B e n e f i t s R e a l i z a t i o n M a n a g e m e n t 127
Figure 8.2 Change/BRM process diagram
Applying the BRM Process
Set Vision and Objectives
This phase builds on the starting point for the proposed project, which might be a vision
set by senior management or just an idea for change, and begins to shape its scope. It
involves engaging with senior representatives of the key stakeholders, preferably in a
workshop process, to confirm the vision, if one exists, and to determine the objectives
for the project. Normally an experienced facilitator, ideally the Benefit Facilitator, would
gather the senior stakeholders together for a half-day workshop and present them with
a ‘why do we need to change?’ question. The stakeholders will be asked to provide
individually four or five separate answers to this question. Similar responses would
then be clustered to create independent themes, with each theme summarized with an
objective for change. Typically this process generates between 10 and 20 such objectives.
These objectives are rarely independent of one another and so the next step it to
establish the cause and effect relationships which link them. This is best done by putting
them into a Strategy Map working back from the ultimate goal, which could be the vision
or one of the more strategic objectives just identified. An example of such a map, for a
potential program to embed BRM within an organization, is given in Figure 8.3.
128 G o w e r H a n d b o o k o f P r o j e c t M a n a g e m e n t
To create
and maintain
an optimum
portfolio
To improve
the ROI
of programmes
To change to a
more benefit
focused culture
Figure 8.3 Strategy map for a potential project to embed BRM within an
organization
The next step is to use the map to determine a small subset (usually two, three or four)
of objectives which define the boundary of the potential project. These are objectives
which are sufficiently challenging so that the potential funder is prepared to give the
project serious consideration but not so challenging that no project manager is prepared
to take on the challenge. In the example illustrated in Figure 8.3 there are three such
bounding objectives (represented by the circles with white background).
Identify Benefits and Changes
Once the bounding objectives have been determined and agreed, further workshops,
generally involving a wider selection of stakeholders, would be facilitated, also by the
Benefit Facilitator, to develop for each objective a Benefit Dependency Map. (The Benefits
Dependency Map is described in greater detail in the next section.) First a set of end
benefits which correspond to each objective are determined. These need to be:
• collectively sufficient;
• individually necessary;
• mutually independent;
• likely to lead to different kinds of change activity.
Once these have been agreed, feeder (intermediate) benefits should be identified
using similar logic. By continuing this process, always working right to left, a Benefit
Map is developed for each of the bounding objectives. At this stage these Benefit Maps
are logically engineered wish lists. The next step is to examine each of the benefits in
the map, usually working left to right, and to determine which changes need to occur to
deliver the benefit. These changes are normally a mix of enablers and business changes.
