tractorjuice/arckit-sobc

You are helping an enterprise architect create a Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) to justify investment in a technology project.

About SOBC

A Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) is the first stage in the UK Government business case lifecycle:

• SOBC: Strategic Outline (this command) - High-level case for change, done BEFORE detailed requirements
• OBC: Outline Business Case - After some design work, with refined costs
• FBC: Full Business Case - Detailed case with accurate costs, ready for final approval

This command creates the SOBC - the strategic case to secure approval to proceed with requirements and design.

User Input

$ARGUMENTS

Instructions

Note: Before generating, scan projects/ for existing project directories. For each project, list all ARC-*.md artifacts, check external/ for reference documents, and check 000-global/ for cross-project policies. If no external docs exist but they would improve output, ask the user.

This command creates a Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) following HM Treasury Green Book 5-case model. This is a high-level justification done BEFORE detailed requirements to secure approval and funding.

When to use this:

• After: $arckit-stakeholders (MANDATORY - SOBC must link to stakeholder goals)
• Before: $arckit-requirements (SOBC justifies whether to proceed with detailed requirements)
• Purpose: Secure executive approval and funding to proceed to next stage

Note: Later stages will create OBC (Outline Business Case) and FBC (Full Business Case) with more accurate costs. This SOBC uses strategic estimates and options analysis.

1. Read existing artifacts from the project context:

   MANDATORY (warn if missing):

   • STKE (Stakeholder Analysis) in projects/{project}/
     • Extract: ALL stakeholder goals (become benefits), drivers (explain WHY needed), conflicts (become risks/mitigations), outcomes (become success criteria)
     • If missing: STOP and warn user to run $arckit-stakeholders first — every SOBC benefit MUST trace to a stakeholder goal

   RECOMMENDED (read if available, note if missing):

   • PRIN (Architecture Principles, in projects/000-global/)
     • Extract: Strategic alignment, technology standards, compliance requirements
   • RISK (Risk Register) in projects/{project}/
     • Extract: Risks for Management Case, risk appetite, mitigations

   OPTIONAL (read if available, skip silently if missing):

   • REQ (Requirements) in projects/{project}/
     • Extract: Detailed requirements for more accurate cost estimates
   • PLAN (Project Plan) in projects/{project}/
     • Extract: Timeline, phasing for Commercial Case delivery schedule
   • TNDR (Procurement Market Intelligence) at projects/{project}/research/ARC-{P}-TNDR-*.md
     • If found: extract the median award value and award count as a market-context benchmark for the Economic Case options analysis — e.g. to sanity-check an option's Rough Order of Magnitude cost against what comparable work has been awarded for in the market
     • Critical: awarded value is NOT actual spend and must NOT be used as the costed figure; cite it as market context and market view only, with that caveat stated explicitly whenever the figure appears
     • If no TNDR artefact exists, skip silently

2. Understand the request: The user may be:

   • Creating initial SOBC (most common)
   • Updating existing SOBC with new information
   • Creating UK Government Green Book 5-case model (automatic for UK projects)
   • Evaluating multiple strategic options

3. Read external documents and policies:

   • Read any external documents listed in the project context (external/ files) — extract budget allocations, cost forecasts, financial constraints, existing spend data, benefit projections
   • Read any global policies listed in the project context (000-global/policies/) — extract spending thresholds, approval gates, Green Book discount rates, procurement rules
   • Read any enterprise standards in projects/000-global/external/ — extract enterprise investment frameworks, strategic business plans, cross-project portfolio investment context
   • If no external docs exist but they would improve the business case, ask: "Do you have any budget documents, financial forecasts, or market research? I can read PDFs directly. Place them in projects/{project-dir}/external/ and re-run, or skip."
   • Citation traceability: When referencing content from external documents, follow the citation instructions in .arckit/references/citation-instructions.md. Place inline citation markers (e.g., [PP-C1]) next to findings informed by source documents and populate the "External References" section in the template.

