15 Questions Every Director Should Ask Before Approving a Project
A practical board checklist for assessing major capital works. Ask for evidence, understand the trade-offs and record what needs to happen next.
A clear basis for the board’s next decision
Directors have an important role in setting direction, testing the information before them and protecting the club’s long-term interests. You do not need to be a construction specialist to ask clear questions and require a useful evidence base.
Use these questions before approval and at key project gates. They are designed to help the board focus its advisers, identify work still required and make a record of how it reached a decision.
Related reading: our guide for club boards planning a redevelopment, and Protecting Member Funds on a Club Redevelopment.
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A. Financial viability and funding
The board needs a decision-ready view of total cost, operating impact and funding before it makes a major commitment.
What is the total project cost, and how was it developed?
Why it matters
A headline number is not enough. Directors need to know the scope it represents, what has not yet been resolved and how the estimate will be updated.
Evidence to request
- A cost plan showing scope, assumptions, exclusions and allowances.
- The estimator’s basis, date and the design information used.
- A plan for revising the estimate as investigations, design and procurement progress.
Matters to resolve
- A lump sum with no supporting scope or assumptions.
- An estimate that has not been checked against the current brief.
- No owner or timing for the next cost-plan update.
What is the business case, including member and operating benefits?
Why it matters
A project may be worthwhile for financial, member or strategic reasons. The board should see how the proposed benefits, costs and operating changes connect.
Evidence to request
- A documented business case and the benefits it intends to deliver.
- Operating and revenue assumptions by project stage.
- Sensitivity scenarios prepared by the appropriate finance advisers.
Matters to resolve
- Benefits described generally but not linked to the scope or operating plan.
- Assumptions that have not been tested with management or market evidence.
- No explanation of what changes if a key assumption is not achieved.
Is the funding strategy clear, available and timed for the programme?
Why it matters
Funding is more than the total facility amount. Conditions, drawdown timing, cash flow and approval requirements can change what the club can commit to.
Evidence to request
- A funding and cash-flow plan aligned to the programme.
- Written advice on facility conditions, approvals and reporting requirements.
- The club’s proposed approach if forecast cost or timing changes.
Matters to resolve
- Indicative finance treated as a final commitment.
- Funding conditions that are not reflected in the programme.
- No documented process for considering a funding gap.
B. Independent oversight and governance
Directors do not need to run construction. They do need a clear governance structure and advice that lets them make informed decisions.
Who is accountable for delivery, and how will the board oversee the project?
Why it matters
A useful structure makes decision rights, reporting and escalation clear. It protects directors from having to manage every operational detail themselves.
Evidence to request
- A governance diagram showing board, committee, management and adviser roles.
- A schedule of reporting, decisions and escalation pathways.
- A decision register that records approvals, conditions and rationale.
Matters to resolve
- Overlapping roles or unclear authority to approve a change.
- Project reporting that does not show cost, programme, risks and decisions together.
- No route for an issue that cannot be resolved at project-team level.
What independent expertise is engaged and what will it deliver?
Why it matters
A project needs advice suited to its stage and complexity. A board should understand each adviser’s scope, independence and reporting line.
Evidence to request
- Written scopes for project management, cost, design and specialist advice.
- Confirmation of relevant experience, insurances and appointment terms.
- A clear statement of who each adviser reports to and may instruct.
Matters to resolve
- A critical advice gap with no plan to fill it.
- An adviser asked to assess work they designed or priced without an independent check.
- Informal scopes that do not say what advice the board will receive.
How will changes, contingency and unexpected issues be decided?
Why it matters
Changes occur on most projects. Board confidence comes from a consistent process that records the options and their cost, time and operating effects.
Evidence to request
- A written change-control process and delegated authority schedule.
- A release process for contingency or other reserved funds.
- A report format for pending, approved and anticipated changes.
Matters to resolve
- Changes approved verbally or after work has already proceeded.
- Authority levels that are not understood by the project team.
- No record of how a decision affects the forecast.
C. Construction, staging and procurement
The board should understand how the works will be delivered while the club continues to serve members and meet its commitments.
Is the staging plan workable for operations, staff and members?
Why it matters
A stage plan should work in the real venue, not only on drawings. It needs input from the people responsible for safety, trading, access and member communication.
Evidence to request
- A phase plan identifying open and closed areas, access, temporary facilities and safety controls.
- An operational impact plan covering staff, suppliers and member communications.
- A review process before each phase begins.
Matters to resolve
- A statement that disruption will be minimised without a practical operating plan.
- Temporary arrangements that are not costed, scheduled or owned.
- No check that the stage works with venue operations.
Does the proposed contract allocate risks in a way the club understands?
Why it matters
Contract choices affect price certainty, change control, programme, defects and payment. The board should receive advice on the terms that matter to its project.
Evidence to request
- A plain-English contract summary from the club’s advisers.
- A schedule of major risk allocations, security and payment controls.
- Advice on provisional items, time provisions and defects obligations.
Matters to resolve
- A contract summary that only states the price and completion date.
