Brendan Martin

Brendan’s course notes

1 Pager Managing_Benefits from QRC

Edinburgh tram project ‘in trouble right from the start’

Pre-Mortem process – Save your failed project!

The Principles and possible workshops[edit]

• Align benefits with strategy
  • Help the organisation get S.M.A.R.T. strategic goals.
  • Most organisations have strategic fluff so help them.
• Start with the end in mind
  • Do a Benefts Mapping workshop showing visually how the benefits are linked to strategic goals.
  • If they can’t be linked,cancel the project?
• Utilize successful delivery methods
  • MoP, MSP, PRINCE2, PMI for direction then Agile incremental methods for delivery
• Integrate benefits with performance management
  • Book the benefits in budgets, headcount targets, business unit costs etc.
  • Align bonus systems with benefits where possible. Talk with HR.
• Manage benefits from a portfolio perspective
  • Consistency
  • Double counting is minimised
  • Project and Programme lessons are finally used!
  • Develop benefits eligibility rules (categorised, quantified, valued, validated)
• Apply effective governance
  • Clear governance and decision rules, who is responsible for what?!
  • Regular reviews on benefits, not only projects
• Develop a value culture
  • New behaviour will not happen overnight but make Benefits Management a business change in its own right?
  • PRINCE2 or PMI or Agile does not equal benefits. Focus more on value and less on methodologies

Is it possible to implementing Benefits Management with Kotter’s 8-steps model?[edit]

1. Establishing a Sense of Urgency
2. Creating the Guiding Coalition
3. Developing a Vision and Strategy
4. Communicating the Change Vision
5. Empowering Employees for Broad-Based Action
6. Generating Short-Term Wins
7. Consolidating Gains and Producing More Change
8. Anchoring New Approaches in the Culture