4. Determine project context:

   • If user mentions "UK Government", "public sector", "department", "ministry" → Use full Green Book format
   • Otherwise → Use Green Book structure but adapt language for private sector
   • Check stakeholder analysis for government-specific stakeholders (Minister, Permanent Secretary, Treasury, NAO)

5. Read stakeholder analysis carefully:

   • Extract ALL stakeholder goals (these become benefits!)
   • Extract stakeholder drivers (these explain WHY project needed)
   • Extract conflicts (these become risks/mitigations)
   • Extract outcomes (these become success criteria)
   • Note: EVERY benefit in SOBC MUST trace to a stakeholder goal

6. Interactive Configuration:

   Before generating the SOBC, ask the user for appraisal preferences. Skip any question the user has already answered in their arguments.

   Gathering rules (apply to all questions in this section):

   • Ask the most important question first; fill in secondary details from context or reasonable defaults.
   • Maximum 2 rounds of questions. After that, pick the best option from available context.
   • If still ambiguous after 2 rounds, choose the (Recommended) option and note: "I went with [X] — easy to adjust if you prefer [Y]."

   Question 1 — header: Options, multiSelect: false

   "How many strategic options should be evaluated in the Economic Case?"

   • 4 options (Recommended): Do Nothing + Minimal + Balanced + Comprehensive — standard Green Book options appraisal
   • 3 options: Do Nothing + two alternatives — suitable for straightforward investment decisions
   • 5 options: Do Nothing + four alternatives — for complex programmes with multiple viable approaches

   Question 2 — header: Appraisal, multiSelect: false

   "What level of economic appraisal should be applied?"

   • Strategic estimates (Recommended): Rough Order of Magnitude costs and qualitative benefits — appropriate for SOBC stage
   • Semi-quantitative: ROM costs with quantified key benefits and basic NPV — when some financial data is available
   • Full quantitative: Detailed costs, quantified benefits, NPV, BCR, sensitivity analysis — typically for OBC/FBC stage, but may be required for large investments

   Apply the user's selections: the option count determines how many alternatives are analyzed in Part B (Economic Case). The appraisal depth determines the level of financial detail, whether NPV/BCR calculations are included, and whether sensitivity analysis is performed.

7. Generate comprehensive SOBC:

   Read the template (with user override support):

   • First, check if .arckit/templates-custom/sobc-template.md exists in the project root
   • If found: Read the user's customized template (user override takes precedence)
   • If not found: Read .arckit/templates/sobc-template.md (default)

   Tip: Users can customize templates with $arckit-customize sobc

   Five Cases (HM Treasury Green Book Model):

   A. Strategic Case:

   • Problem Statement: What's broken? (from stakeholder pain points)
   • Strategic Fit: How does this align with organizational strategy?
   • Stakeholder Drivers: Map to stakeholder analysis
     • Link EACH driver to strategic imperative
     • Show intensity (CRITICAL/HIGH/MEDIUM)
   • Scope: What's in/out of scope (high-level)
   • Dependencies: What else must happen?
   • Why Now?: Urgency and opportunity cost

   B. Economic Case:

   • Options Analysis (CRITICAL):
     • Option 0: Do Nothing (baseline)
     • Option 1: Minimal viable solution
     • Option 2: Balanced approach (often recommended)
     • Option 3: Comprehensive solution
     • For EACH option:
       • High-level costs (rough order of magnitude)
       • Benefits delivered (% of stakeholder goals met)
       • Risks
       • Pros/cons
   • Benefits Mapping:
     • Link EACH benefit to specific stakeholder goal from ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STKE-v*.md
     • Quantify where possible (use stakeholder outcomes for metrics)
     • Categorize: FINANCIAL | OPERATIONAL | STRATEGIC | COMPLIANCE | RISK
   • Cost Estimates (high-level):
     • Capital costs (build)
     • Operational costs (run)
     • 3-year TCO estimate
   • Economic Appraisal:
     • Qualitative assessment (this is strategic, not detailed)
     • Expected ROI range
     • Payback period estimate
   • Recommended Option: Which option and why

   C. Commercial Case:

   • Procurement Strategy:
     • UK Government: Digital Marketplace route (G-Cloud, DOS, Crown Hosting)
     • Private Sector: Build vs Buy vs Partner
   • Market Assessment:
     • Supplier availability
     • SME opportunities (UK Gov requirement)
     • Competition considerations
   • Sourcing Route: How will we acquire this?
   • Contract Approach: Framework, bespoke, managed service?

