC practice is rapidly growing. In New Zealand, BBC is being adopted by a growing number of organisations, not just for capital expenditure, not just in the Public sector and not just for large scale funding proposals. BBC is a flexible, pragmatic and common sense tool for supporting business decisions in a wide range of contexts. It provides managers with a valuable tool for successfully delivering on their strategic plans, particularly in complex, dynamic or resource-constrained environments.
BBC integrates fully with good practice programme and project management and quality assurance. Project or programme delivery commences with a robust BBC business case that plans early for successful delivery of objectives.
Why use Better Business Cases?
Because projects frequently fail to deliver expected benefits. Gartner studies suggest that 75% of projects are considered to be failures by those responsible for initiating them. Failure means that the solutions fundamentally did not do what was agreed or they missed deadlines and/or came in well over budget. More importantly, they failed to achieve the desired investment objectives and deliver expected benefits.
Using Better Business Cases as best practice and using it well potentially brings a huge number of advantages:-
- Better informed decision-making, meaning that less resources are wasted on pet projects
- Better articulated cases, resulting in better organisational and stakeholder engagement on both problems and preferred solutions
- Clearer trade-offs for resource use, helping decision-makers understand the implications of the choices they make
- Compelling evidence and robust analysis, providing greater confidence and assurance that the preferred solution is the right choice
- Improved value of spending, so that the right projects or programmes are chosen that optimise the return on the investment
- More efficient business case development, resulting in less rework, fewer delays and “off-ramping” if further development of the proposal is not justified
- Systematic development, ensuring the business case development does not advance too quickly to solutions or misses out key aspects of the analysis
- Everyone knows the process, so that expectations are clear that proposals will be challenged, that all views are considered, that decisions are evidence-based, the analysis is robust and that consistent processes are applied
- No surprises, by ensuring stakeholders are well engaged early in the process and the risk of late or unexpected challenges is well-managed, and
- Assurance that good practice has been systematically applied, that delivery risks are well managed and expected benefits can be realised.
BBC Application in Aotearoa/ New Zealand
Unique to our classroom Foundation course is the New Zealand extensions developed by the Treasury and the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA). These are covered at the end of the Foundation course. As stated above Lewis developed the extensions for New Zealand Treasury and so is in a unique position to delivery this to you.
Not Just Formula Delivery
Project Results achieves excellent exam results, but the primary focus is on being able to apply the approach to the real world after course completion. To achieve this, we provide absolutely the best trainers available, with in-depth experience of real world application and active consulting practices.
Lewis Weatherall is New Zealand’s leading expert on the Better Business Cases process and practice. Lewis led the project team to initially develop the Better Business Cases guidance for The Treasury, first released in July 2010. Lewis has since been heavily involved in refining and updating the Treasury guidance, as well as training new practitioners as part of supporting the adoption of the Better Business Cases programme across the wider state sector and local government.
Lewis is the most experienced BBC trainer in Australasia. He has trained over 400 Public and private sector BBC practitioners and reviewers. He is also an experienced and sought after BBC practitioner. He has undertaken a wide range of significant business case consulting assignments for an extensive and growing portfolio of public sector clients in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Lewis has over 16 years of experience in the Public sector developing, negotiating and assessing spending proposals and business cases. This included roles as an investment manager for the Tertiary Education Commission and as a senior analyst at the Treasury working across a number of sector portfolios. Prior to this, Lewis worked in the financial services sector in both management and consulting roles.
Lewis is a registered BBC practitioner and trainer. He is endorsed by the Better Business Case (BBC) International Standards Board and NZ Treasury as both an Expert Practitioner and an Expert Reviewer. In addition, Lewis is also a trained Investment Management Standard (ILM) facilitator.
Paul Sutton is committed to helping organisations raise their Business Case, Project, Programme and Portfolio capability. To do this Paul has been working with a wide range of organisations developing capability through training, coaching, consulting, process improvement and hands on delivery.
Paul combines in-depth process knowledge with 20 years of pragmatic hands-on experience in business cases, project and programme management. Paul has a broad picture focus combined with strong analytical thinking. He is an excellent communicator in both oral and written forms. He is also a very dynamic and engaging presenter. As a result he is able to give practical application to a huge range of questions and scenarios.
Paul is a Registered BBC, PRINCE2, PRINCE2 Agile and MSP trainer. He also holds the PMP (Project Management Professional) certification from PMI (Project Management Institute) and is a Gateway Reviewer.
