Business Case Toolkit
Introduction
Developing and delivering a successful Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) retrofit project requires a clear and convincing business case.
Contents
Summary
This toolkit will help you create a robust business case that will explain your organisation's retrofit project goals, the importance of the project and how the retrofit project will be delivered.
Who should use the toolkit?
The toolkit aims to support the project leadership and core delivery team to develop a strong business case. Therefore, individuals responsible for writing the business case will get the most value.
When should you use the toolkit?
Start using the toolkit as soon as you can. Use it whilst developing the project, securing support and funding, and throughout delivery. An early start is essential.
How should you use the toolkit?
The toolkit has three levels of increasing detail:
• Level 1 – a brief introduction to preparing a business case
• Level 2 – a framework for coordinating and assembling the business case organised into ten information blocks
• Level 3 – operational guidance on how to approach a business case by information blocks (as outlined in Level 2). It also contains high-level guidance on how to answer the question and a checklist to measure progress. This is supplemented with additional support material, including templates, links to masterclass videos, external reports, standards and tools.
Recommended process
1. Read the information in Levels 1 and 2 to understand the toolkit basics
2. Use Level 3 to identify key questions and potential approaches
3. Complete the checklists in Level3 help you identify questions you may not be able to answer yet
4. Review the supplementary information and links to external resources to bridge any knowledge gaps
5. Collaborate with other teams and partners to collect specific information related to your project
6. Refine the business case by progressively filling in gaps and updating with new information
Experienced business case writers can review Levels 1 and 2 and then focus on the checklists in Level 3 to make sure you captured all actions. Users who are inexperienced in developing business cases should utilise the additional information and external links after the checklists in Level 3. These will help you explore areas where you need more support.