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ICTSAD509

Produce
Produce ICT ICT
feasibility
feasibility
reports
reports

student guide

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International College of Australia Pty Ltd T/A Western Sydney College
RTO: 45360 | CRICOS: 03690M
CONTENTS
Overview 3
Topic 1: Client requirements 4
Topic 2: Reviewing alternatives 13
Topic 3: Preparing the feasibility report 24

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International College of Australia Pty Ltd T/A Western Sydney College
RTO: 45360 | CRICOS: 03690M
Overview

Application of the unit


This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to recommend the preferred scenario from a
range of feasible options offered and produce a feasibility report to the client.
It applies to individuals responsible for researching, planning and designing solutions for complex
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) projects.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

Learning goals
Learning goals include:

 confirming client requirements

 examining and reviewing alternatives

 preparing and publishing feasibility reports.

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RTO: 45360 | CRICOS: 03690M
Topic 1: Client requirements

When commencing an information communication and technology (ICT) project, an organisation


may follow a formal framework or methodology. The framework or methodology will often be
outlined or included in the organisation’s policies, procedures or guidelines. It will give direction to
how a project should be conducted and will likely vary from organisation to organisation. However,
the general goal will be the same; to successfully complete the project on time and on budget with
the desired requirements being met.

Client requirements and project scope


The starting point for any ICT project is to identify what the client wants. What is it that the client
wants to achieve with the project? What is the business problem they are wanting to solve and how
can this problem be turned into an opportunity? To do that, the client requirements need to be
confirmed.
Broadly speaking, identifying clients’ requirements is an information gathering process to find out
the requirements of a project. It all starts with a discussion with the right people.

General steps to identify client requirements

 Meet with the client to identify requirements.

 Ask questions and gather information to understand the business’s goals.

 Identify the budget.

 Determine any plans for future expansion.

 Understand the legislative requirements and organisational guidelines, policies and


procedures.

 Clearly define the client’s requirements.

 Identify the stakeholders and the roles they have.

 Identify reliable and quality sources of information.

 Develop an understanding of the existing system.

 Investigate options or alternatives to the existing system.

 Document the client requirements.

 Confirm the client requirements with appropriate people.

During these initial discussions and communications, the client may require further information to
be able to establish their requirements. For example, they will most likely need to know the fees
and charges for support outside of the scope of the project and after completion to determine the
budget.

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The client’s business domain
It is important to have a strong working relationship with a client when undertaking an ICT project.
Establishing a good working business relationship can support in identifying client needs and open
communication channels for liaising with the client during the project.
In order to gather information from the client and analyse their requirements, it is essential to
understand what the organisational environment is like, the stakeholders involved in the project,
what the organisation does and how it is structured.
A client’s business domain can be complex and specifically characterised by the nature of the
business model as well as the culture of the company.

Background Values Culture

Politics Structure

Stakeholders
The organisational stakeholders are the key players in an organisation. There are different
stakeholders within a project. Each will have their own role and degree of involvement. Those that
will be involved in the feasibility report may not be involved in the actual work of the project.
Stakeholders can be senior management through to anyone who will be impacted by the project.
Key stakeholders will usually be the people in authority and the ones directly communicating and
decision making for the project.
Some stakeholders will hold different roles. For example, staff using the software will not have as
much input into the feasibility report as say, the senior management.

Reasons for identifying key stakeholders

 To understand who is responsible for making decisions, approving and communicating with
during the project.

 To have subject matter experts who may be responsible for undertaking sections of the
project.

 To support consultation and communication.

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Defining project scope
Before a feasibility report is even
considered, the project scope needs to be
defined. The project scope defines what is
part of the project and what is not. It can
also be seen as a boundary.
Accurate scope definition will make
conducting the feasibility study and
producing a meaningful feasibility report
easier. It will reduce the chance of
misunderstandings about the goals of the
report.
Image by Kylie Haulk on Unsplash
An important part of defining the scope is conducting research
to have a thorough understanding of the relevant legislation,
industry and organisational standards and guidelines that apply to the task required.

Project scoping process

 Selecting a framework for the management and implementation of a project.

