What does a Strategic Outline Case (SOC) aim to verify?

The Strategic Outline Case (SOC) plays a crucial role in project development by ensuring that the proposed initiative aligns well with broader organizational objectives, policies, and strategies. It provides a framework for assessing how the project fits into the overall landscape of strategic goals, ensuring that resources are allocated in a manner that supports long-term outcomes and coherence with institutional priorities.

By focusing on the holistic fit, the SOC encourages the evaluation of various factors such as organizational priorities and stakeholders' needs, establishing whether pursuing the project is in sync with the strategic direction of the organization and its mission. This alignment is vital for garnering stakeholder buy-in and securing necessary resources and support for the project's advancement.

While elements like profitability, compliance with legal requirements, and technological feasibility are important factors in project planning and execution, they are typically assessed in later stages or different contextual frameworks, rather than in the initial strategic overview that the SOC provides. Hence, the SOC specifically emphasizes the strategic alignment aspect to ensure that all potential projects are considered in the light of the larger organizational vision.