Feasibility Studies Preparation and Evaluation Training Course

Participants can convert a project idea into a testable problem statement and option set.

• Problem trees separate root causes, effects and proposed interventions
• SMART objectives specify intended outputs, outcomes, beneficiaries and timescales
• Do-nothing, do-minimum and investment options establish comparison baselines
• Long-list options generated through process, technology, location and delivery choices
• Multi-criteria screening removes options failing critical feasibility conditions
• Option descriptions record capacity, service levels, ownership and operating assumptions

Participants can plan study activities, data sources, responsibilities and quality controls.

• Work breakdown structure decomposes research, analysis, review and reporting tasks
• Evidence matrix links study questions to sources, methods and acceptance criteria
• Primary research plans define samples, questionnaires, interviews and field observations
• Secondary sources assessed for authority, currency, bias and data limitations
• RACI matrix assigns study ownership, consultation, review and approval roles
• Assumption register records source, owner, rationale and validation status

Participants can assess demand and translate market evidence into forecast assumptions.

• Market segmentation distinguishes customer groups, needs, behaviours and purchasing power
• TAM, SAM and SOM estimates define addressable market boundaries
• Demand forecasting combines historical trends, drivers and adoption assumptions
• Customer research tests willingness to pay, preferences and purchasing criteria
• Competitor mapping compares offerings, pricing, capacity and market positioning
• Demand forecast documentation separates evidence, calculations and management assumptions

Participants can define a commercial model and develop defensible revenue forecasts.

• Business model canvas tests customers, value proposition, channels and revenues
• Pricing methods compare cost-plus, value-based, market-based and regulated tariffs
• Revenue drivers model volumes, prices, utilisation, retention and collection rates
• Sales ramp-up assumptions reflect commissioning, adoption and market access constraints
• Contract structures allocate payment terms, performance obligations and revenue risks
• Revenue forecast schedules reconcile units, tariffs, escalation and collection timing

Participants can evaluate technical options against performance, reliability and implementation requirements.

• Technical requirements translate service needs into measurable design specifications
• Technology options compared using maturity, capacity, reliability and maintainability criteria
• Process flow diagrams identify inputs, transformations, outputs and control points
• Capacity calculations test throughput, utilisation, redundancy and peak demand
• Site selection criteria assess access, utilities, logistics, land and expansion
• Technical due diligence identifies design gaps, interfaces and specialist reviews

Participants can assess whether the operating model can deliver the proposed service or output.

• Operating model defines processes, workforce, assets, suppliers and governance
• SIPOC diagrams map suppliers, inputs, process steps, outputs and customers
• Staffing plans calculate headcount, shifts, skills, supervision and training needs
• Service level requirements define availability, response times, quality and safety
• Make-buy analysis compares internal delivery, outsourcing and partnership arrangements
• Implementation readiness assesses procedures, systems, facilities and operational controls

Participants can identify approval requirements, legal constraints and procurement implications.

• Regulatory register identifies permits, licences, standards and approval authorities
• Legal due diligence reviews land rights, contracts, liabilities and restrictions
• Procurement routes compare competitive tender, framework, direct award and PPP
• Contracting strategy allocates scope, price, schedule and performance risks
• Compliance timetable sequences submissions, consultations, approvals and conditions precedent
• Data protection and intellectual property requirements tested for technology proposals

Participants can assess material environmental and social effects and define mitigation measures.

• Environmental screening identifies emissions, waste, resource use and sensitive receptors
• Social impact assessment considers displacement, livelihoods, inclusion and community concerns
• Mitigation hierarchy applies avoidance, minimisation, restoration and compensation measures
• Environmental management plans assign controls, monitoring indicators and accountabilities
• Stakeholder engagement plans define affected groups, disclosure and grievance channels
• Climate risk screening tests physical hazards, transition exposure and adaptation actions

Participants can prepare a capital expenditure estimate with stated basis, contingencies and exclusions.

• Capital cost breakdown structures organise land, equipment, works and professional fees
• Analogous estimating uses comparable projects adjusted for scale and location
• Parametric estimates apply unit rates, capacity factors and cost indices
• Bottom-up estimates aggregate quantities, labour, materials, plant and subcontract costs
• Contingency allowances reflect estimate maturity, uncertainty and identified risks
• Cost estimate basis documents prices, exchange rates, taxes and exclusions

Participants can estimate recurring costs, working capital requirements and replacement expenditure.

• Operating cost categories separate fixed, variable, direct and indirect expenditures
• Activity-based costing assigns overheads using drivers, consumption and service volumes
• Lifecycle cost analysis includes maintenance, renewals, disposal and residual value
• Working capital schedules calculate inventory, receivables, payables and cash buffers
• Inflation assumptions distinguish nominal escalation from real price changes
• Replacement capital plans schedule major asset renewals over project life

Participants can build an auditable project cash flow model from operational assumptions.

