To ensure that the project stays on track requires that the business case is being monitored and updated throughout the project lifecycle. The purpose is to keep focus and attention on a satisfying return on investment where projects benefit will outweigh costs within risk tolerances that meet owners’ preferences.

Keeping focus and attention on the business case may not be a simple task. It can be resource-demanding and identifying important issues may not be easy to deal with. While the project is mobilized to deliver and focused on the next deadline, it may not be convenient to deal with issues regarding business case health. These issues can impose changes to the project setup that takes time to implement and may eliminate the initiatives that the project team has made.

Key activities

• Define responsibility for monitoring and updating business case during project execution
• Transfer the business case from those that created the business case to those executing the project (responsibilities are often changing)
• Establish an operational model for business case update (the business case is often established in a format that is different from the tools that are used to manage the project)
• Incorporate business case updates into the project plan
• Monitor and update the business case iteratively