For the past four years Paul has been on the organising committee for the PRINCE2 Users Group. This industry group is intended as an ideas sharing and capability building forum for the users of BBC, PRINCE2, MSP and other UK government approaches. Paul is also an active member of PMI.
Lewis is the most experienced BBC trainer in Australasia. He has trained over 400 Public and private sector BBC practitioners and reviewers. He is also an experienced and sought after BBC practitioner. He has undertaken a wide range of significant business case consulting assignments for an extensive and growing portfolio of public sector clients in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Lewis has over 16 years of experience in the Public sector developing, negotiating and assessing spending proposals and business cases. This included roles as an investment manager for the Tertiary Education Commission and as a senior analyst at the Treasury working across a number of sector portfolios. Prior to this, Lewis worked in the financial services sector in both management and consulting roles.
Lewis is a registered BBC practitioner and trainer. He is endorsed by the Better Business Case (BBC) International Standards Board and NZ Treasury as both an Expert Practitioner and an Expert Reviewer. In addition, Lewis is also a trained Investment Management Standard (ILM) facilitator.
Paul Sutton is committed to helping organisations raise their Business Case, Project, Programme and Portfolio capability. To do this Paul has been working with a wide range of organisations developing capability through training, coaching, consulting, process improvement and hands on delivery.
Paul combines in-depth process knowledge with 20 years of pragmatic hands-on experience in business cases, project and programme management. Paul has a broad picture focus combined with strong analytical thinking. He is an excellent communicator in both oral and written forms. He is also a very dynamic and engaging presenter. As a result he is able to give practical application to a huge range of questions and scenarios.
Paul is a Registered BBC, PRINCE2, PRINCE2 Agile and MSP trainer. He also holds the PMP (Project Management Professional) certification from PMI (Project Management Institute) and is a Gateway Reviewer.
For the past four years Paul has been on the organising committee for the PRINCE2 Users Group. This industry group is intended as an ideas sharing and capability building forum for the users of BBC, PRINCE2, MSP and other UK government approaches. Paul is also an active member of PMI.
BBC Course Format
Our BBC courses are offered as online, classroom and blended options. If you take the classroom option, you will also have automatic access to the online option for pre-course work and additional study. Our BBC courses are certified by the examination body, APMG International. This certification covers the BBC content as well as preparation for the Foundation and Practitioner exams.
Online Course
Once you register for the online course you are given a logon and can commence your study. The course is totally self-explanatory and will guide you through the materials, before taking you through the course itself. It is not a repackaging of a classroom course, but a specifically designed online course. It contains audio, visuals, quizzes, exercises and exam style questions. You are free to move at your own pace and to move around sections as you please.
The course reference is “Delivering Public Value From Spending Proposals - Green Book Guidance On Public Sector Business Cases Using The Five Case Model”, which is the definitive guide on BBC. We will provide you with a quick reference guide and the APMG sample Foundation and Practitioner exams.
Once you have completed the course and the requisite exam practice, we will arrange for you to be booked onto the Foundation and/or Practitioner exams. Note that you must complete each course before you can sit the exam, and you must pass the Foundation exam before you can sit the Practitioner exam.
The course reference is “Delivering Public Value From Spending Proposals - Green Book Guidance On Public Sector Business Cases Using The Five Case Model”, which is the definitive guide on BBC. We will provide you with a quick reference guide and the APMG sample Foundation and Practitioner exams.
Once you have completed the course and the requisite exam practice, we will arrange for you to be booked onto the Foundation and/or Practitioner exams. Note that you must complete each course before you can sit the exam, and you must pass the Foundation exam before you can sit the Practitioner exam.
Book BBC Online Now
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Online
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BBC Foundation and PractitionerTime: At your own pace
Location: Anywhere with an internet connection
Support provided by: Paul Sutton
Cost: $1,490 + GST
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Online
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BBC FoundationTime: At your own pace
Location: Anywhere with an internet connection
Support provided by: Paul Sutton
Cost: 990 + GST
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Online
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BBC PractitionerTime: At your own pace
Location: Anywhere with an internet connection
Support provided by: Paul Sutton
Cost: 1,190 + GST
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Classroom Course
Once you register you are provided with access to the online course and instructions for pre-course work. If you wish, we can send you paper-based pre-course work and exercises, including a copy of the guide - “Delivering Public Value From Spending Proposals - Green Book Guidance On Public Sector Business Cases Using The Five Case Model”. There are no additional charges for receiving paper copies of this material.