 Determining a pathway from initiation to sign off

 Setting a boundary around what the project is and is not about

 Allowing for project work activities to be properly authorised

 Identifying goals and objectives

 Identifying relevant standards, guidelines and legislative requirements

 Timing

 Budgeting

Project scope includes

 Feasibility  Policy

 Budgets  Resources

 Features  Timings

 Any legal constraints

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Problem context and opportunity
Once client requirements have been gathered, analysing these will involve looking at what the
client has requested and what can actually be achieved. This is where the project scope is
determined and the problem or opportunity realised.
Establishing the business problem is the initial step in determining the context of the business
need. This involves working with the client and relevant stakeholders to establish the problem so
that it can be further defined into a workable solution.
The business problem provides an overview and basis for finding a solution. A business problem
could be:

 The quality of Internet service is poor for customers when conducting online shopping from the
company website.

 The library ICT infrastructure is not coping with the amount of devices connecting to the
network.

 Security threats are a constant issue for our organisation.


These statements can be expanded in the requirements report, proposal for tender, client brief or
client specifications report.
Different problems can create business opportunities that demand different solutions.

Problem Opportunity

The quality of Internet service is poor Create better customer service by


for customers when conducting online upgrading the software/hardware.
shopping from the company website.

The library ICT infrastructure is not Create further access points and install
coping with the amount of devices repeaters to increase performance.
connecting to the network.

Storage capacity is always at a high Implement cloud storage options.


level.

The business problem must have achievable outcomes. Outcomes are the goals that a business
would like to achieve. Objectives ae the criteria to be met in order for the project to achieve
success. Establishing the business problem will include defining the project objectives (these
should be SMART objectives).
Client objectives could be:

 The network needs to have a higher bandwidth to cope with the amount of network traffic.

 The ICT wireless network must cope with further expansion needs

 Secure the network from further vulnerabilities.


The project scope can be documented in a scope statement which is a clearly defined and concise
document written for stakeholders to provide overall direction for a project.

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Activity: Read

Read the information at the following links:


What organisational culture is and why it matters:
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/organizational-culture.
A primer on the 5 most popular organizational culture models:
https://www.tinypulse.com/blog/organizational-culture-models.
Take any notes to summarise what you have read and keep for future reference.

Activity: Read and discuss

Read the information at the following link:


https://totally.tech/quick-guides/how-to-define-the-scope-of-a-project/

 What is scope creep?


The trainer/assessor will facilitate a discussion. Take notes for future reference.

Activity: Group work

Divide into pairs.


Research one organisation.
Identify the following:
 How you perceive their organisational culture based on their web and social
media presence, documentation/experience or what you can glean from their
About page.
 Create a diagram that represents their organisational structure. You may need
to conduct further research, check their Contact page or source the
organisational chart.
 Provide one example of politics within an organisation and how it could affect
working on a project.
 Identify and document four legislative requirements, organisational standards
and guidelines that would be relevant to an ICT project with the organisation.
Submit your responses in a typed document to the trainer/assessor for feedback.
Discuss your findings in a class forum, facilitated by your trainer/assessor.

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RTO: 45360 | CRICOS: 03690M
Document, review and confirm client requirements
The reality is that while you are gathering all of the information
needed to identify the client requirements, you will be
documenting everything. Every organisation will have its own way
of doing this and templates to be used.
However, before anything is submitted to the client to confirm, the
information collected to date needs to be formally documented
and reviewed internally by the appropriate people. Starting with
the problem statement.
Image by Bernd Klutsch on Unsplash

Contents of the problem statement

 Identification of the business requirements of the client

 Background information

 Clarification of the problem

 Scope

 Objectives and outcomes

 Issues/ Problems/ Constraints – including applicable industry standards, guidelines and


legislation

This can form the basis for a client requirements report, which provides confirmation of what will be
delivered. It should also incorporate any problems, issues and further requirements that have been
identified during the information gathering and analysis process.
A client requirements report will come in different formats and have different headings; however, it
can broadly cover:

 background of organisation or business (structure, technology in place)

 problem definition (why are the options being reviewed)

 issues or factors impinging on problem definition (for example, new scope)

 what are the objectives (for example to upgrade old equipment)?

 criteria for achievement of objectives (for example, coping with future demands)

 functional and non-functional requirements

 possible strategies (options or alternatives to be considered)

 constraints:
o budget
o project timelines
o resources available.

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It is important that documentation is:

Formatted in the
organisational Free of jargon
Structured Professionally Visually
style which and written in
clearly and in a written and appealing and
match the clear plain
logical format presented concise
clients’ English
requirements

Documentation is an important aspect of a project lifecycle and may include formal procedures,
processes and templates. It can also include collecting client documentation such as network
maps, ICT infrastructure information, hardware and software assets, etc.
Part of documenting client requirements will include identifying the sources of information gathered.
This makes sure that the appropriate sources have been used to collect the right information.
The client requirements report should then be presented in a professional document to the client
for review, approval and sign-off before the feasibility study is commenced. This provides a formal
agreement that the client requirements have been identified accurately and the scope of the
feasibility study and report established.
Before submitting any reports or documentation to the client, the information gathered, analysed
and documented should be checked to ensure it meets the client’s initial business requirements.
Presenting the information in a logical and professionally structured format can support the
decision-making process. A client’s requirements report may also support any further
documentation and information gathered and analysed.
Review of documentation may be specified by the client or organisational standards. For example,
there may be a standard procedure for reviewing documentation that is distributed for approval for
various stages of the project for sign off. It could include subject matter experts, project managers,
financial managers, directors or business units.
Reviews can include checking for accuracy and completeness, as well as ensuring that the initial
business outcomes and objectives are being met. The project team may be responsible for
ensuring that this has been carried out before a final approval is given by the project manager.
There will be a wide range of documentation created during the project initiation stage. This could
be formal documentation which follows a project life cycle framework, organisational procedure
documentation, project management software documentation, reports, diagrams, mapping,
functional specifications, network maps, and all associated recorded information gathering.
Documentation should also be kept up to date with any changes or deviations from the original
documents made and recorded. This can be done using a standard framework, version control,
notes and comments in code, along with messages, emails or progress reports.

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International College of Australia Pty Ltd T/A Western Sydney College
RTO: 45360 | CRICOS: 03690M
Activity: Group work – Problem statement

Divide into small groups.


Divide the work equally and work as a collaborative team member.
For all project work you must also:
Use collaborative and inclusive techniques during project work, including:

 active listening and questioning

 reading of verbal and non-verbal signals to convey and clarify information and to
confirm understanding

 recognising the diversity in people and managing this diversity to improve


workplace relations and practices
With regard to project tasks, ensure that you:

 accept responsibility for planning and sequencing complex tasks and workload

 negotiate key aspects with others and take into account capabilities, efficiencies
and effectiveness

 take responsibility to monitor progress of plans and schedules

 review and change plans and schedules to meet new demands and priorities

 investigate new and innovative ideas as a means to continuously improve work


practices and processes through consultation, and formal and analytical thinking
Firstly, read the following scenario:
Hinterland Estates is a real estate agency based in Adelaide, selling property in the
hinterland area. There are 4 full time staff who all have their own workstations,
saving their files locally. This has actually led to a number of lost files, duplication
and access problems with shared data. Furthermore, recently there was a break in at
the office and the theft of computers, damaged routers and desks has resulted in
disruption to the business continuity and a significant loss of data.
You have been approached by the Director of Hinterland Estates to come up with a
solution to these problems. He has estimated a budget of $5,500 and a timeframe of
three months. The business would like to explore the possibility of a cloud solution.
Discuss the scenario with your group and list all the information that you know and
what you need to confirm with the client:

 Describe the business domain.

 List the identified client requirements.

 What is the project scope?

 What is the problem context or opportunity?

 What system development methodology would you use to undertake this


project?

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RTO: 45360 | CRICOS: 03690M
 What documentation would you need to support determining the client
requirements?

 What technical information would you need to know?

 What are the required outcomes?

 Are there any immediate problems or issues?


You are required to confirm the requirements identified with the client. Prepare the
information that you have discussed and researched into a clearly structured and
professional report. You will need to confirm the requirements with the client so be
prepared to receive and incorporate feedback.
You can make any reasonable assumptions.
Submit the written report to your client (your trainer/assessor) for confirmation of the
client requirements. Your trainer/assessor will arrange a meeting so that you can go
through the document with them.

Activity: Group work – Meeting

In your group, create a delivery method that could be used to present the report in a
meeting with the client (this will be role-played by your trainer/assessor and be
undertaken as a class activity). The aim of the meeting is to present the
requirements to the client so that they can confirm and approve for the next stage of
the project.
It must be professionally presented and in a clear, easy to follow structure.
The meeting should be equally contributed to by each member of the team.
During the meeting you must demonstrate effective communication skills including:

 Speaking clearly and concisely.

 Using non-verbal communication to assist with understanding.

 Asking questions to identify required information.

 Responding to questions as required.

 Using active listening techniques to confirm understanding.


During the meeting you must implement a strategy for a diverse range of colleagues
and for the client in order to build rapport and foster strong relationships.
The trainer/assessor will ask questions at the end, provide feedback and
substantiate your report if it has been approved.

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RTO: 45360 | CRICOS: 03690M
Topic 2: Reviewing alternatives

The next step in the process, once the client has confirmed the documented requirements and
scope, is to identify the requirements for the new system, which will address the problems as
defined in the initial problem statement.

Future requirements
The information gathered should be analysed to identify the future requirements that will address
all of the business problems.
Future client requirements looks at future expansion plans or needs, trends, coping with future
demands, projections for further resource requirements, changing technology and business
practices and processes.
This will include determining any improvement options, ICT resources, hardware, software and
infrastructure requirements that will be able to cope with future demands. It can support decision
making when it comes to looking at what may be needed in the future and allowing for expansion
and advancement.
Requirements can be classified as:

FUNCTIONAL NON-FUNCTIONAL

Describes what the system is going to do. This Describes how the system will work such as
could be using a database to store records or the speed or performance of the system,
a system that produces financial reports. interface or security.

To analyse functional requirements processes This information can be gathered from the
such as data flow diagrams can be used to system itself and users of the system.
map information flows or data modelling to
determine input, output and processing of data
in the system.

It can also include:

 users of the system

 environment

 geography

 cost constraints

 identified requirements not included in the scope.

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RTO: 45360 | CRICOS: 03690M
Techniques to describe system functions

 Data flow diagrams (DFD)

 Case diagrams

 State-chat diagrams

 Network diagrams/maps

Requirements can range from the straightforward (development of a business intranet) to the most
complex (an e-commerce solution for selling cryptocurrency).

Possible requirements when creating a new website

 To allow online transactions over the  Create a link for About Us, Contact Us
Internet and Products and Services

 Provide a privacy policy for acceptance  Provide customer access to track orders
displayed for the customer
 Allow an option to download privacy policy
 Ability to display products and services
 Ensure all products and services have
with images of each
descriptions with links for an option to buy
 Customer details are captured
 Provide 3 options for payment of goods
 Link sales to the inventory system and services

 Display information windows such as the


returns policy

Any solutions identified should take into consideration what the current requirements are but should
also provide for future developments. ICT projects often face challenges in defining, quantifying
and managing:

 Costs

 Benefits

 Risks.
Some of the main requirements can include looking at:

Business growth Customer expansion Technology advancements

Environmental and
Innovation Job roles, responsibilities, tasks
sustainability issues

Organisational structure Performance, speed and


Privacy and Security issues
changes memory capacity

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Possible considerations for current ICT infrastructure when installing new computers

 What is the current functionality and how  Will the current system cope with the new
can it be improved? changes identified?

 What are the plans for future expansion?  What would be the impacts of future
demands on the current system?
 Will it cope with any future expansion?
 How will security cope with future
 How will it cope with future expansion?
demands?
 Will it cope with additional devices?
 Will employees have enough knowledge
and skills?

The system’s current functionality may need:

 improvement

 upgrades

 replacement

 a combination of all of the above.


An organisation’s current system should have flexibility, scalability and be adaptable to future
requirements.
However, most organisations already have an ICT system in place. This can be referred to as the
legacy which may not be aligned to the objectives and standards of future requirements.

