Step by step guide to building a business case: Difference between revisions

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__NOTOC__
This is a suggested order to approach the construction of your DP business case. This suggests an order of planning and preparation of your business case ''(This needs revision to be clear, and respective notes on the template)''
[[File:StepByStep.png|right|Archiving your files securely in a repository]]
This is a step by step guide to the key activities you need to conduct in order to prepare, plan and construct your digital preservation business case. Note that the related [[Template for building a business case]] is ordered in a way that reflects a typical business case structure.


1 preparation
''Use this to take you, in a chronological order, through the process of business case construction.''
*is the timing right? [[When|More on "when"...]]
*assess/review previous DP work at your organisation and note any lessons learned
*check if your organisation has a standard business case template or use this [[Template for building a business case|generic template]]
*look at what others are doing
*get a copy of your organisation's strategy
*read...
2 assess the focus of your digital preservation activity
*depending on the scope and granularity of your activity/focus you may want to:
**audit your digital collections
**assess your organisation for digital preservation risks
**assess and understand the characteristics of a collection of digital assets


3 audit your organisation's readiness (policy/strategy, skills/infrastructure)
====1) Preparation====
*see list of 'aspects of readiness'
*Is the timing right? [[When is the right time to write a business case?|Read more on "when?"...]]
*get generic list of risks
*Do the background reading:
*make list of issues/risks for your organisation
**Assess/review previous DP work at your organisation and note any lessons learned.
**Check if your organisation has a standard business case template that you will need to use. [[What's in a business case?|Be aware that your organisation's template may not give emphasis to some important elements of a business case]].
**Look at what others are doing.
**Get a copy of your organisation's strategy.


4 work out what you want to do
====2) Audit your organisation's readiness====
*describe what you want to do (where you want to get to)
*Conduct a [[Risks|risk assessment]] at the organisational level.
*describe resource needed - staff/infrastructure
*Assess your [[Institutional readiness]].
*identify costs (see list of types of costs)


5 think hard about your audience
====3) Assess where you are and what you need====
*who are your key stakeholders?
*Depending on the scope and granularity of your activity you may want to:
*your business case must be carefully targetted at your intended audience
**Audit your digital collections.
*think about what language to use
**Assess your organisation for digital preservation risks.
**Assess and understand the characteristics of a collection of digital assets.
*Decide on the main focus of your business case


6 benefits
====4) Think hard about your audience====
*get a generic list of digital preservation benefits
*Who are your key [[Stakeholder analysis|stakeholders]]?
*make a list of benefits for your digital content/collection
*Your business case must be carefully targeted at your intended audience.
*map those benefits to your organisation's strategy (prioritise benefits/work out what will appeal to your sponsor)
*Think about what language to use, for example see "[http://web.archive.org/web/20130605143741/http://libraries.stackexchange.com/questions/943/what-has-been-found-to-be-the-most-effective-alternate-term-for-digital-preserv What has been found to be the most effective alternate term for “digital preservation” when communicating beyond the library and archives community?]"


7 what else
====5) Work out your objectives for your digital preservation activity====
*benefits, risks and costs are core - what else do you need to do for your organisation's business case?
*Describe what you want to achieve with the business case and what kind of activity you need to reach that goal.
**cost benefit analysis or options appraisal
*Define your [[How do I make the case for what I want to do?#How_do_I_scope_my_business_case.3F|scope]].
**further detail about what you want to do (implementation plan / project plan)
*Provide a brief plan of what will happen and when.
*Identify [[Costs|costs]] and describe the resources needed (eg. for staff/infrastructure).


8 validation
====6) Benefits====
*think about what else you need to do to ensure that your business case is complete
*Get a generic list of digital preservation benefits.
*review your business case carefully, and seek advice and comment from others
*Make a list of benefits for your digital content/collection.
*compare and contrast your case with others in order to identify missing detail or areas for improvement (see [[Case Studies]])
*Map those benefits to your organisation's strategy (prioritise benefits/work out what will appeal to your sponsor).
*Read more on [[Benefits]]...