   D. Financial Case:

   • Budget Requirement: How much needed?
   • Funding Source: Where does money come from?
   • Approval Thresholds: Who must approve?
     • UK Gov: HMT approval needed above £X?
     • Private: Board approval needed?
   • Affordability: Can organization afford this?
   • Cash Flow: When do we need money?
   • Budget Constraints: Any spending controls?

   E. Management Case:

   • Governance:
     • Who owns this? (from stakeholder RACI matrix)
     • Steering committee membership
     • Decision authorities
   • Project Approach: Agile? Waterfall? Phased?
   • Key Milestones:
     • Approval gates
     • Major deliverables
     • Go-live target
   • Resource Requirements:
     • Team size (estimate)
     • Skills needed
     • External support
   • Change Management:
     • Stakeholder engagement plan (from stakeholder analysis)
     • Training needs
     • Resistance mitigation (from stakeholder conflict analysis)
   • Benefits Realization:
     • How will we measure success? (use stakeholder outcomes)
     • Who monitors benefits?
     • When do we expect to see benefits?
   • Risk Management:
     • Top 5-10 strategic risks
     • Mitigation strategies
     • Risk owners (from stakeholder RACI)

8. Ensure complete traceability:

   Every element must link back to stakeholder analysis:

   Stakeholder Driver D-1 (CFO: Reduce costs - FINANCIAL, HIGH)
     → Strategic Case: Cost pressure driving change
       → Economic Case: Benefit B-1: £2M annual savings (maps to CFO Goal G-1)
         → Financial Case: 18-month payback acceptable to CFO
           → Management Case: CFO sits on steering committee (RACI: Accountable)
             → Success Criterion: CFO Outcome O-1 measured monthly
   

9. Include decision framework:

   • Recommendation: Which option to proceed with?
   • Rationale: Why this option? (reference stakeholder goals met)
   • Go/No-Go Criteria: Under what conditions do we proceed?
   • Next Steps: If approved, what happens next?
     • Typically: $arckit-requirements to define detailed requirements
     • Then: $arckit-business-case-detailed with accurate costs

CRITICAL - Auto-Populate Document Control Fields:

Before completing the document, populate ALL document control fields in the header:

Step 0: Detect Version

Before generating the document ID, check if a previous version exists:

1. Look for existing ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-SOBC-v*.md files in the project directory
2. If no existing file: Use VERSION="1.0"
3. If existing file found:
   • Read the existing document to understand its scope
   • Compare against current inputs and requirements
   • Minor increment (e.g., 1.0 → 1.1): Scope unchanged — refreshed estimates, updated stakeholder data, corrected details
   • Major increment (e.g., 1.0 → 2.0): Scope materially changed — new options added, fundamentally different recommendations, significant new stakeholder goals
4. Use the determined version for document ID, filename, Document Control, and Revision History
5. For v1.1+/v2.0+: Add a Revision History entry describing what changed from the previous version

Step 1: Construct Document ID

• Document ID: ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-SOBC-v{VERSION} (e.g., ARC-001-SOBC-v1.0)

Step 2: Populate Required Fields

Auto-populated fields (populate these automatically):

• [PROJECT_ID] → Extract from project path (e.g., "001" from "projects/001-project-name")
• [VERSION] → Determined version from Step 0
• [DATE] / [YYYY-MM-DD] → Current date in YYYY-MM-DD format
• [DOCUMENT_TYPE_NAME] → "Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC)"
• [CLASSIFICATION] → Default to ${user_config.default_classification}; if unavailable, use "OFFICIAL" for UK Gov, "INTERNAL" for private sector
• [STATUS] → "DRAFT" for new documents

User-specified fields (must be confirmed with user):

• [OWNER] → Who owns this business case? (typically from stakeholder RACI matrix)
• [REVIEWED_BY] → Who will review? (mark as "PENDING" if not yet reviewed)
• [APPROVED_BY] → Who must approve? (mark as "PENDING" if not yet approved)

10. Write the output:

• Create or update projects/NNN-project-name/ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-SOBC-v${VERSION}.md
• Use project directory structure (create if doesn't exist)
• File name pattern: ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-SOBC-v{VERSION}.md
• Later stages will be: ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-OBC-v*.md (Outline Business Case), ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-FBC-v*.md (Full Business Case)

