Feasibility Studies
Feasibility studies are preliminary studies undertaken in the very early stage of a project. They tend to be carried out when a project is large or complex, or where there is some doubt or controversy regarding the proposed development.
The purpose of feasibility studies is to:
- Establish whether the project is viable.
- Help identify feasible options.
- Assist in the development of other project documentation such as the business case, project execution plan and strategic brief
On large or complex projects, there may be a number of different feasibility studies carried out, sometimes requiring different skills, and considering issues such as:
- Planning permission.
- The likelihood that an environmental impact assessment including lighting impact assessments will be required.
- Other legal/statutory approvals.
- Analysis of the budget relative to client requirements.
- Assessment of the potential to re-use existing facilities or doing nothing rather than building new facilities.
- Assessment of any site information provided by the client.
- Assessing operational and maintenance issues.
- Appraisal of servicing strategies.
- Programme considerations.
Various stakeholders, statutory authorities and other third parties may need to be consulted in the preparation of feasibility studies.
The assessments are carried out and presented in a structured report so the Client and the rest of the Design Team can decide whether or not to proceed to the next stage.
