Developing a Business Plan

An immediate priority of the secretariat team should be to draw up a business plan, which will act as a management tool, setting out the inquiry’s practices, methodology and objectives and establishing measurable milestones and targets to enable on-going performance to be properly managed and monitored and thus to help facilitate the smooth running of the inquiry. Ideally, the plan should cover both the forthcoming year and look further ahead to the conclusion of the inquiry. This narrative process will inform and feed through to the budget forecast and serve to focus attention on areas of expense that whilst potentially very significant may not be as immediately apparent as, for instance, legal fees; accommodation; the information technology infrastructure and IT security. Such items might encompass physical security; a press office; corporate identity; data protection; witness care and the production of the report itself.

The business plan should set out the planned timetable and team infrastructure, making explicit the roles and responsibilities of the Chairman, Panel, Counsel, Solicitor and Secretary, as well as dealing with all other business matters specific to the public inquiry.

It is good practice to ensure that the business plan is updated to reflect any material changes to circumstances and it is important that it is formally revisited at least annually to ensure that it remains current and relevant.