Building GBIF Nodes I: creating a strong case for your Node
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This document outlines a training course on creating strong business cases for GBIF Nodes. It discusses the rationale for using business cases, including to establish a Node's position, secure funds, and increase proposal success rates. The presentation covers components of an effective business case like the executive summary, problem statement, solutions, and cost/benefit analysis. It also provides best practices and resources for Nodes to reference when developing business cases.
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Building GBIF Nodes I: creating a strong case for your Node
- 1. GB20 Nodes training course Building GBIF Nodes I: Creating a strong case for your Node Alberto González-Talaván Senior Programme Officer for Training GBIF Secretariat 4 October 2013
- 2. Summary Business cases are tools used very frequently to present proposals, defend positions, convince audiences, etc. GBIF Nodes can benefit from using this framework as it requires going through a systematic process of planning and critical thinking that pays off in the future. In this module we will work with business cases as a generic tool. Other modules will give you additional insight on how to complete your business cases with relevant content. This presentation corresponds to Module 1 of the GB20 Training course for Nodes hold in October 2013 in Berlin, Germany.
- 3. Outline 1. Rationale 2. Characteristics of a successful case 3. Know your audience! 4. Components of a business case 5. Best practices 6. Resources 7. Conclusions
- 4. Outline 1. Rationale 2. Characteristics of a successful case 3. Know your audience! 4. Components of a business case 5. Best practices 6. Resources 7. Conclusions
- 5. Rationale: definition A business case is: “A communication tool, composed in a language that the target audience understands and with enough detail to facilitate decision making on his/her part” From Ilya Bogorad, 6 Essential Elements for a Winning Business Case, Tech Decision Maker, July 19, 2011
- 6. Rationale: definition A business case is: “A communication tool, composed in a language that the target audience understands and with enough detail to facilitate decision making on his/her part” From Ilya Bogorad, 6 Essential Elements for a Winning Business Case, Tech Decision Maker, July 19, 2011
- 7. Rationale: what form can it take? A high-level proposal to a Ministry to join an organization such as GBIF An action plan for a national agency for the creation of a BIF and a node (or its maintenance) An annual plan A project proposal to a funding agency to support data digitization A proposal for a collaboration agreement between organizations A talk in a national symposium to encourage data publishing and open access
- 8. Rationale: why having one? Establish the Node position and scope Secure funds Ensure sustainability Be better prepared for unexpected challenges and opportunities Increase the success rate of your proposals Influence your professional career
- 9. Outline 1. Rationale 2. Characteristics of a successful case 3. Know your audience! 4. Components of a business case 5. Best practices 6. Resources 7. Conclusions
- 10. Outline 1. Rationale 2. Characteristics of a successful case 3. Know your audience! 4. Components of a business case 5. Best practices 6. Resources 7. Conclusions
- 11. Characteristics • Written for the decision maker • Easy to follow and understand • Well structured • Clear and concise • Rigorous • Relevant • Solid
- 12. Outline 1. Rationale 2. Characteristics of a successful case 3. Know your audience! 4. Components of a business case 5. Best practices 6. Resources 7. Conclusions
- 13. Outline 1. Rationale 2. Characteristics of a successful case 3. Know your audience! 4. Components of a business case 5. Best practices 6. Resources 7. Conclusions
- 14. Know your audience! Who will be taking the decisions? Who can influence their decisions? Institutional policies / mission Individual interests Adjust your language & jargon level Include the adequate level of detail Explore other previously approved projects Try to get their opinion early ?
- 15. Outline 1. Rationale 2. Characteristics of a successful case 3. Know your audience! 4. Components of a business case 5. Best practices 6. Resources 7. Conclusions
- 16. Outline 1. Rationale 2. Characteristics of a successful case 3. Know your audience! 4. Components of a business case 5. Best practices 6. Resources 7. Conclusions
- 17. Components 1. Executive summary 2. Background information 3. The problem/need/opportunity statement 4. Analysis of the situation and future impact 5. Proposed solutions and recommended alternative 6. The implementation plan 7. Cost/benefit analysis 8. Conclusions and reasoning 44 55 66 77332211 88
- 18. Components: executive summary High level view Condensed view, with all components Plain language It is the key to the rest of the document Last part to be written 4 5 6 73211 8
- 19. Components: background info Just enough basic information that the stakeholders need to know to understand the proposals and the current situation More important when presenting cases to external audiences Make sure your sources are reliable i.e. a description of the current way of dealing with biodiversity information and resources, including relevant actors at the national level. 4 5 6 732211 8
- 20. Components: the problem The reason you are creating the case. It could be: • A problem, a situation that needs to be fixed • An opportunity to generate benefits, revenue, reduce costs, increase efficiency, etc. • A formal requirement, a mandatory change Important to be objective, neutral. i.e. inefficiency dealing with data, lack of (unified) data access, inability to optimally manage natural resources, international commitments not fulfilled, repeated investments to collect similar data. 4 5 6 7332211 8
