This Guide presents an approach to the development of a business case along with supporting methods and tools. It does not present a complete case or recommend one single model of what a case should contain. The range of possible local circumstances and integration objectives is far too broad for a single business case or approach to work. Instead, the Guide presents a way of designing and building a business case that can be adapted to a very wide range of particular circumstances. We also include examples of cases and materials that have been developed in a variety of state and local situations.

The approach to business case design and development is presented in three phases.

• The first is an analysis phase that includes attention to the situation in which the integration is to take place, the market demand for and willingness to pay for integration, and the risks involved in the undertaking. The results of the analysis phase enable a clear identification of the objectives, opportunities, strengths, resources, and constraints guiding the integration initiative.
• The second phase includes the design and development of the business case itself based on the information resulting from the analysis phase. In the design phase, you articulate the details of your approach and its rationale, and compile and organize all your basic case-building materials.
• The third phase customizes the message, materials, and methods needed to present the case to different audiences in order to secure their commitment and ongoing support.

The relationship among the phases is shown in the figure on the left. This figure shows the basic logic of how the material is presented in the Guide. The figure may imply that building a business case consists of these three phases ( analyze , design , and present ) occurring in simple sequential order. The actual work of building a business case, will, of course, be more complex, with a considerable amount of iteration among the phases. The results of work in the analysis phase are used in the design process. But the design activities often reveal gaps in the analysis, or produce new information that influences the objectives. So results from the design phase can loop back to a new analysis, which then feeds into subsequent design activities, and so forth. The same idea applies to the flow of design results into the crafting of presentation materials, with looping back to the design or analysis phases.

Following the three main sections of the Guide described above, you will find additional supporting material in the appendices. Appendix A describes specific tools and skills that may be useful in designing and building the business case. Each section includes a brief description, a discussion of how the tool can be used, and references to more detailed sources for further exploration. Table 1 summarizes these tools and their purposes.

Other appendices include examples of business cases and supporting materials that have been developed and used successfully in a number of states and local jurisdictions. These illustrate the range of approaches and proven strategies that have been used. In addition, there are key references and links to Web sites, print resources, and organizations related to information integration in the justice field or generally in state and local government. These can be used to explore specific topics in more detail than can be included in the Guide itself, and to check on current developments in organizations and locations involved in integration. Taken together or individually, these supporting materials and references may be useful in the analysis, design, and presentation of your business case. They may also be useful in the important work of establishing and nourishing the collaborative relationships required to sustain a successful integration project.