Investment Management Standard
Building capability to make confident, evidence-based investment decisions.
Fankhauser & Associates is the only Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF)-approved provider of Investment Management Standard (IMS) training in Australia and New Zealand. The IMS is a simple, proven framework that builds capability for leaders and teams to make smarter decisions, prioritise the right investments, and ensure resources, programs, and policies deliver maximum value and measurable benefits.
What is the Investment Management Standard (IMS) and Why Does it Matter?
The Investment Management Standard (IMS) is a simple but powerful framework that helps organisations shape, prioritise, and evaluate investments, programs of work, and policies. It enables leaders and practitioners to make confident, evidence-based decisions so that resources are directed to the outcomes that matter most.
With growing social, financial, and workforce pressures, governments, businesses, and not-for-profits need a robust and transparent approach to planning and prioritising investments. The IMS provides this capability, supporting organisations to:
Develop strong, evidence-based cases for new investments
Shape policies and programs that deliver measurable benefits
Prioritise competing proposals with confidence
Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of investments and portfolios
Track organisational outcomes and ensure benefits are realised
Clarify roles and refocus effort to improve organisational effectiveness
At its core, IMS defines investment as “the commitment of the resources of an organisation with the expectation of receiving a benefit.” By embedding IMS practices, organisations build capability to make smarter decisions, respond to today’s challenges, and deliver greater value from every investment.
Investment Management Principles and IMS Training
The Investment Management Standard (IMS) is the foundation of effective IMS training delivered by Fankhauser & Associates — the only Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF)-approved and supported provider in Australia and New Zealand.
IMS is based on a set of principles that ensure organisations make better investment decisions and realise measurable benefits:
The best results come from bringing the right people together for structured, evidence-based conversations.
Strong, concise investment cases lead to smarter prioritisation and greater value.
Testing the logic of an investment gives decision-makers confidence before committing resources.
These principles are taught and applied through a consistent series of IMS workshops, which form the backbone of our IMS facilitator training courses:
Problem Definition – What’s the problem?
Benefit Definition – What benefits and KPIs must be delivered?
Response Definition – What options should be considered, and which is preferred?
Solution Definition – What is the recommended solution?
The IMS approach is scalable and adaptable — from shaping individual initiatives to large-scale organisational planning and investment. Developed by the Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF), IMS has now been widely adopted by governments, corporates, universities, and not-for-profits across Australia and New Zealand.
There are 4 2-hour workshops in the IMS suite and they follow a consistent line of enquiry
