An area which many programmes seem to lack is Benefits Management. This seems a bit silly when the fundamental reason for beginning a programme is to realise benefits through change; whether it’s to do things in a new way or to do things that will influence others to change.

The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) in London has defined MSP principles that include emphasis on Benefits Management (BM) with the following keys stages:

The Benefits Management Process

A Benefits Management Strategy

Identifying Benefits

The Quantification of Benefits

A Set of Benefit Profiles

Benefit Modelling

A Benefits Realisation Plan

A Process to Review Benefit Realisation

The Responsibilities for Benefits Managements

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

Programme Managers 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:

- The planned outcomes remain achievable;

- All the planned outcomes are not changed in scope, relationship or value;

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

- The plan for achieving outcomes is being managed effectively;

- The plan is monitored against agreed performance measures/key performance indicators and any problems resolved promptly.

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.