Business Case Maintenance Responsibility: Who Maintains It?
Who is responsible for maintaining the Business Case throughout the project?
Quick Answer
The answer is the Project Manager. This is correct because in PRINCE2, the Business Case is a living document that must be updated as the project progresses, reflecting ongoing costs, benefits, and risks; the Project Manager handles this day-to-day maintenance, while the Executive retains ownership and ultimate accountability for the business justification. On the PRINCE2 Foundation exam, this distinction is frequently tested to see if you understand the separation between maintenance and ownership—a common trap is confusing the Project Manager’s role with the Executive’s. To remember, think of the Project Manager as the “keeper of the numbers” and the Executive as the “signer of the check.” A simple memory tip: “PM maintains, Executive owns.”
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse the Executive's accountability for the Business Case with the Project Manager's responsibility for its maintenance, leading them to select the Executive instead of the Project Manager.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Project Manager
The Project Manager is responsible for maintaining the Business Case throughout the project because they manage day-to-day activities, monitor progress against the Business Case, and ensure that the project remains viable. In PRINCE2, the Project Manager updates the Business Case with actual costs, benefits, and risks, and escalates any deviations to the Project Board. This aligns with the 'continued business justification' principle, where the Business Case is a living document that must be kept current to support informed decision-making.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Project Assurance
Why it's wrong here
Project Assurance provides independent oversight, but does not maintain the Business Case.
- ✓
Project Manager
Why this is correct
The Project Manager maintains the Business Case throughout the project.
- ✗
Executive
Why it's wrong here
The Executive owns the Business Case and approves it, but does not maintain it on a day-to-day basis.
- ✗
Senior User
Why it's wrong here
The Senior User represents the users and contributes to benefits, but does not maintain the Business Case.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every PRINCE2F question from scratch — 1,599 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
8 more ways this is tested on PRINCE2F
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Who is responsible for maintaining the Business Case throughout the project?
easy- A.Executive
- B.Senior User
- ✓ C.Project Manager
- D.Project Board
Why C: The Project Manager is responsible for maintaining the Business Case throughout the project because PRINCE2 assigns this role to the Project Manager as part of the 'Managing a Stage Boundary' and 'Directing a Project' processes. The Project Manager ensures the Business Case remains viable by updating it with actual costs, benefits, and risks, and by presenting it to the Project Board for approval at key decision points. This is distinct from the Executive, who owns the Business Case but delegates its day-to-day maintenance to the Project Manager.
Variation 2. Who is responsible for maintaining the Business Case throughout the project?
easy- A.Senior User
- ✓ B.Project Manager
- C.Executive
- D.Project Support
Why B: The Project Manager is responsible for maintaining the Business Case throughout the project because PRINCE2 requires the Business Case to be a living document that is reviewed and updated at each stage boundary. The Project Manager ensures that the Business Case remains viable by monitoring costs, benefits, and risks against the approved plan, and escalates any deviations to the Project Board. This responsibility is explicitly assigned to the Project Manager in the PRINCE2 manual for the Business Case management process.
Variation 3. Who is responsible for maintaining the Business Case throughout the project?
easy- ✓ A.The Project Manager
- B.The Project Board
- C.The Executive
- D.The Senior User
Why A: In PRINCE2, the Project Manager is responsible for maintaining the Business Case throughout the project. This includes monitoring the Business Case against the project's progress and updating it as necessary to ensure it remains viable and aligned with the project's objectives. The Project Manager does this by regularly reviewing the Business Case and reporting any changes or deviations to the Project Board.
Variation 4. Who is responsible for maintaining the Business Case throughout the project?
easy- A.Executive
- B.Senior User
- C.Project Support
- ✓ D.Project Manager
Why D: The Project Manager is responsible for maintaining the Business Case throughout the project because they manage day-to-day activities, monitor progress against the Business Case, and escalate any deviations to the Project Board. PRINCE2 assigns this operational responsibility to the Project Manager to ensure the Business Case remains viable and aligned with project objectives.
Variation 5. Who is responsible for maintaining the Business Case throughout the project?
easy- A.Executive
- B.Project Support
- ✓ C.Project Manager
- D.Senior Supplier
Why C: The Project Manager is responsible for maintaining the Business Case throughout the project because PRINCE2 requires the Business Case to be a living document that is reviewed and updated at each stage boundary. The Project Manager ensures that the Business Case remains viable by monitoring costs, benefits, and risks against the approved baseline, and escalates any deviations to the Project Board. This ongoing maintenance is a key project management responsibility, distinct from the Executive's ownership of the Business Case's justification.
Variation 6. Who is responsible for maintaining the Business Case throughout the project?
easy- A.The Executive (Senior Responsible Owner)
- ✓ B.The Project Manager
- C.The Project Support
- D.The Senior User
Why B: In PRINCE2, the Project Manager is responsible for maintaining the Business Case throughout the project. This includes monitoring the project's viability against the Business Case, updating it with actual costs and benefits, and escalating any deviations to the Project Board. The Project Manager ensures the Business Case remains valid and aligned with the project's objectives.
Variation 7. Who is responsible for maintaining the Business Case throughout the project?
easy- A.Project Support
- B.Executive
- ✓ C.Project Manager
- D.Senior User
Why C: The Project Manager is responsible for maintaining the Business Case throughout the project because PRINCE2 assigns the day-to-day management of the Business Case to the Project Manager, who must ensure it remains viable and aligned with the project's progress. The Project Manager updates the Business Case with actual costs, benefits, and risks, and escalates any deviations to the Project Board. This responsibility is distinct from the Executive's ownership of the Business Case, which is a strategic, not operational, role.
Variation 8. Who is responsible for maintaining the Business Case throughout the project?
easy- ✓ A.Project Manager
- B.Executive
- C.Project Assurance
- D.Senior Supplier
Why A: The Project Manager is responsible for maintaining the Business Case throughout the project because PRINCE2 requires the Business Case to be a living document that is updated as new information emerges. The Project Manager ensures that the Business Case remains viable by monitoring costs, benefits, risks, and progress against the approved baseline, and by producing regular Highlight Reports and Checkpoint Reports that feed into the ongoing justification. This responsibility is explicitly defined in the PRINCE2 manual under the 'Business Case' management product and the 'Managing a Stage Boundary' process.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PRINCE2F practice question is part of Courseiva's free PeopleCert certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PRINCE2F exam.