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AI programme investment case

Template id: investment-case Responsible skill: ai-strategy:investment-case

The funding case for the AI programme as a whole, across adopting, building and scaling. Individual initiatives inside the programme use the business-case template, owned by opportunity-management:business-case. Every price, licence cost and consumption estimate comes from the organisation's agreements or a licensing partner and stays marked [To confirm: ...] until it does. Never record an estimate as a measured figure.

1. Decision requested

Field	Value
Decision requested, in one paragraph	[To confirm: what is asked, of whom, by when]
Recommended option	[To confirm: option]
Total envelope requested and period	[To confirm: amount and period]
First tranche requested now	[To confirm: amount and scope]
What happens if the answer is no	[To confirm: consequence]
Sponsor presenting the case (by role)	[To confirm: role]

Field

Value

Decision requested, in one paragraph

[To confirm: what is asked, of whom, by when]

Recommended option

[To confirm: option]

Total envelope requested and period

[To confirm: amount and period]

First tranche requested now

[To confirm: amount and scope]

What happens if the answer is no

[To confirm: consequence]

Sponsor presenting the case (by role)

[To confirm: role]

2. Strategic link

Field Value

Ambition level and vision reference [To confirm: reference to the ai-vision-and-principles document]

Strategic outcomes served [To confirm: outcomes with measures]

Maturity archetype and key constraints [To confirm: archetype and constraints]

Roadmap horizon(s) covered [To confirm: horizons]

Field	Value
Ambition level and vision reference	[To confirm: reference to the `ai-vision-and-principles` document]
Strategic outcomes served	[To confirm: outcomes with measures]
Maturity archetype and key constraints	[To confirm: archetype and constraints]
Roadmap horizon(s) covered	[To confirm: horizons]

3. Options compared

Option	Scope	Outcomes it can move	Main risks
Do minimum	[To confirm: scope]	[To confirm: outcomes]	[To confirm: risks]
Adopt-led	[To confirm: scope]	[To confirm: outcomes]	[To confirm: risks]
Adopt and build	[To confirm: scope]	[To confirm: outcomes]	[To confirm: risks]
Scale (if relevant)	[To confirm: scope]	[To confirm: outcomes]	[To confirm: risks]

Option

Scope

Outcomes it can move

Main risks

Do minimum

[To confirm: scope]

[To confirm: outcomes]

[To confirm: risks]

Adopt-led

[To confirm: scope]

[To confirm: outcomes]

[To confirm: risks]

Adopt and build

[To confirm: scope]

[To confirm: outcomes]

[To confirm: risks]

Scale (if relevant)

[To confirm: scope]

[To confirm: outcomes]

[To confirm: risks]

4. Full cost of ownership by option

Complete every category for every option, writing zero where it truly is zero, so omissions are visible.

Cost category	Do minimum	Adopt-led	Adopt and build	Scale
Licences and subscriptions (confirmed with a licensing partner)	[To confirm: cost]	[To confirm: cost]	[To confirm: cost]	[To confirm: cost]
Consumption (range, assumptions and owner)	[To confirm: range]	[To confirm: range]	[To confirm: range]	[To confirm: range]
People (programme, CoE, Champions time, owners, makers, engineers)	[To confirm: cost or capacity]	[To confirm: cost or capacity]	[To confirm: cost or capacity]	[To confirm: cost or capacity]
Partners	[To confirm: cost]	[To confirm: cost]	[To confirm: cost]	[To confirm: cost]
Knowledge and data readiness	[To confirm: cost]	[To confirm: cost]	[To confirm: cost]	[To confirm: cost]
Governance, assurance and evaluation	[To confirm: cost]	[To confirm: cost]	[To confirm: cost]	[To confirm: cost]
Learning and change	[To confirm: cost]	[To confirm: cost]	[To confirm: cost]	[To confirm: cost]
Run, support and retirement	[To confirm: cost]	[To confirm: cost]	[To confirm: cost]	[To confirm: cost]
Total for the period	[To confirm: total]	[To confirm: total]	[To confirm: total]	[To confirm: total]

Cost category

Do minimum

Adopt-led

Adopt and build

Scale

Licences and subscriptions (confirmed with a licensing partner)

[To confirm: cost]

Consumption (range, assumptions and owner)

[To confirm: range]

People (programme, CoE, Champions time, owners, makers, engineers)

[To confirm: cost or capacity]

Partners

[To confirm: cost]

Knowledge and data readiness

[To confirm: cost]

Governance, assurance and evaluation

[To confirm: cost]

Learning and change

[To confirm: cost]

Run, support and retirement

[To confirm: cost]

Total for the period

[To confirm: total]

5. Benefits by outcome

Ranges, not single figures. State which are assumptions until evidence arrives.

