NMC helped the Town of Port Hedland develop a business case framework that tests need, impact and feasibility before capital is committed.

• A detailed community needs analysis: defines the problem, who is affected and how, quantifies expected demand, and sets out what happens if the project does not proceed
• An impact assessment: tests what a project changes across the community, economy, environment and organisation
• A standard for detail and quality: clear expectations for how much evidence is required and what a strong submission looks like
• A shift in purpose: the business case moves from a financial and technical exercise to an accountability document

Investment in community infrastructure is a key part of the Town of Port Hedland’s strategy, which meant building a capital project business case framework was essential to ensure decisions were backed by evidence and not opinion.

NMC started by reviewing the previous template for gaps and opportunities for improvement. At the first stage, business cases were prepared in draft form with no validated cost plan or confirmed budget, making it difficult to properly assess financial feasibility. The template itself was free-text, so the depth and quality of each submission varied significantly from project to project. A structured options analysis was also missing, with several major projects progressing without the early feasibility work needed to test affordability and deliverability. Port Hedland engaged NMC to fix this, and build a standardised template that ensures every business case includes what’s needed to make evidence-backed decisions.