APMG-International Better Business Cases™ Foundation Classroom

Projects usually start with an optimistic business case, but these are often poorly written, which results in organisations spending money that may well not give them the return they expect. Nowadays, the focus is increasingly on showing value for money, and therefore understanding the proven tools and techniques to make a more robust business case is a critical part of organisational and project success. Better Business Cases™ is a systematic and objective approach to all stages of the business case development process that sits alongside, and complements, HM Treasury’s Green Book guidance.

Course overview

About the course

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

The purpose of the Foundation qualification is to confirm that a candidate has sufficient knowledge and understanding of the guidance to be able to work effectively with, or as a member of, a team to develop a business case using the Five Case Model.

Duration

This is a two-day classroom course leading to the Better Business Cases Foundation examination, which is scheduled to take place on the final day.

Learning objectives

By the end of this Foundation course you should understand the structure and key terminology of the model, specifically:

The philosophy and underlying rationale of the Five Case 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 recognised and recommended best practice for project and programme management

What's covered?

Introduction and overview
Strategic outline case
Outline business case – part 1 (step 4)
Outline business case – part 2 (steps 5-7)
Full business case

What's included?

This is an intensive two-day instructor-led classroom course, providing all you need to pass the APMG-International Better Business Cases™ Foundation exam including:

All accompanying course material
The cost of the APMG-International Better Business Cases Foundation exam

Refreshments will also be provided throughout the duration of your training.

Optional extra

Pass Protect exam insurance - A cost effective solution, providing insurance and peace of mind if things don’t go to plan with your first exam attempt. For more information and terms and conditions click here

Exam information

The format of the Foundation exam is as follows:

Multiple choice
50 questions
25 marks or more required to pass (out of 50 available) – 50%
40 minutes duration
Closed book

How you take your exam

The exam is taken in the classroom on the final day of this two-day course.

Target audience

This qualification is aimed at anyone involved with, or overseeing, a project – to understand the work that is necessary to prove a case for investment within the public sector. This includes:

Senior responsible owners (SROs), programme directors and other directors with responsibility for the successful delivery of projects and programmes
Project managers, project team members and specialist advisers tasked with delivering a business case for investment
Officers involved in the scrutiny and review of investment proposals

Pre-requisites

There are no pre-requisites for the Foundation course.

However, the Foundation qualification is a pre-requisite for the Practitioner course and qualification.

Pre-course

There is some mandatory pre-course reading that must be undertaken prior to attending this course. It will be issued with your joining instructions approximately two weeks prior to course commencement. Please ensure you allow time to complete this in full prior to your attendance , it is expected that it will take approximately four hours to complete. In addition, whilst attending your course there will also be some examination preparation evening work.

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