Sydney Metro - the start of Australia's longest railway tunnel at Bella Vista

NSW Business Case Policy and Guidelines

Other pages in this section

    The NSW Submission of Business Cases Policy and Guidelines (TPG22-04) and the NSW Government Business Case Guidelines (TPP18-06), are part of the investment framework suite of Treasury Policy and Guidelines, supporting evidence-based policy and budget setting in New South Wales.

    Who are they for?

    NSW Submission of Business Cases (TPG22-04) and the NSW Government Business Case Guidelines (TPP18-06) set out mandatory requirements, recommendations and guidance for NSW General Government Sector agencies and other government entities developing investment proposals.

    The objective of developing a robust business case is to ensure resource allocation decisions are well timed, offer value for money, consider and mitigate risks and are consistent with Government priorities and objectives. 

    NSW Submission of Business Cases (TPG22-04)

    NSW Submission of Business Cases (TPG22-04) sets out mandatory evidence requirements for submission of business cases based on Estimated Total Cost (ETC) thresholds for different project types (capital, recurrent and ICT).  

    TPG22-04 will supersede TC12-19 Submission of Business Case, effective commencing the 2024-25 Budget to be delivered on 18 June 2024. TPG22-04 is published as of February 2023 to allow agencies sufficient time to meet new requirements for the 2024-25 Budget.

    NSW Business Case Guidelines (TPP18-06)

    The NSW Government Business Case Guidelines (TPP18-06) establish a best practice, clear and consistent approach to preparing business cases.

    The NSW Government Business Case Guidelines: 

    • apply to all investment proposals including capital, recurrent and information and communication technology (ICT), as well as policy proposals that impact resource use in the community (e.g., changes to regulations)
    • improve the standard, transparency and robustness of investment, policy and regulatory proposals to better inform decision making (e.g., evidence based Cost Benefit Analysis)
    • are scalable, so that the level of effort expended on developing a business case is appropriate for the size, complexity and risk of the proposed intervention 
    • support outcome-based regulation, budgeting and reporting 
    • link the proposed intervention with outcomes, including strategic Government priorities (i.e., State outcomes)
    • consolidate relevant referencing sources for all types of business cases in one document. 
       

    Resources

    Treasury circulars, policy papers and other resources:

    Long form Business Case Templates:

    Short form business case template:

    Tools:

     

    Other investment related policies

    Policies

    Purpose

    Protected Items and Funds (TC12-10)

    To outline arrangements for ‘protected items’ whereby any expenditure savings are not generally available to be reallocated to other priorities within the cluster.

    Budget Controls: Capital Expenditure Authorisation Limit (TC12-20)

    To ensure that the capital expenditure program for each agency within a cluster is managed within the approved capital expenditure authorisation limits for that agency.

    Parameter and Technical Adjustments and Measures  (TC14-28)

    To outline agency requirements and provide a distinction between Parameter and Technical Adjustments and Measures (New Policy). This circular applies to all general government agencies.

    Management of Contingency Provisions for Major Projects (TC14-29)

    To cover the cost of unplanned activities or risks that are necessary to deliver project outcomes and require additional funds; to better plan and manage risks and reuse surplus contingency for investment in other areas.

    Budget Controls: Agency Carry Forwards (TC15-08)

    To clarify the rules to apply for carry forwards

    Risk Management Tool kit for NSW Public Sector Agencies (TPP12-03a)

    Assist agencies to interpret ISO 31000 and support the ongoing development of a risk management framework that suits agencies’ specific organisational needs and comply with TPP 15-03.

    Risk Management Tool kit for NSW Public Sector Agencies (TPP12-03b)

    Assist agencies to interpret ISO 31000 and support the ongoing development of a risk management framework that suits agencies’ specific organisational needs and comply with TPP 15-03.

    Risk Management Tool kit for NSW Public Sector Agencies (TPP12-03c)

    Assist agencies to interpret ISO 31000 and support the ongoing development of a risk management framework that suits agencies’ specific organisational needs and comply with TPP 15-03.

    Total Asset Management (TAM) Submission requirements (TC13-08)

    To support long term planning and effective investment allocation for capital decisions.

    NSW Government Commissioning and Contestability Policy (TPP16-05)

    To create a clear and consistent policy direction, definition and set of principles to guide NSW Government agencies in commissioning and contesting services that are customer centric and identify best practice in service delivery. 

    Commissioning & Contestability Practice Guide

    To support the Commissioning and Contestability Policy and help practitioners apply commissioning and contestability under the Policy Framework. 

    NSW Gateway Policy (TPG22-12)

    To support Government in delivering value for money to NSW taxpayers in respect of major Government investment decisions, from inception through to funding, delivery and benefit realisation.

    Recurrent Expenditure Assurance Framework (TPP19-03)

    Operated by the Gateway Coordination Agency to assess the risks associated with a project or program of a particular nature in order to determine the application of Gateway. It defines the roles and responsibilities to deliver Gateway aligned with the Gateway review process.

    Public Private Partnerships Policy (TPG22-21)

    Ensure PPPs are procured in a professional and transparent manner, minimising tender costs and providing fair opportunity to all prospective private sector participants.

    Contact us

    For assistance and further information on NSW Government Business Case Guidelines, contact Treasury’s Centre for Evidence and Evaluation team: [email protected]

    Last updated: 01/05/2024