Analyze investment projects

I have projected cash flows, capex schedules and discounted returns for a proposed conservation lodge investment. Send the 'Lodge_IV_Proj' spreadsheet with a summary sheet showing NPV, IRR and payback to the investment committee members Sam and Noor, asking them to sign off by Wednesday so we can proceed to term-sheet drafting.

Before I present to the investment committee, make the model board-friendly: put NPV, IRR, payback and the five-year revenue sensitivity at the top, label assumptions with sources, highlight any inputs that swing equity returns by more than 2 percentage points, and add a short note on which operational risks would most affect those numbers.

I updated occupancy from 60% to 45% and the IRR fell below our hurdle rate; Sam and Noor will want to know if the drop is realistic or an overly conservative assumption. I don't have recent comparable occupancy data and fear either understating upside or getting the committee to reject the project. What's the most defensible next check and the phrasing to present both scenarios?

We keep losing time and credibility rebuilding full models for every small investment because assumptions are scattered and sensitivity checks inconsistent. Recommend a lean model template and three modeling habits I can enforce so future project reviews are faster, assumptions comparable, and committee discussions focus on trade-offs not spreadsheet errors.