Timeline

Purpose of this section of the Business Case

The purpose of this section is to set out timelines, plans and details to ensure that the Project Team manages the project well, achieving its targets and delivery timeline. Decision-makers need to understand the extent of the activities that must occur before construction commences, and the lead times of these activities. This section should describe the timeframes and responsibilities for the achievement of targets or milestones. The timeline should confirm all the activities needed to progress the project and identify any of the critical paths that are fundamental for its success. The timeline should cover the full Infrastructure Investment Lifecycle process (as seen below) with all key milestones noted.

The Infrastructure Investment Lifecycle

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

• What are the key milestones and timeframes associated with each stage of implementation, including key decision and approval points?
• What are the task dependencies or interdependencies?
• What are the risks, constraints and deadlines relating to the project timeline?
• Has the Project Team identified any independent assurance requirements?

Content required for the Business Case

Project timeline

This section should outline the recommended timeline based on the project milestones for the full Infrastructure Investment Lifecycle.

The Project Team should attach a copy of the project timeline as an appendix to the Business Case. This should be a high-level timeframe that outlines the project milestones, task dependencies, task duration, key decision points and the critical path of project tasks. This should also consider the relevant approvals process that the project must go through and how this may affect the subsequent timeframes.

Project decision points

Within this section, the Project Team should answer the following questions:

• What are the project review points?
• What internal and external approvals are required?
• Who are the decision makers at these points? They could be:
  • Cabinet/Minister(s)
  • Project Board
  • Executive Steering Committee
  • Project Review Committee
  • Project Control Group
  • Risk and Change Management Committee
  • iCBR, FABG and ICA
  • Project Sponsor
  • Project Director
  • Project Team.

For information on Project Governance and management responsibilities, refer to the Project Governance Guidelines.

Recommended float

The project timeline should have float to deal with unforeseen issues that can arise for a broad range of reasons. The Project Team should also identify critical activity deadlines that will cause delays to the entire timeline if the project does not meet them. This section should outline the flexibility that the timeline allows, the critical paths and the critical deadlines.

Project timeline risks, dependencies, constraints and/or deadlines

Within this section, the Project Team should answer the following questions:

• Are there specific constraints, risks or task dependencies to the timeline?
• Are there mandated or imposed deadlines (e.g. Government commitments)?
• What community and internal engagement will the project require?

Project timeline assumptions

Within this section, the Project Team should answer the following questions:

• What basis and assumptions has the Project Team used in setting the timeline?
• Has the Project Team consulted with iCBR on the timeline?

If appropriate for the size of the project, the Project Team may provide a comparison against similar projects (noting that this is mostly likely only applicable for Tier 1 projects).

Appendices required for the Business Case

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

Project timeline.