Strategic and Policy Alignment

Supporting Templates

The Strategic and Policy Alignment section is applicable to Tier 1, 2 and 3 projects and to Programs and Precincts

Purpose of this section of the Business Case

Government commitments, strategic policies and the broader vision and objectives of Government should influence the development of any project. It is important that the problems/opportunities that the project is to address/realise, and the benefits that it is to achieve, align with Government’s commitments, policies, strategic vision and objectives for the ACT.

The Wellbeing Framework informs Government priorities, policies and investment decisions. The Wellbeing Impact Assessment provides Government with a broader view of the impacts of a project, including any impacts on people, the environment or our institutions. In this section, the Project Team should summarise the findings of the Wellbeing Impact Assessment.

Wellbeing Framework

The Wellbeing Framework comprises 12 ‘domains of wellbeing’ that reflect the key factors affecting the overall quality of life for Canberrans, as shown below. The framework includes high-level indicators to measure and track the progress across these domains, and a Personal Wellbeing Indicator that provides a measure of community wellbeing over time.⁠ (Footnote: The Project Team can find further information on the Wellbeing Framework at www.act.gov.au/wellbeing and in the Wellbeing Toolkit. For more information on how to assess a project against the Wellbeing Framework, refer to the Wellbeing Impact Assessment template. The Project Team may also reach out to the wellbeing team in the Policy and Cabinet division by emailing wellbeingfeedback@act.gov.au. )

Figure: Twelve domains of the ACT Wellbeing Framework

ACT Wellbeing Framework. It is comprised of 12 domains of wellbeing, which include health, safety, living standards, housing and home, environment and climate, social connection, education and life-long learning, time, identity and belonging, governance and institutions, access and connectivity and economy. Sitting outside the domains but at the heart of the framework is a personal wellbeing index.

Source:  Domains and indicators - ACT Wellbeing Framework

The Wellbeing Framework has now been incorporated in the Capital Framework and the Project Team must prepare a Wellbeing Impact Assessment when progressing a project through the Capital Framework. The Project Team should consider the wellbeing domains in Stage 1 – Develop to ensure all elements of the Wellbeing Framework are considered in an integrated way. The Project Team should then update this assessment when finalising the Business Case.

In addition to developing the Wellbeing Impact Assessment, the Project Team should also consider the wellbeing domains within all aspects of the Business Case; in particular, the Options Analysis and the Economic Appraisal.

The Wellbeing Framework includes climate mitigation and adaptation as part of the ‘Environment and climate’ domain, and the Project Team needs to demonstrate how it has considered the impacts of climate change on the project and/or how the project promotes climate adaptation and resilience in the ACT.

Additionally, in this section, the Project Team should describe how the project complements other existing or planned projects, Programs or Precincts and how the project aligns with any national strategic commitments, policies, vision or objectives.

The Project Team must answer the following key questions in this section:

  • How does the project align with (and contribute to) Government and Agency commitments, policies, strategic vision and objectives?
  • What are the major wellbeing impacts of the project (either positive or negative) and who are the affected groups?
  • For each identified impact, what is its expected timing?
  • Does the project provide synergies, benefits or efficiencies with other existing or planned projects, Programs or Precincts? If so, please explain.
  • Does the project align with any relevant national policies, strategies, priorities and objectives and contribute to their achievement? If so, please list.

Content required for the Business Case

Alignment with Government commitments and policies

The Sponsoring Agency, Project Director and Project Team must consider Government’s commitments, policies, strategic vision and objectives in the development of any project to ensure that they design it around the needs and plans of the ACT. In this section, the Project Team should detail the project’s alignment with the ACT’s commitments, infrastructure and land use plans and policies, strategic vision and economic objectives. This section should also refer to Agency or sector specific policies and strategies, which will usually be more specific to the subject matter of the project.

The Project Team should indicate whether there is a specific reference to the project in the ACT Government's Infrastructure Plan and any other infrastructure or development plans, and highlight the project’s recommended timeline in relation to these plans.

The following strategies and plans are examples of documents that the Project Team could consider:

Wellbeing Impact Assessment

The Project Team should provide a reference to the Wellbeing Impact Assessment it has completed for the project (which should be appended to the Business Case) and list the wellbeing domains that it has included in the Wellbeing Impact Assessment.

For more information on how to assess a project against the Wellbeing Framework, refer to the Wellbeing Impact Assessment template.

Alignment with other projects, Programs and Precincts

The Project Team should provide details of how the project integrates with or complements other existing or planned projects, Programs or Precincts. This section should also include any nationally significant projects that depend on the delivery of the project.

The Project Team should consider interrelated, geographically co-located and interdependent projects, Programs and Precincts. The scope of this analysis does not extend to analysing the market capacity to deliver the project. However, if there are market capacity constraints, the Project Team must include them in the Risk Register.

Consideration of Commonwealth Government policies and priorities

This section is only required when the Business Case will seek Commonwealth Government funding.

This section provides an opportunity for the Project Team to outline the national significance of the project and any national strategies and infrastructure plans it has considered in developing the project (if relevant). This section can include information about how the project (and its timing) aligns with these national strategies and infrastructure plans (where relevant).

The following strategies and plans are examples of documents that the Project Team could consider:

Appendices required for the Business Case

The Project Team is required to attach the following document as an appendix to the Business Case:

  • Wellbeing Impact Assessment.

Footnotes: