3.2  The Long List of Options

Use brainstorming involving a wide cross section of Stakeholders to identify a long list of options that could meet the investment's objectives.

Be innovative and radical

Options development framework

Scoping options

•  what (levels of outcomes)

•  why (investment objectives and business needs)

•  where (geographical, functional, services involved)

Technical options

•  how will the solution be delivered (automation?)

Service delivery options

•  who (in house, partnership, outsource, collaborate)

Implementation options

•  when (timing and phasing, big bang versus incremental approach, modular introduction e.g. IT software)

Funding options

•  internal funding, available grants, exchequer, private borrowing. prudential borrowing, PFI)

To reduce the long-list to a short-list consider the following:

•  Do any options fail to deliver either the Critical Success Factors or the investment objectives?

•  Do any options seem unlikely to deliver sufficient benefits?

•  Are any clearly impractical or undeliverable?

•  Are any clearly inferior with lower benefits but higher costs than other possibilities?

•  Do any violate any of the constraints e.g. unaffordable?

•  Are any so similar that one can be dropped?

•  Are any too risky?