Benefits management strategy
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Template v1.0
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Programme: <name>
Benefits management strategy
Overview
Purpose of this document
These templates are based on the suggested content in the MSP® manual Managing Successful Programmes 2011 edition,
published by the Stationary Office.
Help and guidance on using the templates are provided by pm4all and are shown in blue.
MSP needs to be tailored before use. You can use these templates as a starting point and tailor them to meet your needs.
You may need some help. You can contact us at pm4all and tell us your plans and receive a no-obligation proposal for:
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The benefits management strategy defines the approach to realizing benefits and the framework within
which benefits realization will be achieved.
The benefits management strategy is a key component of the programme’s governance. Its sets out the
rules of engagement on how to identify, design, monitor and review the benefits management cycle.
Where the responsibilities for programme benefits are widely spread across the organization(s) and the
`how to´ of realization is complex, a clear and robust benefits management strategy is essential: without
such a strategy people may be measuring the same benefit with different measures and reporting at
different frequencies.
When to use this document during the programme
During Defining a Programme, the benefits management strategy will be created; this may initially be part
of the governance arrangements in the programme preparation plan.
The purpose of the Managing the Tranches process is to implement the defined programme management
governance strategies, including the benefits management strategy.
The programme’s benefits management strategy should be reviewed at the end of each tranche.
The end-of-tranche reviews may also include a formal assessment of the effectiveness of the benefits
management approach, including considering any lessons which have been documented during the
tranche.
As part of the Closing a Programme process the benefits management strategy is reviewed and updated.
The strategy will form a reference point for any post-programme benefits activities.
Advice for this document
In an environment that has established portfolio management for its programmes and projects, a generic
benefits management strategy template may be provided to the programme, setting out how benefits will
be managed (or at least setting out a framework of policies or guiding principles for programmes).
In this situation the programme management team should develop the benefits management strategy to
ensure its compliance with the corporate portfolio needs.
The following quality criteria should be observed.

The strategy should set out what represents a benefit to the organization, specific measures of
benefits achievement that are acceptable within the programme, standard ways in which they
should be calculated and how to ensure that there is no double-counting of benefits.
© Crown Copyright 2011. Reproduced under license from the Cabinet Office.
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Programme: <name>
Benefits management strategy


The benefits for a public sector defence organization are often vastly different from those of a
commercial venture; consequently a coherent benefits management strategy would define how
each will measure the value from an investment.
The strategy should also prescribe the context within which the projects will operate, how they will
reference and contribute to programme benefits, the controls that will be put in place and how
assurance will work.
© Crown Copyright 2011. Reproduced under license from the Cabinet Office.
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Programme: <name>
Benefits management strategy
Contents
Subjects
Overview ................................................................................................................................................. 2
Purpose of this document ........................................................................................................................ 2
When to use this document during the programme ................................................................................ 2
Advice for this document ......................................................................................................................... 2
Contents .................................................................................................................................................. 4
Subjects ................................................................................................................................................... 4
Benefits management strategy ................................................................................................................. 5
Scope and explanation ............................................................................................................................ 5
Measurement methods and processes ................................................................................................... 5
Roles and responsibilities........................................................................................................................ 5
Priorities for the programme .................................................................................................................... 5
Processes to ensure benefits are not double-counted ............................................................................ 5
Relationships between capabilities and benefits..................................................................................... 5
Relationship between benefits management and risk management ...................................................... 5
Categories to be used ............................................................................................................................. 5
Benefit profile specific information or headings ....................................................................................... 5
Tools, systems and sources of information ............................................................................................. 6
Critical success factors ............................................................................................................................ 6
Clarification of benefits-related terminology ............................................................................................ 6
The review and assessment process ...................................................................................................... 6
Standards ................................................................................................................................................ 6
Based on Cabinet Office MSP® material. Reproduced under license from the Cabinet Office.
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Benefits management strategy
Benefits management strategy
Scope and explanation
Scope and explanation of which areas of the business will be covered by benefits management and realization activity.
xxx
Measurement methods and processes
Measurement methods and processes that will be used to monitor and assess the realization of the benefits (including the level of
granularity to be applied in the benefits realization plan).
xxx
Roles and responsibilities
A description of the functions, roles, accountabilities and responsibilities for benefit planning and realization, aligned with
programme’s organization structure.
xxx
Priorities for the programme
Priorities for the programme in terms of benefit types to be sought (e.g. cashable direct), to inform and focus the filtering and
prioritization process.
xxx
Processes to ensure benefits are not double-counted
Processes to ensure that benefits are not double-counted and that cumulative benefits are achievable..
xxx
Relationships between capabilities and benefits
The relationships between capabilities and the benefits.
xxx
Relationship between benefits management and risk management
Clarity, if necessary, as to opportunities to be managed in relationship to risk management.
xxx
Categories to be used
Categories to be used by the programme, which may be inherited from a portfolio.
xxx
Benefit profile specific information or headings
Any organizational-specific information or headings that should be included in the benefit profiles.
xxx
Based on Cabinet Office MSP® material. Reproduced under license from the Cabinet Office.
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Programme: <name>
Benefits management strategy
Tools, systems and sources of information
Tools, systems and sources of information that will be used to enable measurement.
xxx
Critical success factors
Critical success factors against which the effectiveness of benefits management should be measured.
xxx
Clarification of benefits-related terminology
Clarification of benefits-related terminology appropriate to the organization.
xxx
The review and assessment process
The review and assessment process for measuring benefits realization, covering who will be involved in the reviews, and how and
when the reviews will be carried out.
xxx
Standards
Standards for identifying, mapping, monitoring and reviewing the programme’s benefits.
xxx
Based on Cabinet Office MSP® material. Reproduced under license from the Cabinet Office.
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