9 deliver your business case
====7) What else is required in your organisation's business case template?====
*find out how your business case will be evaluated and consider ways to increase it's chances of success
*Benefits, risks and costs are core - what else do you need to cover in your organisation's business case template?
**who is you main sponsor/advocate?
**Cost benefit analysis or options appraisal.
**Further detail about what you want to do (implementation plan / project plan).
 
====8) Validate and refine your business case====
*Think about what else you need to do to ensure that your business case is complete.
*Review your business case carefully, and seek advice and comment from others.
*Identify weaknesses in your business case. If you were on a board tasked with assessing your case and didn't want to fund it, how would you attack it? Are there gaps in the evidence or unrealistic assertions?
*Compare and contrast your case with others in order to identify missing detail or areas for improvement (see [[Case Studies]]).
 
====9) Deliver your business case with maximum impact====
*Find out how your business case will be evaluated and consider ways to increase it's chances of success.
**Who is you main sponsor/advocate?
*Create an Elevator Pitch, so you have the right language ready to make your case to potential advocates in your organisation. See these [http://wiki.opf-labs.org/display/SPR/Collated+business+plan+results+from+SPRUCE#CollatedbusinessplanresultsfromSPRUCE-ElevatorPitch example pitches from digital preservation practitioners] at [http://wiki.opf-labs.org/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=13041673 SPRUCE mashup events].
*Persistence may well be required. You may need to re-submit your case at a later date and/or adapt it to the feedback you get on delivering it first time around.
 
====10) Share====
*Consider removing sensitive details from your business case, and then sharing it [[Case studies|here]] for others to learn from.
 
====Also see...====
*[[IOE case study: Check list for writing a business case for digital preservation]]
*[http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/records/legislativerecords/docs_pdfs/DigitalPreservationBusinessCaseInformationCRK10_5_2011.pdf Developing a Business Case for Digital Preservation (Minnesota Historical Society)]

Latest revision as of 14:26, 17 October 2013

Archiving your files securely in a repository

This is a step by step guide to the key activities you need to conduct in order to prepare, plan and construct your digital preservation business case. Note that the related Template for building a business case is ordered in a way that reflects a typical business case structure.

Use this to take you, in a chronological order, through the process of business case construction.

1) Preparation

2) Audit your organisation's readiness

3) Assess where you are and what you need

  • Depending on the scope and granularity of your activity you may want to:
    • Audit your digital collections.
    • Assess your organisation for digital preservation risks.
    • Assess and understand the characteristics of a collection of digital assets.
  • Decide on the main focus of your business case

4) Think hard about your audience

5) Work out your objectives for your digital preservation activity

  • Describe what you want to achieve with the business case and what kind of activity you need to reach that goal.
  • Define your scope.
  • Provide a brief plan of what will happen and when.
  • Identify costs and describe the resources needed (eg. for staff/infrastructure).

6) Benefits

  • Get a generic list of digital preservation benefits.
  • Make a list of benefits for your digital content/collection.
  • Map those benefits to your organisation's strategy (prioritise benefits/work out what will appeal to your sponsor).
  • Read more on Benefits...

7) What else is required in your organisation's business case template?

  • Benefits, risks and costs are core - what else do you need to cover in your organisation's business case template?
    • Cost benefit analysis or options appraisal.
    • Further detail about what you want to do (implementation plan / project plan).

8) Validate and refine your business case

  • Think about what else you need to do to ensure that your business case is complete.
  • Review your business case carefully, and seek advice and comment from others.
  • Identify weaknesses in your business case. If you were on a board tasked with assessing your case and didn't want to fund it, how would you attack it? Are there gaps in the evidence or unrealistic assertions?
  • Compare and contrast your case with others in order to identify missing detail or areas for improvement (see Case Studies).

9) Deliver your business case with maximum impact

  • Find out how your business case will be evaluated and consider ways to increase it's chances of success.
    • Who is you main sponsor/advocate?
  • Create an Elevator Pitch, so you have the right language ready to make your case to potential advocates in your organisation. See these example pitches from digital preservation practitioners at SPRUCE mashup events.
  • Persistence may well be required. You may need to re-submit your case at a later date and/or adapt it to the feedback you get on delivering it first time around.

10) Share

  • Consider removing sensitive details from your business case, and then sharing it here for others to learn from.

Also see...