Image by Cookie the Pom on Unsplash

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International College of Australia Pty Ltd T/A Western Sydney College
RTO: 45360 | CRICOS: 03690M
Activity: Group work

Divide into small groups.


The trainer/assessor will provide some time for you to conduct some research and
ask questions on an area of the RTO where there is an ICT infrastructure that you
can investigate.
In your group conduct the research, discuss the questions and write the report.

 List the system’s current functionality. Focus on the hardware and networking
infrastructure.

 Provide a network diagram map to support and illustrate the set up.

 Undertake to find out the performance of the system (this can be testing the
connection or speed).

 List any issues or problems that you come across or seek information from the
RTO to find out any current issues.

 Provide at least two improvement options based on your findings.

 Write up your findings in a report. Include a list of the system’s current


functionality and the improvement options.
It must be professionally presented and in a clear, easy to follow structure.
Submit the report to your trainer/assessor for feedback.

Researching and documenting feasible solutions


Researching feasible solutions will mean looking at alternatives for the client’s requirements
identified that fit within the project scope.
A feasibility study will look at how realistic the proposed solution is in order to meet the aims of the
project. It allows for examining and reviewing alternatives that fulfil factors such as:

 Project objectives

 Budget

 Resources

 Timescales

 Any constraints
The aim is to determine the most feasible option. A feasibility study can be conducted using a
formal framework or step by step process so that the options are investigated with equality.

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RTO: 45360 | CRICOS: 03690M
Feasibility types

 Operational: analysing the behaviour of the proposed system and whether it is easier than
the existing system.

 Technical: if the hardware and software of the existing system can support the proposed
system.

 Economic: determines the total cost for the development of the new system and the
benefits derived from its implementation.

 Schedule: identifies whether there is available time to do the project in the deadlines
provided.

 Legal: identifies the legislation that applies to the business problem and assesses any
contracts or agreements to determine the legal risks in moving forward with the project.

A well-designed study can ensure the success of a project. Benefits include:

 higher success rate for the project

 identifies clear valid reasons to undertake the project

 identification of reasons not to proceed

 aids the decision-making process

 provides focus.
The feasibility study can help identify any constraints such as:

 Internal, such as budget, resources or technology or corporate constraints such as financial or


marketing

 External such as legislation, environment, logistics.


The project feasibility study represents a definition of a business problem, or opportunity to be
studied.

Steps of a feasibility study

 Preliminary analysis  Constraints, risks or problems

 Defining the scope  Alternative solutions

 Conducting research  Recommendations

 Financial cost benefit assessment

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A feasibility study can be written as a report or by using a template, which will have the necessary
points that need addressing. For example, an IT feasibility study could include:

 an executive summary

 background information

 technical capability considerations

 budget

 legal requirements

 risks and Constraints

 operational feasibility

 timing

 recommendations.
Researching and documenting the feasibility of each solution will be largely dependent upon the
methodology, framework, policies and procedures and area of IT being examined.
Examining the possible options for satisfying the client requirements would include listing the
alternatives and clearly outlining the criteria and any identified benchmarks. For example, if you
were looking at replacing the existing router, the criteria may include speed and performance
benchmarks as well as cost and ease of installation.
Documentation may include rationale to support viable options and to reject ones that are non-
viable. The factors should be the same for each option, for example constraints and limitations or
cost and benefits. This will determine the viability of each option.

Image by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

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For example:

Option 1: Comments

Description of Option:

Criteria:

Alignment with Project objectives

Expected improvements

Technical viability

Costs

Cost/Benefit

Legal

Impacts

Potential Risks

Fit to Project Constraints such as timing

Further Analysis required

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Overall Viability

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Activity: Read

Read the information at the following links:


Why a feasibility study is important in project management:
https://www.simplilearn.com/feasibility-study-article
Project feasibility and option analysis template:
https://mymanagementguide.com/project-feasibility-and-option-analysis-template/
Take any notes to summarise what you have read and keep for future reference.