The Foundation component gives you the full BBC curriculum and is delivered through presentations, discussions, exercises and exam practice. The course is intensive, running from 8:30am to 5:00pm, and we recommend an additional two hours of exam practice each evening. At the end of the 2nd day, you can sit a one hour Foundation exam, following which you are given your preliminary result.
The Practitioner component develops and tests for a fuller understanding of the application of BBC. The course is two days long, with the last half day comprising the examination. The course consists entirely of application exercises, discussion and exam practice. The Practitioner exam is taken in the afternoon and is 2.5 hours long. It is marked in Australia, with a one to two week delay until your result is known.
The classroom courses are run in quality venues with full catering. All course material is provided during the course and may be provided prior to the course, if requested.
The Foundation component gives you the full BBC curriculum and is delivered through presentations, discussions, exercises and exam practice. The course is intensive, running from 8:30am to 5:00pm, and we recommend an additional two hours of exam practice each evening. At the end of the 2nd day, you can sit a one hour Foundation exam, following which you are given your preliminary result.
The Practitioner component develops and tests for a fuller understanding of the application of BBC. The course is two days long, with the last half day comprising the examination. The course consists entirely of application exercises, discussion and exam practice. The Practitioner exam is taken in the afternoon and is 2.5 hours long. It is marked in Australia, with a one to two week delay until your result is known.
The classroom courses are run in quality venues with full catering. All course material is provided during the course and may be provided prior to the course, if requested.
BBC Foundation
Foundation gives the full BBC curriculum and a recognised qualification. This qualification is permanent, with the option of going onto Practitioner at any time in the future.
Course Outline
This course covers the following topics:-
- The terms and concepts relating to the Five Case Model
- How each of the Five Cases are developed; the steps and the responsibilities involved,
- Purpose of the key stages in the development and delivery of a spending proposal,
- Purpose of a Strategic Outline Programme Case and of a Business Justification Case, and in what
- circumstances each should be considered,
- Purpose of a Strategic Outline Case, an Outline Business Case; and a Full Business Case,
- Responsibilities for the business planning process,
- Relationship with best practice programme and project management methodologies,
- Relationship between policies, strategies, programmes and projects and their deliverables.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the Foundation part of this course, delegates should understand:-
- The philosophy and underlying rationale of the Five Case Model, as well as the structure and key,
- terminology of the model,
- The different types of business case, their purpose, who is responsible for them and when they, are required in the development of a spending proposal,
- The development of the business case in relation to other recognized and recommended best practice for programme and project management
- Approaches to implementation and the factors to consider in sustaining progress
Who is it Suitable for
This course is aimed at anyone involved with, or overseeing, a project to understand the work that is necessary to prove a case for investment. In particular, key personnel involved in the preparation of service and capital related schemes. This includes:-
- Senior Responsible Owners (SROs), Programme Directors and Project Managers, with responsibility for the successful delivery of programmes and projects,
- Directors of Finance, Procurement and Planning, with responsibility for the forward planning of operational aspects of a proposal,
- Members of the Management Board (Chairman, non-executives, the CEO and other directors), with strategic responsibility for approving proposals throughout their life span.
Book BBC Foundation Classroom Now
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20 - 21
May 2019 |
BBC FoundationTime: 8:45 am - 5:00 pm, Monday and Tuesday
Location: Wellington CBD
Trainers: Lewis Weatherall and Paul Sutton
Cost: $2,150 + GST
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4 - 5
November 2019 |
BBC FoundationTime: 8:45 am - 5:00 pm, Monday and Tuesday
Location: Wellington CBD
Trainers: Lewis Weatherall and Paul Sutton
Cost: $2,150 + GST
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BBC Practitioner
Practitioner is the qualification which organisations are seeking in professional business case developers and consultants. The “Registered BBC Practitioner” certification lasts for 5 years and can be renewed by sitting a shorter “Re Registration Exam”.
