At which stage is the negotiated deal confirmed as affordable?

The confirmation of the negotiated deal as affordable occurs during the Final Business Case (FBC) stage. At this stage, a comprehensive analysis is conducted to evaluate the entirety of the project, encompassing financial assessments, risk evaluations, and the alignment of the project with strategic objectives.

The FBC serves as a critical point where decisions are refined based on the detailed information collected throughout earlier stages, allowing stakeholders to ascertain whether the financial propositions and agreements made in the negotiation phase can be sustained and justified. This is essential for ensuring that the project will deliver value within the established budget and resource parameters before any commitment is finalized.

In contrast, during the Strategic Case Development stage, strategies are being formulated, but financial confirmations are not yet made. The Initial Concept stage focuses on generating ideas and basic concepts without full financial analysis. In the Operational phase, the project has already been approved and is being executed, so affordability has already been determined prior to reaching this point.