Transport Futures Institute presents ...

Preparing Effective Business Cases

Know how to prepare an effective business case that gets approved first time

Learn frameworks, tools and best practices to help you address key challenges and prepare better business cases to fund transport infrastructure and services.

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with Professor Phil Charles

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Fast track your journey to learn how to
prepare effective business cases.

Governments are demanding more effective use of resources and delivery of desired outcomes, particularly when funding is constrained.  Transport professionals therefore need to be able to develop and present robust and compelling business cases for investment proposals.  

Who has attended previous courses?

Over 240 professionals from these Organisations have completed our previous business case courses.

Who is Effective Business Cases for?

Project Managers

You are, or about to be, involved in a transport business case planning project and want to learn best practice.

Transport Consultants

You are a transport consultant and want to build your capability and expertise in transport business cases to get more work.

Transport Professionals

You are a transport professional and want to build you transport strategy and planning skill set to include business cases.

Course Syllabus

This course will provide students with the opportunity to acquire
or enhance the professional skills required to prepare effective business cases.

01 Strategy

Clarify the problem, engage stakeholders, assess risks, align with strategic priorities and establish governance. 

  • Analyse Context – assess the context to plan an investment proposal, identify current and emerging problems and opportunities and develop a focus on results. 
  • Engage Stakeholders – involve key stakeholders to achieve the desired outcomes. 
  • Assess Risks – identify and mitigate key risks and uncertainties. 
  • Establish Governance – outline oversight and assurance mechanisms. 

02 Solutions

Develop potential options, narrow to short list and select the preferred option. 

  • Develop Base Case – learn how to establish the baseline for analysis of options by developing the base case
  • Generate Options – be able to develop a comprehensive list of potential solutions to address the service requirement
  • Select Preferred Option – learn how to assess the economic, social and sustainability impacts of solution options to select the preferred option.

03 Submission

Outline detailed components of the preferred option and confidently present the business case. 

  • Analyse Economics – learn how to describe the qualitative and quantitative costs and benefits of a proposal
  • Assess Sustainability – learn how to assess affordability of the preferred option to inform budget viability
  • Establish Social Impact – understand how best to deliver the option from a long-term sustainability perspective
  • Outline Delivery – be able to manage the planning process and identify the implementation approach
  • Present Business Case – learn how to employ effective means to present the case for investment to decision-makers.

Online Learning

Online pre-course materials with videos, notes, readings  and application exercises.

Best Practice

Educational design uses best practice adult learning: knowledge + understanding + application.

Professional practice

Develop your professional capability, increase productivity, satisfy professional development requirements and enhance career opportunities.

Meet your instructor 

Professor Phil Charles Founder Transport Futures Institute

Phil has extensive and wide ranging experience in transport strategy and planning, working in government, as a consultant, and a professor.  He is an experienced practitioner and strategic adviser to government on major infrastructure investment proposals and is an accredited with Queensland Treasury as a Gateway Reviewer.

He is a skilled educator and trainer having trained over 250 professionals from government and consulting in the preparation of business cases with high ratings in feedback. Over the past five years he has peer reviewed and/or written over twenty business cases for infrastructure projects, valued from multi-millions, to over a billion dollars.

He prefers to take a strategic or big picture view rather than a technical only perspective; looks at how to tell the story; takes a decision-maker’s perspective; recommends a focus on the critical few or top 20% (80:20 principle); provide practical solutions; from real-world experience; and provide tools, templates and case study examples.
 
If you wish to build and protect your career as a transport professional in government or consulting, especially when we are facing an uncertain future, then this course is for you.

On completion of this course you will know what makes a compelling business case that meets the expectations of decision makers to get approved first time.

What can I expect from this course?

This course will provide you with the opportunity to acquire or enhance professional skills required to prepare robust business cases for investment by being able to:

  • take a strategic view or big picture, rather than a technical only perspective, focus on the critical 20% that gives 80% of the results (80:20 principle)  
  • establish a sound understanding of strategic priorities, challenges, risks and opportunities to provide desired outcomes and results  
  • demonstrate an understanding of current and emerging practices and key concepts in developing business cases  
  • ensure proposed solutions are practical, couched in terms of desired outcomes and funding criteria  
  • apply the required assessment frameworks and best practice processes to deliver value for money proposals  
  • consider the different perspectives of key stakeholders  
  • effectively communicate proposals using leading practice methods and tools – understand a decision maker’s perspective, tell the story and outline the investment logic  
  • know where to obtain more information.  

This course will also help you to develop skills and knowledge to:

  • increase your productivity – know what to do, and how to do it successfully and quickly 
  • satisfy professional development requirements of your employer and/or professional body  
  • develop your professional capability and increase your competence  
  • enhance your career opportunities – build key skills and knowledge.  

Frequently Asked Questions

The course starts as soon as you enrol! It is a self-paced online course - and you can decide when and where you take the course. 

You have access to all the online materials which covers short videos, notes, links to readings and references, tools and templates and application exercises. Submit your completed exercises for feedback. You can ask the instructor questions by email. On successful completion of the course, you can get a certificate of completion.

We suggest you block out in you calendar 45-60 minutes, 2-3 times a week over 5 weeks. 

You can post questions in the forum and you have email access to the instructor. 

After enrolling, you have ongoing access to this course for 6 months – across all your available devices.

This course will teach you the strategy of preparing an effective business case. You don't have to write all of a business case - technical experts usually prepare the technical elements, such as the demand modelling, economical analysis and concept design. What is important is to focus on presenting the investment logic, the story, so that decision makers can agree to approve funding.

This course is aimed at transport professionals - both employees of transport federal, state and local agencies and consultants that work with transport agencies. There is no prior knowledge requirements. It is aimed at providing continuing professional development and building capability to protect your future. It is suited to those new to transport or wanting a refresher or broader understanding of transport business cases.

Course Curriculum