11. Use appropriate language:

• UK Government: Use Green Book terminology (intervention, public value, social benefit, spending controls)
• Private Sector: Adapt to commercial language (investment, shareholder value, competitive advantage)
• Always: Link to stakeholder analysis for credibility

12. Flag uncertainties:
    • Mark estimates as "Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM)"
    • Flag where more analysis needed
    • Note dependencies on external factors
    • Recommend sensitivity analysis for key assumptions

Output Format

Provide:

1. Location: projects/NNN-project-name/ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-SOBC-v1.0.md
2. Summary:
   • "Created Strategic Outline Business Case (SOBC) for [project name]"
   • "Analyzed [X] options against [Y] stakeholder goals"
   • "Recommended: Option [X] - [name]"
   • "Estimated investment: £[X]M over 3 years"
   • "Expected benefits: £[X]M over 3 years from [stakeholder goals]"
   • "Payback period: [X] months"
   • "Business case lifecycle stage: SOBC (strategic outline)"
3. Next steps:
   • "Present to [approval body] for go/no-go decision"
   • "If approved: Run $arckit-requirements to define detailed requirements"
   • "After requirements: Create OBC (Outline Business Case) with refined costs"
   • "After design: Create FBC (Full Business Case) for final approval"
4. Traceability note:
   • "All [X] benefits traced to stakeholder goals in ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STKE-v*.md"
   • "All [Y] risks linked to stakeholder conflict analysis"

Common Patterns

Pattern 1: Technology Modernization:

• Strategic Case: Legacy systems failing, stakeholder frustration high
• Economic Case: 3-5 options from do-nothing to complete rebuild
• Commercial Case: Cloud migration, Digital Marketplace G-Cloud
• Financial Case: £2-5M over 3 years, CFO approval needed
• Management Case: Phased migration, minimal disruption

Pattern 2: New Digital Service:

• Strategic Case: Citizen/customer demand, competitive pressure
• Economic Case: MVP vs full-featured comparison
• Commercial Case: Build in-house vs platform vendor
• Financial Case: £500K-2M year 1, ongoing £200K/year
• Management Case: Agile delivery, beta to live

Pattern 3: Compliance/Risk Driven:

• Strategic Case: Regulatory requirement, audit findings
• Economic Case: Minimum compliance vs best practice
• Commercial Case: Specialist vendors, certification needed
• Financial Case: Non-negotiable spend, insurance cost reduction
• Management Case: Deadline-driven, stakeholder compliance team owns

UK Government Specific Guidance

Key HM Treasury references: The Green Book provides the 5-case model, the Magenta Book provides evaluation design guidance (theory of change, proportionality, impact evaluation), and the Sourcing Playbook covers should-cost modelling and market assessment. See docs/guides/codes-of-practice.md for the full Rainbow of Books mapping.

For UK Government/public sector projects, ensure:

1. Strategic Case includes:

   • Policy alignment (manifesto commitments, departmental objectives)
   • Public value (not just efficiency, but citizen outcomes)
   • Minister/Permanent Secretary drivers
   • Parliamentary accountability

2. Economic Case includes:

   • Social Cost Benefit Analysis (if required)
   • Green Book discount rates (3.5% standard)
   • Optimism bias adjustment (add contingency)
   • Wider economic benefits

3. Commercial Case includes:

   • Digital Marketplace assessment (G-Cloud, DOS)
   • SME participation commitment
   • Social value (minimum 10% weighting)
   • Open source consideration

4. Financial Case includes:

   • HM Treasury approval thresholds
   • Spending Review settlement alignment
   • Value for money assessment
   • Whole-life costs

5. Management Case includes:

   • Service Standard assessment plan
   • GDS/CDDO engagement
   • Cyber security (NCSC consultation)
   • Accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA compliance)
   • Data protection (ICO/DPIA requirements)

Error Handling

If stakeholder analysis doesn't exist:

• DO NOT proceed with SOBC
• Tell user: "SOBC requires stakeholder analysis to link benefits to stakeholder goals. Please run $arckit-stakeholders first."

If user wants detailed business case:

• Tell user: "This command creates SOBC (Strategic Outline Business Case) - the first stage with high-level estimates. After $arckit-requirements, create OBC (Outline Business Case) with refined costs. After design, create FBC (Full Business Case) for final approval."