- 21. Components: the analysis Additional information on how the situation came to be as it is It provides projections on how the situation can continue if nothing is done A preamble of the next section You can use generic analysis tools such as SWOT. i.e. financial costs of continuing things the same way. Scalability issues. International image. 44 5 6 7332211 8
- 22. Components: the solutions Description of SEVERAL ways to deal with the situation (3-4 is a good number) Sufficient detail to be understood Sufficient data so the different options can be compared One of them must be identified as the preferred solution. Anticipate objections i.e. organizing an independent national information system, copying the system used in another country, re-focusing an existing system, etc. 44 55 6 7332211 8
- 23. Components: implementation plan It should provide enough detail on how the preferred solution could be implemented No need for an exhaustive plan Make the links with the problem and analysis section. Include a risk assessment section i.e. you can include details about scope, governance, work teams, roles and responsibilities, external resources, communication plans, schedules, risk management. 44 55 66 7332211 8
- 24. Components: cost/benefit analysis The level of detail can , but always REALISTIC. Highlight quantitative AND qualitative benefits and costs. Consider direct and indirect costs. Try to use ‘their’ data i.e. Quantitative: Direct savings due to increased efficiency and investments already done by others. Qualitative: international and national positioning, transparency, adoption of best practices, improved information access, increased capacity, etc. 44 55 66 77332211 8
- 25. Components: the conclusions Motivational summary that refers to the points included in the previous sections. Includes the main points and figures Works as a call for action i.e. Investing X € will generate Y € in savings and will produce the A, B, C immediate benefits. 44 55 66 77332211 88
- 26. Outline 1. Rationale 2. Characteristics of a successful case 3. Know your audience! 4. Components of a business case 5. Best practices 6. Resources 7. Conclusions
- 27. Outline 1. Rationale 2. Characteristics of a successful case 3. Know your audience! 4. Components of a business case 5. Best practices 6. Resources 7. Conclusions
- 28. Best practice 1. ALWAYS adapt to your situation and audience 2. Give real alternatives as solutions 3. Find out where the opposition is likely to come 4. Make your audience ‘own’ the data 5. ‘Test the waters’ early 6. Be concise, clear, logical and persuasive 7. Be ready to discuss your proposal in 30 seconds, 5 minutes and 30 minutes.
- 29. Outline 1. Rationale 2. Characteristics of a successful case 3. Know your audience! 4. Components of a business case 5. Best practices 6. Resources 7. Conclusions
- 30. Outline 1. Rationale 2. Characteristics of a successful case 3. Know your audience! 4. Components of a business case 5. Best practices 6. Resources 7. Conclusions
- 31. Resources: specific for Nodes Global Biodiversity Informatics Outlook http://www.gbif.org/orc/?doc_id=5353 GBIF Strategic plan http://www.gbif.org/orc/?doc_id=2792 Benefits of participating in GBIF http://www.gbif.org/participation/outreach How to create strategies and plans for Nodes → Module 2A. How to strategically position your Nodes → Module 2B. Uses of data → Modules 4A, 4B.
- 32. Resources: about business cases Jonathan Wu, 2001, Creating a successful business case to advance your initiative. http://www.information-management.com/news/4330-1.html Ilya Bogorad, 2011, 6 essential elements for a winning business case. http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/tech-decision-maker/6-essential-elements-for- a-winning-business-case/. Margaret Rouse, 2012, How to write a business case document. http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/How-to-write-a-business-case-document. Bizvortex Consulting Group Inc., Business case template. http://new.bizvortex.com/products/. Ilya Bogorad, 2010, Thirty tips for a better proposal or business case. http://bizvortex.wordpress.com/2010/07/29/. Bizvortex Consulting Group Inc., 2010, Business case tips. http://new.bizvortex.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Business-Case-Tips.pdf Steven Gara, 2013, How to build a project’s business case. http://news.dice.com/2013/04/12/how-to-define-a-business-case/. More info at http://community.gbif.org/pg/pages/view/36138/
- 33. Outline 1. Rationale 2. Characteristics of a successful case 3. Know your audience! 4. Components of a business case 5. Best practices 6. Resources 7. Conclusions
- 34. Outline 1. Rationale 2. Characteristics of a successful case 3. Know your audience! 4. Components of a business case 5. Best practices 6. Resources 7. Conclusions
- 35. Conclusions Business cases are a good tool when presenting proposals related to your Node Helps to go through a process of analysis and planning that pays off Helps you to catch opportunities and adapt to changes They can be applied at very different levels Adapt them to the audience and the situation
- 36. GB20 Nodes training course Building GBIF Nodes I: Creating a strong case for your Node Alberto González-Talaván Senior Programme Officer for Training GBIF Secretariat 4 October 2013
Editor's Notes
- Template image by Zsuzsanna Kilian, Hugary (http://www.sxc.hu/profile/nkzs), obtained through stock.xchng (http://www.sxc.hu/).
- Another way of looking at it: “A business case justifies the investment required to deliver a proposed solution”. Image composed based in an image by Pieter Beens (The Netherlands), obtained through stock.xchng (http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1314696).
