Benefits management is often light on the ground in many programmes. Not very wise when the fundamental reason for beginning a programme is to realise benefits through change; whether it is to do things in a new way or to do things that will influence others to change.

The OGC’s MSP Principles include strong emphasis on Benefits Management (BM) with the following keys stages covered off:

The Benefits Management Process

A Benefits Management Strategy

A Identification of Benefits

The Quantification of Benefits

The Benefit Profiles

The Modelling of Benefits

Benefits Realisation Plan

The Review of Benefit Realisation

The Responsibilities for BM

As benefits are the quantification of the change delivered by a programme, the benefits should be used to help direct and make decisions throughout the course of the programme.

In our Programme Management roles we should determine the critical measures and indicators of success and make arrangements to ensure the programme remains appropriate and on track to deliver the intended benefits and outcomes.

Programme Managers should check that:

- All the planned outcomes remain achievable;

- The planned outcomes are not altered in scope, value or relationship;

- The key stakeholders remain committed and confident that outcomes will be achieved when planned;

- The plan for achieving outcomes is being pro-actively managed;

- This plan is monitored against agreed performance measures or key performance indicators and any problems are promptly addressed and resolved.

Where key benefits have been identified, such as increased efficiency or more effective service delivery, these should be actively managed in the same way. You must be able to define exactly what a benefit will deliver in a way that can be measured, within realistic timescales, costs and risks. Each benefit must be linked to planned outcomes and each benefit must be assigned to an owner who is accountable for its realisation.

For major programmes, there is likely to be a business change manager coordinating benefits realisation on behalf of the business areas owning the benefits.