Feasibility Studies Training Course

Participants can prepare a study plan and terms of reference matched to the proposed decision.

• Terms of reference specifying objectives, deliverables, methods and acceptance criteria
• Stakeholder mapping using power-interest grids and engagement priorities
• Evidence plan linking questions, sources, methods and responsible contributors
• Sequencing technical, market, financial and legal workstreams within study schedules
• Assumption logs recording source, owner, rationale and validation status
• Data quality criteria covering relevance, reliability, timeliness and traceability

Participants can assess whether a project aligns with strategy, policy and external conditions.

• Strategic alignment tested against organisational goals, policies and investment priorities
• PESTLE analysis identifying political, economic, social, technological, legal factors
• Porter's Five Forces assessing industry attractiveness and competitive pressure
• SWOT analysis separating internal capabilities from external conditions
• Policy and regulatory commitments translated into project design requirements
• Problem trees tracing root causes, effects and intervention points

Participants can define a project concept based on verified stakeholder needs and service requirements.

• Stakeholder interviews structured around needs, constraints and acceptance criteria
• User personas describing priority groups, behaviours and service expectations
• Translating needs into functional requirements and measurable service levels
• Scope statements defining outputs, boundaries, interfaces and exclusions
• Logic models linking inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and assumptions
• Baseline conditions documented before estimating project benefits and change

Participants can design proportionate market research that tests demand and customer willingness to pay.

• Research questions focused on demand, pricing, preferences and buying behaviour
• Primary research methods: interviews, surveys, focus groups and observation
• Secondary data sources assessed for coverage, currency and credibility
• Sampling frames, sample sizes and respondent selection choices explained
• Questionnaire design avoiding leading questions, ambiguity and response bias
• Research ethics covering consent, confidentiality and responsible data handling

Participants can estimate addressable demand and assess the competitive position of a proposed offering.

• Market segmentation by customer type, location, need and purchasing behaviour
• TAM, SAM and SOM estimates built from credible demand data
• Competitor mapping comparing offers, prices, channels, capacity and differentiation
• Demand forecasting using trend extrapolation, ratios and adoption assumptions
• Price sensitivity assessed through customer evidence and competitor benchmarks
• Market entry barriers identified from regulation, switching costs and access

Participants can generate credible alternatives and screen them against agreed feasibility criteria.

• Do-nothing and do-minimum options established as appraisal baselines
• Generating delivery alternatives for scale, technology, location and ownership
• Longlisting options before removing clearly unsuitable propositions
• Weighted decision matrices comparing options against transparent criteria
• Must-have constraints distinguished from preferences and desirable attributes
• Shortlist rationale documented with evidence, scoring logic and limitations

Participants can assess whether technical solutions can meet required outputs, quality and capacity.

• Technical requirements derived from outputs, standards, volumes and service levels
• Capacity calculations matching demand forecasts with equipment and staffing
• Process flow diagrams mapping inputs, activities, controls and outputs
• Technology assessment covering maturity, compatibility, maintenance and supplier support
• Quality specifications defined through tolerances, testing and acceptance criteria
• Technical due diligence questions identifying dependencies and design uncertainties

Participants can evaluate sites, infrastructure and resource inputs required for project operation.

• Site selection criteria covering access, utilities, land, security and expansion
• Location scoring models comparing candidate sites against weighted requirements
• Infrastructure assessments covering power, water, transport, communications and waste
• Resource availability checked for materials, suppliers, skills and maintenance support
• Utilities demand estimated from process loads and operating schedules
• Site constraints documented through inspections, maps and stakeholder evidence

Participants can determine whether the operating model, people and controls can sustain the project.

• Operating model defining services, processes, roles and decision rights
• SIPOC diagrams clarifying suppliers, inputs, process steps, outputs and customers
• Workforce plans estimating headcount, competencies, shifts and recruitment timing
• Operating procedures identified for safety, quality, maintenance and customer service
• Organisational readiness assessed through capabilities, culture and management capacity
• Make-buy analysis comparing internal delivery, outsourcing and partnership arrangements

Participants can identify approvals, compliance obligations and procurement constraints affecting project viability.

