Compliance isn’t just a box-ticking exercise, it’s a core requirement in any credible business case. In today’s environment of heightened scrutiny, evolving regulations, and increasing stakeholder expectations, compliance has become a central factor in whether initiatives are approved, funded, and successfully implemented.
Despite this, compliance is still too often treated as an afterthought. Business cases might include a vague reference to “meeting standards” or “ensuring privacy,” but rarely go further. This lack of detail can stall approvals, introduce delivery risk, or result in failed audits and project setbacks further down the line.
In the eleventh tutorial in the Business Case Academy, we explore how a winning business case integrates compliance into its structure, anticipating requirements, addressing obligations, and showing how compliance will be managed throughout the project lifecycle. Doing so increases credibility, reduces friction, and improves your chances of success.
Why compliance matters in a business case
Regulations and internal governance are growing in both scope complexity. Data privacy, cybersecurity, financial accountability, ESG reporting, and procurement standards are no longer optional, they’re non-negotiables. Whether it's GDPR, HIPAA, ISO, SOX, WCAG, or internal IT security policies, compliance is part of the approval criteria.
A business case that fails to engage with compliance questions risks being delayed or declined. Conversely, one that shows clear alignment with relevant obligations signals preparedness, lowers perceived risk, and accelerates the path to funding and execution.
In heavily regulated industries, compliance is often not just part of the decision; it is the decision.
What a compliance-aware business case should include
A strong business case doesn't just state “we’ll be compliant”; it shows how. That includes mapping out applicable requirements, showing deliberate planning, identifying known risks, and embedding compliance across the project’s lifecycle.
🗺️ Map the relevant compliance landscape
Start by clearly identifying which frameworks, policies, and standards apply to your project. These typically include:
External regulations (e.g. GDPR, HIPAA, SOX)
Industry frameworks (e.g. ISO standards, WCAG for accessibility)
Internal policies (e.g. e.g. procurement thresholds, ESG requirements, data classification policies)
💡 Tip: The more specific and relevant your list, the more it signals that you’ve done the groundwork. Avoid generalities. Reviewers want to see that you’ve thought through not only if compliance is required, but what kind and why.
👨🏫 Show how the proposal meets those obligations
It’s not enough to say you’re aware of the requirements; you need to show how you’ll meet them so you can strengthen your case by explaining:
Privacy-by-design architecture or secure coding practices
Encryption, access controls, logging, and monitoring mechanisms
Vendor or third-party certification (e.g. ISO, SOC 2)
Internal compliance reviews, security audits, or legal input
💡 Tip: Whenever possible, reference subject matter experts who were consulted. Their involvement lends credibility and reinforces the idea that compliance isn’t just being bolted on as an afterthought.
🚩 Acknowledge risks, gaps, or moving targets
The reality is that few projects are fully compliant from day one, and that is not a bad thing, just as long as you make sure that you highlight:
Upcoming regulatory changes that may affect scope or timelines
Known areas of current partial or non-compliance and your remediation plan
Unclear or emerging standards that require future interpretation
As mentioned, this isn’t a weakness, in fact, surfacing risks actually demonstrates maturity and readiness to manage complexity, rather than turning a blind eye, crossing your fingers, and hoping for the best.
👥 Involve the right stakeholders
Compliance isn’t just the responsibility of one team so make sure that it is clear who has been consulted or actively involved, such as:
Legal or data privacy officers
Cybersecurity or IT risk teams
Procurement, ESG, or finance leads
However, remember that these aren't just reviewers at the end; they are they are contributors throughout, and their input demonstrates that the case is grounded in cross-functional thinking, so is more likely to meet real-world approval standards.
✔ Include compliance milestones in your timeline
It’s important to remember that compliance isn’t just a one-time activity, so show how it will be tracked across the project lifecycle:
Embedded design reviews and risk assessments
Governance gates or approvals
Ongoing monitoring and post-launch audits or certifications
This helps reviewers trust that compliance won’t fall through the cracks once funding is secured.
Why this matters
A business case that ignores compliance invites scrutiny, delay, or failure, whereas a business case that addresses it early, thoroughly, and transparently gains credibility and also improves its odds of success, both at approval and during execution. Particularly in regulated industries, that can be the difference between moving forward and grinding to a halt.
However, compliance also helps build resilience as designing controls from the start enables projects to avoid costly rework, reduces legal exposure, and ensures smoother handoffs to operational, audit, or governance teams. In short, it's not just a governance box to tick; it's a marker of delivery readiness.
Summary
Compliance plays a larger role than ever before in determining whether a business case is accepted, funded, and delivered successfully. Rather than viewing it as an isolated review step, high-quality business cases build it in from the beginning. By:
Mapping relevant obligations
Showing how they’ll be met
Engaging the right stakeholders
Flagging known risks
Tracking milestones over time
you’ll reduce the chance of rejection, delays, last-minute firefighting or costly rework.
In today’s climate, if a business case doesn’t demonstrate compliance maturity, it doesn’t stand much chance, whereas those that do move faster, deliver better, and earn lasting confidence.