Outcome	Measure and baseline	Expected range (low to high)	Cashable or non-cashable	Evidence or assumption	Benefit owner (role)
[To confirm: outcome]	[To confirm: measure and baseline]	[To confirm: range]	[To confirm: type]	[To confirm: basis]	[To confirm: role]
[To confirm: outcome]	[To confirm: measure and baseline]	[To confirm: range]	[To confirm: type]	[To confirm: basis]	[To confirm: role]

Outcome

Measure and baseline

Expected range (low to high)

Cashable or non-cashable

Evidence or assumption

Benefit owner (role)

[To confirm: outcome]

[To confirm: measure and baseline]

[To confirm: range]

[To confirm: type]

[To confirm: basis]

[To confirm: role]

[To confirm: outcome]

[To confirm: measure and baseline]

[To confirm: range]

[To confirm: type]

[To confirm: basis]

[To confirm: role]

Field	Value
Position at the low end of the benefit range	[To confirm: summary]
Finance treatment agreed with	[To confirm: finance role and date]

Field

Value

Position at the low end of the benefit range

[To confirm: summary]

Finance treatment agreed with

[To confirm: finance role and date]

6. Risks

Risk	Effect on the case	Mitigation	Owner (role)
Adoption slower than planned	[To confirm: effect]	[To confirm: mitigation]	[To confirm: role]
Knowledge or data not ready	[To confirm: effect]	[To confirm: mitigation]	[To confirm: role]
Consumption above range	[To confirm: effect]	[To confirm: mitigation]	[To confirm: role]
Reviewer or owner capacity short	[To confirm: effect]	[To confirm: mitigation]	[To confirm: role]
[To confirm: other risk]	[To confirm: effect]	[To confirm: mitigation]	[To confirm: role]

Risk

Effect on the case

Mitigation

Owner (role)

Adoption slower than planned

[To confirm: effect]

[To confirm: mitigation]

[To confirm: role]

Knowledge or data not ready

[To confirm: effect]

[To confirm: mitigation]

[To confirm: role]

Consumption above range

[To confirm: effect]

[To confirm: mitigation]

[To confirm: role]

Reviewer or owner capacity short

[To confirm: effect]

[To confirm: mitigation]

[To confirm: role]

[To confirm: other risk]

[To confirm: effect]

[To confirm: mitigation]

[To confirm: role]

7. Funding tranches

Tranche	Scope	Amount	Evidence that releases the next tranche	Decided by (role)	Target date
1	[To confirm: foundations and early evidence]	[To confirm: amount]	[To confirm: evidence]	[To confirm: role]	[To confirm: date]
2	[To confirm: scope]	[To confirm: amount]	[To confirm: evidence]	[To confirm: role]	[To confirm: date]
3	[To confirm: scope]	[To confirm: amount]	[To confirm: evidence]	[To confirm: role]	[To confirm: date]

Tranche

Scope

Amount

Evidence that releases the next tranche

Decided by (role)

Target date

[To confirm: foundations and early evidence]

[To confirm: amount]

[To confirm: evidence]

[To confirm: role]

[To confirm: date]

[To confirm: scope]

[To confirm: amount]

[To confirm: evidence]

[To confirm: role]

[To confirm: date]

[To confirm: scope]

[To confirm: amount]

[To confirm: evidence]

[To confirm: role]

[To confirm: date]

8. Funding model

Field Value

Centrally funded items [To confirm: items]

Business-unit funded items [To confirm: items]

Consumption owner and how it is charged [To confirm: owner and model]

How the approved budget is tracked [To confirm: route, normally programme-management:budget-and-capacity]

Field	Value
Centrally funded items	[To confirm: items]
Business-unit funded items	[To confirm: items]
Consumption owner and how it is charged	[To confirm: owner and model]
How the approved budget is tracked	[To confirm: route, normally `programme-management:budget-and-capacity`]

9. Assumptions and approval

Assumption	Owner (role)	Date to confirm
[To confirm: assumption]	[To confirm: role]	[To confirm: date]
[To confirm: assumption]	[To confirm: role]	[To confirm: date]

Assumption

Owner (role)

Date to confirm

[To confirm: assumption]

[To confirm: role]

[To confirm: date]

[To confirm: assumption]

[To confirm: role]

[To confirm: date]

Field	Value
Finance review (role and date)	[To confirm: role and date]
Decision and conditions	[To confirm: decision and conditions]
Decided by and date	[To confirm: body and date]
Next review	[To confirm: date, at the next tranche gate]

Field

Value

Finance review (role and date)

[To confirm: role and date]

Decision and conditions

[To confirm: decision and conditions]

Decided by and date

[To confirm: body and date]

Next review

[To confirm: date, at the next tranche gate]

Credit: Template from CopilotForge by Simon Foote (https://github.com/SimonFoote-greensparx/CopilotForge), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Keep this credit when you share or adapt the template; in your own completed document you may keep it as a footer or remove it.

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