If project seems too small for full 5-case:

• Still use 5-case structure but scale appropriately
• Smaller projects: 2-3 pages per case
• Major programmes: 10-20 pages per case

Template Reference

Use the template at .arckit/templates/sobc-template.md as the structure. Fill in with:

• Stakeholder analysis data (goals, drivers, outcomes, conflicts)
• Architecture principles (strategic alignment)
• User's project description
• Industry/sector best practices
• UK Government guidance (if applicable)

Output Instructions

CRITICAL - Token Efficiency:

To avoid exceeding Codex output limits, you MUST use the following strategy:

1. Generate SOBC Document

Create the comprehensive, executive-ready Strategic Outline Business Case following the 5-case model template structure.

Before writing the file, read .arckit/references/quality-checklist.md and verify all Common Checks plus the SOBC per-type checks pass. Fix any failures before proceeding.

2. Write Directly to File

Use the Write tool to create projects/[PROJECT]/ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-SOBC-v${VERSION}.md with the complete SOBC document.

DO NOT output the full document in your response. This would exceed token limits.

3. Show Summary Only

After writing the file, show ONLY a concise summary:

## SOBC Complete ✅

**Project**: [Project Name]
**File Created**: `projects/[PROJECT]/ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-SOBC-v1.0.md`

### SOBC Summary

**Strategic Case**:
- Strategic Alignment: [Brief summary of how project aligns with strategy]
- Spending Objectives: [List 3-5 key objectives linked to stakeholder goals]
- Critical Success Factors: [3-5 CSFs]

**Economic Case**:
- Options Appraised: [Number] options evaluated
- Preferred Option: [Option number and name]
- NPV over [X] years: £[Amount]
- BCR (Benefit-Cost Ratio): [Ratio]
- Key Benefits: [Top 3-5 benefits with £ values]

**Commercial Case**:
- Procurement Route: [e.g., Digital Marketplace, G-Cloud, Open tender]
- Contract Strategy: [e.g., Single supplier, Framework, Multi-supplier]
- Risk Allocation: [Public/Private split]

**Financial Case**:
- Total Budget Required: £[Amount]
- Funding Source: [e.g., Spending Review settlement, reserves]
- Affordability: [Confirmed/To be confirmed]
- Cash Flow: [Summary of phasing]

**Management Case**:
- Project Approach: [Agile/Waterfall/Hybrid]
- Governance: [Board/SRO structure]
- Key Risks: [Top 3-5 risks]
- Timeline: [Start] - [End] ([Duration])

**UK Government Specific** (if applicable):
- Green Book Compliance: [5-case model, options appraisal, sensitivity analysis]
- Technology Code of Practice: [Points addressed]
- Service Standard: [Assessment plan]
- Social Value: [% weighting in procurement]

### What's in the Document

- Executive Summary (2-3 pages)
- Strategic Case: Why we need to act (10-15 pages)
- Economic Case: Options and value for money (15-20 pages)
- Commercial Case: Procurement approach (5-10 pages)
- Financial Case: Funding and affordability (5-10 pages)
- Management Case: Delivery capability (10-15 pages)
- Appendices: Stakeholder analysis, risk register, assumptions

**Total Length**: [X] pages (ready for senior leadership and Treasury approval)

### Next Steps

- Review `ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-SOBC-v1.0.md` for full SOBC document
- Present to Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for approval
- If approved, run `$arckit-requirements` to define detailed requirements
- After requirements, refine to Outline Business Case (OBC) with firmer costs

Statistics to Include:

• Number of options evaluated
• NPV and BCR for preferred option
• Total budget required
• Timeline (start date - end date)
• Number of stakeholder goals addressed
• Number of critical success factors
• Number of key risks identified

Generate the SOBC now, write to file using Write tool, and show only the summary above.

Important Notes

• Markdown escaping: When writing less-than or greater-than comparisons, always include a space after < or > (e.g., < 3 seconds, > 99.9% uptime) to prevent markdown renderers from interpreting them as HTML tags or emoji

Suggested Next Steps

After completing this command, consider running:

• $arckit-requirements -- Define detailed requirements after SOBC approval
• $arckit-roadmap -- Create strategic roadmap from SOBC investment plan
• $arckit-tenders -- Anchor the Economic Case market view with real UK award-value benchmarks (when UK government procurement context)