• Legal register listing permits, licences, contracts and statutory obligations
• Regulatory pathway mapped from application requirements to approval milestones
• Environmental and social approval requirements identified before final option selection
• Procurement strategy matched to market capacity, risk allocation and timetable
• Contracting options compared for price certainty, control and supplier incentives
• Compliance costs and approval delays included within feasibility assumptions

Participants can develop traceable capital cost estimates for the preferred project option.

• Work breakdown structures organising capital costs by deliverable and component
• Bottom-up estimates built from quantities, unit rates and supplier quotations
• Analogous estimating calibrated using relevant completed project cost data
• Parametric estimates applying cost drivers, ratios and stated benchmarks
• Contingency allowances linked to estimate maturity and identified uncertainty
• Capital cost bases recording prices, currencies, taxes and escalation assumptions

Participants can model operating costs, revenue streams and working capital requirements.

• Operating cost categories separating fixed, variable, direct and indirect costs
• Unit cost models connecting activity volumes with labour and material inputs
• Revenue models specifying pricing, volumes, collection rates and timing
• Working capital estimates covering inventory, receivables, payables and cash
• Depreciation schedules distinguished from cash expenses in financial models
• Cost escalation assumptions linked to inflation, contracts and market evidence

Participants can assess financial viability using discounted cash flow and return measures.

• Cash flow forecasts separating investment, operating, financing and terminal flows
• Discount rates selected using funding costs, risk and appraisal guidance
• Net present value calculated from annual discounted project cash flows
• Internal rate of return interpreted alongside NPV and reinvestment assumptions
• Payback period and discounted payback showing capital recovery timing
• Break-even analysis identifying required volume, price or contribution margin

Participants can assess funding sources, financing terms and affordability over the project life.

• Funding sources compared: equity, debt, grants, tariffs and budget allocations
• Financing terms analysed for interest, repayment, security and covenants
• Debt service schedules incorporated into annual project cash flow
• Affordability tests comparing required funding with available budget envelopes
• Public-private partnership structures assessed for roles, payments and risk allocation
• Funding conditions translated into milestones, reporting duties and restrictions

Participants can assess wider project effects beyond direct financial returns.

• Economic cost-benefit analysis distinguishing financial prices from economic values
• Shadow pricing applied where market prices fail to reflect scarcity
• Social benefits identified through access, inclusion, health and employment effects
• Environmental impacts screened for emissions, resource use, pollution and biodiversity
• Distributional analysis identifying who receives benefits and bears costs
• Mitigation measures costed for adverse social and environmental impacts

Participants can test how uncertainty affects feasibility and define proportionate risk responses.

• Risk registers recording cause, event, consequence, owner and treatment
• Probability-impact matrices prioritising threats and opportunities for management action
• Sensitivity analysis testing changes to price, volume, cost and timing
• Scenario analysis modelling base, downside and upside project cases
• Monte Carlo simulation concepts for variables with uncertain probability distributions
• Risk-adjusted recommendations stating residual exposure and decision implications

Participants can convert a preferred option into an implementable plan and quality-assure the study.

• Implementation roadmaps sequencing approvals, procurement, construction, mobilisation and handover
• Milestone plans showing dependencies, critical decisions and accountable owners
• Benefits realisation plans defining measures, baselines, targets and review dates
• Quality review checklists testing evidence, calculations, assumptions and consistency
• Independent review questions challenging optimism bias, omissions and unsupported claims
• Recommendation statements linking findings, conditions, actions and approval requests

Participants can build, review and present a complete feasibility study for an approval decision.

• Executive summary presenting decision, recommendation, value case and critical conditions
• Study structure integrating market, technical, operational, legal and financial findings
• Evidence trail linking source data, assumptions, calculations and conclusions
• Financial model outputs reconciled with costs, revenues, funding and risks
• Approval presentation answering challenge questions from decision-makers and reviewers
• Final feasibility pack revised against peer review and quality criteria