Assessing feasibility of solutions including constraints


After determining some solutions to the business problem that meet the client requirements, each
option needs to be assessed for feasibility. The constraints and risks for each solution need to be
considered.
To examine the alternatives against the project constraints, a project team may be looking at:

The budget or costs involved

Any hardware or software constraints from a legacy system

Legal constraints such as WHS, privacy or security

Policy

Resources

Deadlines or time taken for implementation

Each option should be examined using the same criteria so that the recommendation is based on
equal measure. Mostly an organisation will look at costs versus benefits including:

 How much the project will cost overall

 What will need to be purchased

 The cost of resources

 The cost of downtime

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RTO: 45360 | CRICOS: 03690M
 Costs involved for implementation, maintenance and support

 Training and development

 The overall benefit of the new option

 How it will support future expansion

 If it can be undertaken in the time frame provided

 If the business is able to support the change.

The constraints of a project can present significant risks to the success of a project. It is therefore
important to recognise what these are and evaluate the possible negative and or positive
outcomes. This can include financial, technical or environmental criteria for assessing strengths
and weaknesses of potential options or alternatives.
In relation to IT solutions it may include a SWOT analysis: a study of the Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Threats (SWOT). An understanding of a business’s strengths, weakness,
opportunities and threats assist businesses understand their capabilities, match them to factors
present in the international market to achieve competitive advantage.

Internal Environment

Strengths Weakness
External Environment

Opportunities Threats
SWOT analysis tool

Activity: Watch

SWOT Analysis - What is SWOT? Definition, Examples and How to Do a SWOT


Analysis
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXXHqM6RzZQ (02:23)
The trainer/assessor will facilitate a discussion about the outcomes from the video.

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RTO: 45360 | CRICOS: 03690M
Activity: Group work – Feasible solutions

Divide into small groups.


Divide into small groups. Divide the work equally, contributing as a team member
during discussions, research and documentation activities.
Refer back to the previous scenario and activity:
Hinterland Estates is a real estate agency based in Adelaide, selling property in the
hinterland area. There are 4 full time staff who all have their own workstations,
saving their files locally. This has actually led to a number of lost files, duplication
and access problems with shared data. Furthermore, recently there was a break in at
the office and the theft of computers, damaged routers and desks has resulted in
disruption to the business continuity and a significant loss of data.
You have been approached by the Director of Hinterland Estates to come up with a
solution to these problems. He has estimated a budget of $5,500 and a timeframe of
three months. The business would like to explore the possibility of a cloud solution.
Research, document and assess the feasibility of at least two solutions. It should be
based on client requirements including future expansion demands and cost.
Include any further constraints.
You can make any reasonable assumptions.
Ensure that the documentation is clearly structured, concise and professionally
presented. Submit to your trainer/assessor for feedback.

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International College of Australia Pty Ltd T/A Western Sydney College
RTO: 45360 | CRICOS: 03690M
Topic 3: Preparing the feasibility report

The final stage of producing a feasibility report is to bring all of the research and options together
into a formal document.

Preparing a feasibility report


A feasibility report will normally follow a specific template or framework that the organisation will
use for all projects. However, it is important to have a discussion with the key stakeholders of the
project to determine the components and structure required for the feasibility.

A feasibility report will:

 Outline the client requirements at a high level

 Describe the project scope

 List criteria

 Analyse alternative scenarios

 Propose the most viable solution

 Have a conclusion with recommendations

The report as part of the initiation phase of a project aims to analyse and justify the project in terms
of:

 technical feasibility

 business viability

 cost effectiveness.
It should provide a clearly structured and concise overview and analysis of whether or not the
project should go ahead and if so, which option would be the most viable.
The feasibility report provides formal documentation that summarises the results of analysis
undertaken and evaluations made to review the proposed solution and investigate the project
alternatives, for the purpose of determining if the project is actually feasible, cost effective and
beneficial or profitable in the long term.
In some cases, the feasibility report template is used by managers as a guideline to conduct the
study, providing the necessary guidance and structure required by organisational guidelines or
policy.
If a manager has been documenting the process from the beginning then this can also be used to
support writing the feasibility study.

