1 Background

Guidance on the development of Business Cases - March 2016

1 Background

A business case is a document providing the reasoning and justification behind a project. This paper provides guidance on the business case process within Transport Scotland as a scheme moves from Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG )^[1] assessment to delivery. The framework is based on HM Treasury guidance. Throughout the guidance, an attempt is made to acknowledge current practices whilst providing a consistent approach that can be applied to all schemes and projects.

Currently, although all major transport schemes are initially appraised using the same methodology (STAG), some users of STAG have asked for clarification on the link between STAG and the business case development process. All projects should follow the business case process described in this guidance to take them through to the delivery stage and put in place post project evaluation. The purpose of the guidance is to provide a consistent approach, regardless of mode, and as such is suitable for the delivery of any transport project. The business case is not simply a vehicle for gaining approval for a scheme. Irrespective of whether approval is required, the process outlined in this section must be satisfied for all public sector schemes. Within Transport Scotland, the business case is used by its Investment and Decision Making Board to inform decisions on investment.