Course Outline
The course and examination are based on The Five Case Model, the UK government's best practice approach to planning spending proposals and enabling effective business decisions. This provides a step by step guide to developing a business case, by:-
- Establishing a clear need for intervention - a case for change,
- Setting clear objectives - what you want to achieve from the investment,
- Considering a wide range of potential solutions - ensuring an optimal balance of benefits, cost and risk,
- Putting the arrangements in place to successfully deliver the proposal.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, delegates should be able to apply and understand how to tailor the Five Case Model effectively to the development of a business case within an organization environment supporting the approach. Specifically candidates should:-
- Understand the development lifecycle of a business case and the relationships between the five cases,
- Be able to apply the steps in the business case development framework, in order to support the production of a business case, using the Five Case Model, for a given scenario.
- Candidates will be well prepared for the certification exam.
Who is it Suitable for
This course is aimed at anyone involved with, or overseeing, a project to understand the work that is necessary to prove a case for investment. In particular, key personnel involved in the preparation of service and capital related schemes. This includes:-
- Senior Responsible Owners (SROs), Programme Directors and Project Managers, with responsibility for the successful delivery of programmes and projects,
- Directors of Finance, Procurement and Planning, with responsibility for the forward planning of operational aspects of a proposal
- Members of the Management Board (Chairman, non-executives, the CEO and other directors), with strategic responsibility for approving proposals throughout their life span.
Book BBC Practitioner Classroom Now
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22 - 23
May 2019 |
BBC PractitionerTime: 8:45 am - 5:00 pm, Wednesday and Thursday
Location: Wellington CBD
Trainers: Lewis Weatherall and Paul Sutton
Cost: $2,590 + GST
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6 - 7
November 2019 |
BBC PractitionerTime: 8:45 am - 5:00 pm, Wednesday and Thursday
Location: Wellington CBD
Trainers: Lewis Weatherall and Paul Sutton
Cost: $2,590 + GST
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Book BBC Blended Now
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22 - 23
May 2019 |
BBC Foundation and PractitionerTime: Foundation in your own time
Practitioner 8:45 am - 5:00 pm Wednesday and Thursday Location: Wellington CBD
Trainers: Lewis Weatherall and Paul Sutton
Cost: $3,250 + GST
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6 -7
November 2019 |
BBC Foundation and PractitionerTime: Foundation in your own time
Practitioner 8:45 am - 5:00 pm Wednesday and Thursday Location: Wellington CBD
Trainers: Lewis Weatherall and Paul Sutton
Cost: $3,250 + GST
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Acknowledgements
Project Results is an Agile PM™, Better Business Cases™, Change Management, Managing Benefits, MoP®, M_o_R®, MSP®, P3O®, PRINCE2® and PRINCE2 Agile™ Accredited Training Organisation (ATO). Our courseware is developed by Inspiring Projects a division of Aspire Australasia Pty Ltd who is also an ATO for all of these products and MoV®. This accreditation has been given by APMG and PEOPLECERT, who along with accrediting ATOs, provides and moderates exams and accredits our trainers. With this level of accreditation and monitoring you can be confident of a quality course and an internationally recognised qualification. The APMG-International Better Business Cases is a trade mark of Her Majesty's Treasury. Agile PM™and Change Management, is a trade mark of The APM Group Limited. The Agile PM™, Change Management and Managing Benefits Swirl Device logo is a trade mark of The APM Group Limited . MoP®, M_o_R®, MSP®, P3O®, PRINCE2® and PRINCE2 Agile™ and the AXELOS Swirl Device logo are registered trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.
Project Results is an Agile PM™, Better Business Cases™, Change Management, Managing Benefits, MoP®, M_o_R®, MSP®, P3O®, PRINCE2® and PRINCE2 Agile™ Accredited Training Organisation (ATO). Our courseware is developed by Inspiring Projects a division of Aspire Australasia Pty Ltd who is also an ATO for all of these products and MoV®. This accreditation has been given by APMG and PEOPLECERT, who along with accrediting ATOs, provides and moderates exams and accredits our trainers. With this level of accreditation and monitoring you can be confident of a quality course and an internationally recognised qualification. The APMG-International Better Business Cases is a trade mark of Her Majesty's Treasury. Agile PM™and Change Management, is a trade mark of The APM Group Limited. The Agile PM™, Change Management and Managing Benefits Swirl Device logo is a trade mark of The APM Group Limited . MoP®, M_o_R®, MSP®, P3O®, PRINCE2® and PRINCE2 Agile™ and the AXELOS Swirl Device logo are registered trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.