Management case

The management section of a Green Book business case outlines how the connectivity improvement project will be delivered, monitored, and evaluated. It should include a detailed plan to ensure that the project is managed effectively and achieves its intended outcomes.

Examples of sections and content to include:

Governance framework: describe the governance structure for the project, including the roles and responsibilities of key personnel, such as a project sponsor, project manager, benefits managers and owners, IT team members, and procurement team.

Steering group: establish a project steering group or board with representatives from different departments (such as IT, clinical staff, estates) to oversee the project, make strategic decisions, and provide ongoing support.

Decision making processes: outline the decision-making framework, including the process for escalating issues, approving changes, and managing risks.

Implementation plan: provide a detailed project timeline with key milestones, such as: 

• initial planning and market engagement
• procurement of equipment and services
• site surveys and infrastructure setup
• installation, cabling, and testing phases
• staff training and network go-live
• benefits realisation

Phased rollout: if appropriate, propose a phased implementation approach to minimise disruption to your operations. For example, start with non-clinical areas or specific departments before rolling out across the entire facility.

Resource allocation: identify the internal and external resources required, including project managers, IT staff, contractors, and suppliers. Confirm the availability of these resources for each project phase.

Risk register: create a risk register listing potential risks (such as installation delays, excess construction charges, technical issues, budget overruns) and assess their likelihood and impact. Include risk mitigation strategies, such as conducting preliminary site surveys to anticipate infrastructure challenges or scheduling installation during off-peak hours.

Contingency plans: outline contingency plans for critical risks, such as backup connectivity solutions if there are delays in deployment or failback or failover plans in response to disruptions during the transition.

Stakeholder analysis: identify key stakeholders, including clinical staff, IT personnel, patients, and suppliers. Describe their interests, concerns, and how they will be engaged throughout the project.

Communication plan: develop a communication plan to keep stakeholders informed of progress, address concerns, and facilitate collaboration. This could include regular updates, meetings, newsletters, or a dedicated project intranet page.

Change management approach: discuss how the project will manage organisational change, including how staff will be informed, trained, and supported during the transition to the new connectivity for the network.

Training and support: outline a training program for staff on using any new services or functionality of the network, focusing on security best practices, new features, and troubleshooting basic connectivity issues.

Monitoring mechanisms: describe the mechanisms for monitoring the project's progress, such as regular status reports, project meetings, and milestone reviews. Include the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will be used to measure the performance of the Wi-Fi network post-implementation, such as network uptime, speed, and user satisfaction.

Benefits realisation: develop a benefits realisation plan to track the expected benefits (such as improved patient care, enhanced staff productivity) against the project’s objectives. Define how you’ll measure the benefits, over what time period (5 to 7 years for infrastructure), how they’ll be reported and reviewed, what percentage of the benefits come from the infrastructure investment, and who the benefit owners are.

Post-implementation review: plan a formal post-implementation review to assess the project’s success, identify lessons learned, and capture recommendations for future projects. 

Handover process: describe the process for transitioning any new systems or services such as a new Wi-Fi system, from the project team to your IT department. Include documentation, training, and final testing.

Ongoing support and maintenance: describe the ongoing maintenance plan, including roles and responsibilities for network monitoring, software updates, security management, and troubleshooting. Identify service agreements with suppliers for technical support.

The benefits realisation plan should include all benefits detailed in the economic case section.

Where possible there should be a project manager assigned to producing and tracking the business case and producing the content for the management case.

Project plans and timelines should include adequate and well justified contingency to provide assurance.