• Model architecture separates inputs, calculations, outputs, checks and documentation
• Timeline conventions align construction, operations, debt service and reporting periods
• Cash flow statements combine revenues, costs, taxes, capital expenditure and financing
• Depreciation schedules distinguish accounting expense from cash movement
• Model checks identify broken links, sign errors and inconsistent units
• Version control records model changes, assumptions and reviewer comments

Participants can calculate and interpret financial viability measures for proposed investments.

• Discount rates reflect capital cost, risk, inflation basis and investor expectations
• Net present value measures value created after discounted project cash flows
• Internal rate of return compared with hurdle rates and financing costs
• Payback period highlights capital recovery timing and liquidity exposure
• Profitability index compares discounted benefits against initial investment requirements
• Financial viability interpretation distinguishes return measures from affordability constraints

Participants can assess financing choices, debt service capacity and affordability constraints.

• Funding sources compare equity, debt, grants, subsidies and retained earnings
• Debt schedules calculate drawdowns, interest, principal repayments and fees
• Debt service coverage ratio tests cash available against debt obligations
• Financing terms assess tenor, grace periods, security and covenant requirements
• Affordability analysis tests budget ceilings, tariff impacts and fiscal commitments
• Sources and uses schedules reconcile funding requirements with project costs

Participants can evaluate economic value where financial returns do not capture all benefits.

• Economic appraisal distinguishes financial cash flows from societal costs and benefits
• Cost-benefit analysis identifies direct, indirect, external and non-market effects
• Shadow pricing adjusts market prices for distortions, taxes and subsidies
• Economic discount rates reflect public opportunity cost and intergenerational effects
• Economic NPV and benefit-cost ratio support public investment comparisons
• Distributional analysis identifies which groups receive benefits and bear costs

Participants can identify material feasibility risks and assign practical treatment actions.

• Risk breakdown structures classify strategic, commercial, technical and external threats
• Risk workshops identify causes, events, consequences and early warning indicators
• Probability-impact matrices rank risks using defined scoring criteria
• Risk owners assign accountability for monitoring, treatment and escalation
• Risk allocation maps responsibilities between sponsor, contractor, lender and regulator
• Risk registers record controls, residual ratings, contingencies and review dates

Participants can test how uncertainty changes project viability and decision conditions.

• One-way sensitivity analysis varies critical inputs against base-case assumptions
• Two-way sensitivity tables test combined changes in price and volume
• Scenario analysis compares downside, base-case and upside operating conditions
• Break-even analysis calculates minimum volume, price or utilisation requirements
• Tornado charts rank variables by their effect on NPV
• Decision conditions state thresholds requiring redesign, mitigation or rejection

Participants can review a feasibility study for evidence quality, consistency and decision usefulness.

• Review checklists test completeness, traceability, consistency and recommendation logic
• Triangulation compares interview findings, market data, costs and operational evidence
• Assumption challenge sessions identify optimism bias and unsupported assertions
• Red flag review detects missing approvals, unpriced risks and circular calculations
• Independent review scopes define reviewer access, tests and reporting requirements
• Quality assurance logs record comments, responses, changes and outstanding issues

Participants can communicate feasibility findings in a concise, decision-ready format.

• Executive summaries state recommendation, value case, risks and required decisions
• Investment papers distinguish facts, assumptions, analysis and management judgement
• Option comparison tables present costs, benefits, risks and implementation implications
• Visuals communicate cash flows, sensitivities, milestones and decision thresholds
• Board questions anticipated through evidence packs and assumption traceability
• Recommendation wording specifies approval conditions, next actions and accountabilities

Participants can adapt feasibility study methods to different project types and funding contexts.

• Infrastructure studies emphasise demand, lifecycle costs, approvals and public benefits
• Manufacturing proposals test supply inputs, yields, capacity and distribution economics
• Digital projects assess adoption, integration, cybersecurity and recurring subscription costs
• Property developments examine absorption, tenancy, construction phasing and land value
• Healthcare investments assess patient demand, staffing, clinical pathways and regulation
• Donor-funded programmes link feasibility evidence to theory of change and sustainability

Participants can build, review and present a complete feasibility study with a justified investment recommendation.

• Study scope confirms decision question, options, criteria and evidence requirements
• Integrated analysis combines market, technical, operational, financial and risk findings
• Financial model calculates base-case returns, affordability and funding requirements
• Sensitivity results define viability thresholds and required risk treatment actions
• Peer review challenges assumptions, evidence gaps, calculations and recommendation wording
• Decision presentation defends preferred option, conditions and implementation next steps