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Overview

Business cases can help influence decision makers, drive organisational performance and gain funds for projects. However, writing convincing business cases can be a complex and time consuming task for any busy professional.

This highly practical interactive course, examines the various stages of writing a business case and the requirements of each of the sections from executive summary to options appraisal.

Delegates will learn how to translate policy and project documents for technical and non-technical readers; how to summarise pages of prose into persuasive points and how anecdotes, fact and opinion can work together to provide compelling cases.

Learning Outcomes

  • Understand the crucial elements which make a good business case
  • Acquire a practical framework for a comprehensive, persuasive business case
  • Work through the components of a great business case
  • Learn how to present your case persuasively

In-House Option

Hello

Agenda

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09:15 - 09:45

Registration

09:45 - 10:00

Trainer's Welcome and Clarification of Learning Objectives

10:00 - 10:45

Planning a Business Case

In this interactive session delegates will learn how business cases are read.

  • Sorting your material: looking at information, analysis and recommendations
  • Defining what data to use in a business case
  • Importance of lateral thinking
  • How do people make decisions?
  • Writing great objectives
10:45 - 11:00

Morning Break

11:00 - 12:00

Making the Case for Change

  • Learn how to establish your case for change and suggest the best way forward
  • Understand the various audiences who read business cases
  • Identify what they want and need from the information
  • Delegates will look at best-practice real-life business cases
  • Develop effective persuasive writing techniques
  • Learn how to express SMART objectives within your business cases
12:00 - 13:00

Highlighting Benefits and Risk

  • Delegates will examine a range of real-life materials to establish good and best practice when discussing benefits and risk
13:00 - 14:00

Lunch

14:00 - 14:30

Explaining your Options Appraisal

In this session delegates will learn the benefits of a good options appraisal.

  • Explore the evidence and language that can be used to create the essential middle section of an efficient business case
  • A practical session where participants will write their own options appraisal using a course case study
14:30 - 15:00

Language, Style and Tone

  • Participants will explore use of language, style and tone through real life business cases to discuss the finer points of syntax, punctuation, grammar and choice of vocabulary
  • This session focuses on how writing should be understood
15:00 - 15:30

Writing Effective Summaries

  • A good summary affects how the reader perceives your work from the outset
  • Avoid your business cases being read like an introduction or abstract
  • Learn quick techniques to draw out the essential information to draw your reader into your document.
  • Delegates will work through a practical exercise which will help them create a summary using the course case study
15:30 - 16:00

Tables, Graphs and Other Visual Aids

  • You will look at how you can effectively use visual aids to help the reader better understand what you are saying
  • This session will let you explore a wide range of tools to help you present information such as: Q&A briefings; informatics; tables; graphs; flow charts, and word cloud
16:00 - 16:15

Feedback, Evaluation & Close