- Another way of looking at it: “A business case justifies the investment required to deliver a proposed solution”. Image composed based in an image by Pieter Beens (The Netherlands), obtained through stock.xchng (http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1314696).
- Why is it useful to build a business case around your Node? Establish the Node position and scope Secure funds Ensure sustainability Be ready for unexpected challenges Increase the success rate of your proposals Influence your professional career: a successful business case shows your skills as a planner and leader in the field. A poorly presented project may undermine your options in the future. Image by Vangelis Thomaidis (Greece), obtained through stock.schng (http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1004849).
- On these points: Written for the decision maker: that means that the level of information, the language used, the depth of the information… has to be adapted to the audience. Easy to follow and understand: If the explanations are too complex, not presented together with adequate schemas, and graphs, chances are that you will lose the interest of your audience. Well structured: the information needs to be easy to find. Clear and concise: brevity is always a virtue. The goal is to be persuasive, not wordy. Rigorous: your case need to be based on facts, that are verifiable. Never build a case based on unrealistic assumptions, unverified information, etc. Relevant: the case need to be focussed on addressing a specific situation. The contents need to be targeted, with no superfluous information. Solid: A good business case should be able to withstand challenges. Image from ilco (Turkey), obtained through stock.xchng (http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1078183).
- On these points: Who will be taking the decisions? One person? A group of people? What is the decision workflow? Consider the roles of the people involved. Who can influence their decisions? If there is any advisory body that will pre-select proposals or influence the decision, try to get insights about them too. Institutional policies / mission: try to align your proposal with the ultimate mission of the organization who will take the decision, your audience, etc. Individual interests: different people take decisions differently, according to their beliefs, values, education, experience, background, priorities and values. Adjust your language & jargon level: keep it simple and accurate. Keep jargon to a minimum, unless strictly necessary. Include the adequate level of detail: don’t assume things that they may know. Don’t explain things that they know. Try to get their opinion early: if there is contact information available; any mechanism to evaluate early drafts, pre-proposals,… use them! Image by Michal Zacharzewski (Poland), obtained through stock.xchng (http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1174494).
- The format of the business case varies case by case, but all include a structure similar to this one. Use the format already adopted by the organization, if there’s one. The size of the business case should not be the main criteria. It needs to include all the information needed. Include extensive information as annexes, not in the main body of the text. Brevity is always a virtue.
- On these points: High level view Condensed view, with all components. No longer than 1-2 pages. Plain language It is the key to the rest of the document: some stakeholders will only read this part. Last part to be written
- The case will have to focus on providing solution to the main problem/opportunity, or to a subset of them, depending on the interests of the stakeholders. We will see many examples in the module dealing with uses of data. Important to be objective, neutral. Don’t complain about the situation. Don’t blame or accuse anyone.
- SWOT: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. There is a lot of information about these kind of analysis on the web.
- On these points: Description of SEVERAL ways to deal with the situation (3-4 is a good number). If possible, include different scales (a bigger proposal that delivers good value may attract the interest of the stakeholders). Don’t introduce weak solutions: they are easy to spot. Create strong alternatives or the stakeholders may introduce them for you. Sufficient detail to be understood. Graphs help a lot. You do not need to present 4 developed proposals. Sufficent data so the different options can be compared: pros & cons of the different options should be equivalent so they can be compared (also with the current status presented before). One of them must be identified as the preferred solution. Leaving the options open does not help the decision maker. Why is the preferred solution needs to be explained, puting yourself in the skin of the decision maker: use the same criteria that they would use (costs and benefits, strategic value, etc). It shows that you know the issue well. Be prepared if they want to explore one of the alternative options presented.
- On these points: It should provide enough detail on how the preferred solution could be implemented: it shows that you have given real thought to the details of the implementation. Again, it depends on the audience! Resources and timing are essential elements that need to be clearly explained. Avoid any ‘we will decide that later’ statements. No need for an exhaustive plan, that will come with the execution. Remember that it can happen that it is not the preferred solution. Make the links with the problem and analysis section.
- On these points: Depending on the audience, this section will be more or less detailed. You don’t need to include all details in the proposal, but you need to know them. Seek help if needed. Important to highlight quantitative AND qualitative benefits and costs. Quantitative: Expenses vs direct savings and possible revenue generated, return of investment, probabilities of success, release of capacity of current workers, etc. Qualitative: Positioning and leadership, etc. Any benefit that is difficult to quantify should be listed here. Consider direct and indirect costs. i.e. administrative charges, Try to use ‘their’ data. This is a generic piece of advice: if their Ministry, department etc produces information about costs, use their assumptions. You will face less oposition.
- Works better for longer documents.
- On these points:
- Some of these generic documents can give you the background information to describe the current situation and the options offered by GBIF participation. As for examples of how other Nodes has structured their cases, we hope to discuss that in Module 2A.
- Image composed based in an image by Pieter Beens (The Netherlands), obtained through stock.xchng (http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1314696).