PRINCE2 Themes – Business Case

The purpose of the Business Case theme is to establish mechanisms to judge whether the project is (and remains) desirable, viable and achievable as a means to support decision making in its (continued) investment.

It is a PRINCE2 principle that a project must have continued business justification. The business justification is the reason for the project. Without it no project should start.

If business justification is valid at the start of a project, but disappears once it is under way, the project should be stopped or changed.

In PRINCE2, the business justification is documented in a Business Case describing the reasons for the project based on estimated costs, risks and the expected benefits.

The reasons for undertaking the project must drive decision making. When projects face changes or risks, the impact analysis should focus on the Business Case, remembering that the project is only a means to an end and not the end itself.

The existence of a viable Business Case is the main control condition of a PRINCE2 project.

The Business Case is verified by the Project Board before a project begins and at every major decision point throughout the project.

The project should be stopped if the viability of the Business Case disappears for any reason.