New Requirements. New Budget. One Presentation.
Your original proposal budget of Afl 54,000 was designed for a minimum viable product. The newly provided requirements represent a fundamental shift to an enterprise-grade platform requiring specialized AI/ML, government-level security, and international law enforcement integration.
"This is not a scaling issue. This is a scope transformation. The original budget could deliver a basic reporting system. The new requirements demand a sophisticated, multi-layered intelligence platform. Both are valid — but they are categorically different projects."
Market research shows comparable government cybercrime platforms cost USD $950,000–$1,880,000 with 12–18 month timelines. Your new requirements align precisely with this tier.
Side-by-side comparison of the original MVP proposal against your new enterprise requirements:
| Dimension | Original RAIA MVP | New Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | Afl 54,000 | Afl 950K–1.88M |
| Timeline | 5 months | 12–18 months |
| Team Size | 6 people | 12+ specialized roles |
| Architecture | Single-tier web app | 7-layer enterprise platform |
| AI/ML Classification | Manual categorization | Automated AI with pattern detection |
| Evidence Management | Basic file storage | Chain-of-custody compliance |
| Security Level | Standard encryption | CJIS-equivalent government-grade |
| International Integration | No | INTERPOL/Europol APIs |
| Capacity | <1,000 reports/year | 10,000+ reports/year |
This is not scope creep. These are the requirements you've asked for. They are entirely reasonable for a government cybercrime platform. They are simply incompatible with the original Afl 54,000 budget.
2024–2025 market research for government cybercrime platforms. Every cost sourced from real vendor quotes and industry benchmarks:
USD $950,000–$1,880,000
Approximately Afl 1,710,000–3,384,000
Industry standard for government platforms: Afl 950,000–1,400,000 with 12–18 month delivery.
Three realistic options to bridge the gap between your original budget and the new requirements:
Option 2: Phased Approach (Afl 550,000)
Balances early delivery of core functionality (Month 3–4) with realistic budget and timeline. Allows stakeholders to see value, gather user feedback, and approve Phase 2 based on Phase 1 success.