- Material contract terms left for negotiation after the board commitment.
- The club relying on advice prepared solely for the contractor.
How was the preferred builder or delivery partner selected?
Why it matters
A defensible selection process compares more than price. Capability, programme, methodology, financial capacity and relevant experience may all matter.
Evidence to request
- A documented tender or selection plan and evaluation criteria.
- Comparable scope and clarifications for each tenderer.
- Reference, capacity and programme checks proportionate to the project.
Matters to resolve
- Price compared without confirming scope differences.
- Selection criteria changed after submissions are received without a record.
- No explanation of how the recommended supplier meets the club’s priorities.
D. Risk, approvals and control
Risk management should help the board decide what to do next. It is a live record of known issues, owners and actions, not a list created for approval day.
What are the project’s priority risks and who owns each response?
Why it matters
Directors need a focused view of the risks that could affect the club’s decision, delivery or operation, together with the actions underway.
Evidence to request
- A current risk register with owners, actions and review dates.
- The basis for any contingency or programme allowance.
- A report identifying risks that need a board decision.
Matters to resolve
- A risk register with no owners or next actions.
- Risks recorded once and not revisited as the project changes.
- Contingency described without a link to identified risks.
What approvals and specialist studies are required, and what do they depend on?
Why it matters
Planning, heritage, licence and operational requirements are project-specific. They can influence scope and timing, so the board should see the path and dependencies.
Evidence to request
- An approvals schedule prepared by the relevant professionals.
- A list of required studies, decisions and information dependencies.
- Advice on material conditions or obligations once known.
Matters to resolve
- An assumed approval date presented as a commitment.
- A critical study or authority decision not included in the programme.
- Legal or regulatory conclusions stated without qualified advice.
What financial reporting will the board receive during delivery?
Why it matters
Regular reporting lets directors see whether commitments, forecasts and cash flow still align. The board needs a consistent evidence base for decisions.
Evidence to request
- A sample board pack with budget, commitments, forecast, cash flow and programme.
- Independent certification or review arrangements where appropriate.
- The timing and authority for escalating a material variance.
Matters to resolve
- Narrative reporting with no clear cost-to-complete view.
- A forecast that is not updated when scope, programme or procurement changes.
- Reporting that identifies a problem but no proposed decision or action.
E. Members, opening and project closure
A redevelopment’s value depends on what members and staff experience during the works and once the new facilities are in use.
How will the club protect member experience and operating continuity?
Why it matters
Disruption needs to be actively managed. Directors should understand the priorities for members, staff, trading and communications at every stage.
Evidence to request
- A member and stakeholder communication plan tied to the staging plan.
- Operating continuity measures and accountable managers.
- A regular review of feedback, membership and trading information.
Matters to resolve
- Member impacts acknowledged but not assigned to an owner.
- Updates that do not explain what is changing or when.
- No mechanism to learn from feedback during delivery.
What must be complete before the club accepts and opens the works?
Why it matters
Practical completion, commissioning, training, manuals and defects management each need evidence. A clear process supports a safer, more orderly opening.
Evidence to request
- An agreed completion, inspection and commissioning plan.
- A register for defects, records, manuals, training and operational handover.
- The process for final account, security release and post-opening review.
Matters to resolve
- Opening planned before operational testing and handover responsibilities are clear.
- Defects recorded without an owner or rectification pathway.
- Final payment or security release considered without supporting evidence.
Is the board ready to approve the next commitment?
Why it matters
The final question brings the evidence together. A board resolution should reflect the information considered, conditions of approval and matters that remain open.
Evidence to request
- A concise decision paper that answers the preceding questions.
- Advice on unresolved matters, proposed conditions and the next review point.
- A draft resolution that records the decision and rationale.
Matters to resolve
- A decision requested before key advice or evidence is available.
- Directors have different understandings of what they are approving.
- No record of conditions, delegated actions or future reporting.
A note to directors
Your role is not to manage construction day to day. It is to ensure the club has the information, independent advice, governance and reporting needed to make and oversee major decisions.
If an answer is incomplete, record what evidence is needed, who will provide it and when the board will consider it. That is sound governance, not a reason to lose momentum.
Download as PDF
Enter your details to download the complete 15 Questions Every Director Should Ask as a printable PDF.
More Free Resources
Every stage of a club redevelopment has its own checklist. Here are the other four.
Club Redevelopment Risk Checklist
25 practical risk checks covering budgets, governance, planning, construction and club operations, with actions to discuss with your project team.
Club Capital Works Budget Template
Cost categories, practical estimating advice and an illustrative worked budget to help your board understand the full project cost.
Club Redevelopment Timeline Guide
A guide to project phases, key dependencies and board decisions, helping you understand what shapes the programme from feasibility to opening.
Builder Tender Evaluation Template
A practical way to compare builder proposals, clarify price and scope, and assess delivery capability, with an illustrative scoring framework.
Need help preparing your board?
We can help you organise the decision material, ask the right questions of advisers and set up a practical governance process for the project ahead.