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International College of Australia Pty Ltd T/A Western Sydney College
RTO: 45360 | CRICOS: 03690M
It may include:

 interviews with clients

 templates used for client requirements

 minutes of meetings

 scheduling

 costings

 network maps, infrastructure documentation, hardware/software assets

 any constraints, problems or issues arising over the course of the study

 data such as human resource, financial, WHS records

 legislation or regulation documentation.

Presenting feasibility report for approval


In the first instance, the feasibility report will be written as a draft in the agreed structure and format
in line with company policies and procedures. It will go through a process of being documented,
reviewed and approved until it can be presented to the appropriate person for approval. For
example, it could be the project manager, area manager, director and also include approvals from
finance, marketing and team member managers.
Furthermore, it may require different stages of approval, until it is finally submitted to the client so
that they can make an informed decision as to whether to go ahead to the next stage of the project.
At this stage the project team may also make recommendations for the preferred scenario before
presenting to the client. Throughout the stages of approval feedback should be sort and any
feedback provided should be incorporated into the report.
Once the feasibility study is with the client, they will either confirm that what has been presented to
them is accurate and meets their requirements as well as agreeing to the preferred option, or the
feasibility may show that it is not viable to go ahead with any of the options. In which case the
client may request another feasibility study to be conducted with different criteria or objectives, or
cancel the project.
It is important to present the feasibility report to the appropriate authorising representatives for
approval or rejection. Without approval the project cannot proceed. If for some reason it did, then
issues could arise such as:

 The client is not happy with the final product because of changes that should have been
incorporated.

 There is a lack of client understanding for decisions made.

 The scope has changed and the client is not satisfied.

 The client has not provided the necessary feedback to ensure the project is on target for
successful completion to meet their requirements.

 The project is non-compliant because approvals were not made at the appropriate and
relevant milestones of the project.

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International College of Australia Pty Ltd T/A Western Sydney College
RTO: 45360 | CRICOS: 03690M
Most importantly the project could fail if the client has not provided feedback and they may be in
their rights to refuse payments at the completion of the project.

Reasons to seek client approval

 The client can verify that they are happy to go ahead to the next stage.

 The client can confirm they have read and understood what has been presented to them.

 Feedback can be given.

 Any changes that need to be made can be identified and communicated.

 The information presented is accurate and complete.

 Payments can be initiated.

The documentation for approval can be:

 presented to the client in a meeting with Q&A and to brainstorm any issues.

 distributed to be read and reviewed before meeting to discuss any changes or to provide
approval.

 sent via email for approval.

Documentation requirements

 Professionally presented  Communicated in the right format

 Clearly structured and concise  Free of jargon

 Formatted to meet organisational  Written in plain English without spelling or


standards grammatical errors

Activity: Group work – Prepare feasibility report

Divide into small groups.


Divide into small groups. Divide the work equally, contributing as a team member
during discussions, research and documentation activities.
Refer back to the previous scenario and activity:
Hinterland Estates is a real estate agency based in Adelaide, selling property in the
hinterland area. There are 4 full time staff who all have their own workstations,
saving their files locally. This has actually led to a number of lost files, duplication
and access problems with shared data. Furthermore, recently there was a break in at

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International College of Australia Pty Ltd T/A Western Sydney College
RTO: 45360 | CRICOS: 03690M
the office and the theft of computers, damaged routers and desks has resulted in
disruption to the business continuity and a significant loss of data.
You have been approached by the Director of Hinterland Estates to come up with a
solution to these problems. He has estimated a budget of $5,500 and a timeframe of
three months. The business would like to explore the possibility of a cloud solution.
Prepare a feasibility report, based on the information that you have been given and
researched. Ensure that you include:

 The client requirements

 Project scope

 Analysis of alternative scenarios

 A recommended scenario

 Any identified constraints

 Spreadsheet that can be used to identify, analyse and evaluate the budget, time
durations for the project and human resource allocation.
You can make any reasonable assumptions.
The report should be clearly structured, concise and professionally presented. It will
be presented via email to the client (the trainer/assessor) for feedback and approval
so include appropriate information in the email to introduce and summarise the
attached report when you submit it to your trainer/assessor.

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International College of Australia Pty Ltd T/A Western Sydney College
RTO: 45360 | CRICOS: 03690M

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