Opportunity Definition and Assessment – 1st Stage Gate
DEFINITION
Opportunity Details
Opportunity Name
Submitted by
Executive Sponsor
Include if known
Leader
include if known
UQ Business Owner
Include if known
Description
Business Problem

Describe the problem / improvement opportunity that has been identified
Solution or Potential
Solutions

List the potential solutions known at the current time. This can change as more analysis is done.
Benefits / measures of
success

These are key benefits of solving the business problem against which you can measure success.
Alignment with UQ
Strategic Priorities

Describe how solving the business problem links to a UQ priority (eg how the improvement opportunity enhances the student
experience) or to one or more of the four pillars – learning, discovery, engagement, enablers

Things that you expect to be in place which will contribute to the solution (eg a change in systems will be supported in the future
by ITS)

Where the proposed solution is dependent on something else happening (eg a change of process will be supported by a new
database under development)

Related activities / known problems that are out of scope of solving this business problem
Scope
Assumptions
Dependencies
Exclusions
Milestones
Include stage gates & capabilities delivered – e.g. process, systems
Completion
Date
This will be indicative in the first iteration and updated with more details as the opportunity is developed into a project
MMM-YY
Stakeholders (including customers and users)
Risk (what could go wrong)
For more information on Risk
Management at UQ visit: Enterprise
Risk
Likelihood
Impact
Risk rating
Risk mitigation
Refer here for
detailed
descriptors.
Summary Of Resources/Key Roles Required
Funding And Source
Total FTE
$ Total
This will be indicative in the first iteration and updated with more details as the opportunity is developed into a project. If all resource requirements are not known indicate
resources required to achieve the next milestone.
Team member (PT/FT)

$ IT Capex
Team member (PT/FT)

$ Seconded staff

$ Consultants

$ Other
Opportunity Definition and Assessment – 1st Stage Gate
INITIAL ASSESSMENT
Performance Drivers
Describe key indicators that define current service delivery and the potential for improvement (these should be critical-to-quality –
things that must be done successfully
Performance drivers
Baseline
Opportunity
Volume (e.g. #
transactions/year; # users
impacted)
Quantitative measure (eg transactions
per month, requests received per
month)
Current performance
Desired improvement where relevant
(eg % increase in capacity to perform
transactions)
Quality (e.g. % complete
and accurate; % reworked)
Quantitative measure if known or
qualitative measure
Current performance
Desired improvement (eg 20%
reduction in error rate)
Delivery ( e.g. time to
complete process or %
complete on time)
Quantitative measure of time per
instance of delivery or percentage
completed within agreed timeframe
Current performance
Desired improvement
Cost (e.g. time spent
working on the process)
Cost is total time spent on process over
a week / month / year. Can be expressed
in hours rather than $ if relevant
Improvement Options
List the possible solutions considered and indicate the preferred option based on current information. This might change as more analysis is done for 2nd stage gate
approval. It is not necessary to seek 1st stage gate approval a second time if the preferred solution changes.
(indicate which is preferred option)
Impact Summary Of Preferred Option (Indication of the impact of solving the business problem)
Quality /User Experience
Rating
These can be indicative at 1st stage gate approval and become more clearly defined for 2nd stage gate
approval as an options analysis is undertaken
1st
2nd
Savings (time or other)
These can be indicative at stage gate approval and become more clearly defined for
approval as an options analysis is undertaken
Reputation /Compliance
These can be indicative at 1st stage gate approval and become more clearly defined for 2nd stage gate
approval as an options analysis is undertaken
Estimated Effort Required To Achieve The Preferred Option
stage gate
Details
These can be indicative at 1st stage gate approval and become more clearly defined for 2nd stage gate approval as an options analysis is undertaken
Time to implement
3 months
Resources

(person-weeks of effort NOT elapsed time)

$
[x-y] years
$
IT Investment: Incremental changes to existing systems / new systems / yet to be assessed
Estimate
Overall Effort Rating
(Low= <6 months; Med= <12 months; High= >12 months)
LOW / MED / HIGH
Processes
Have relevant business processes been mapped and reviewed?
YES / NO
1st STAGE GATE
APPROVAL
Approved by [ESS Steering Committee]
Approved on [Date]
low/med/high
low/med/high
low/med/high