Benefits management and realisation (Techniques 71–72)
Benefits management and benefits realisation are, in fact, separate activities,
though they are closely connected. Benefits management involves managing the
whole project with one eye very firmly on the expected benefits, and in such a way
that the chance of achieving these benefits is maximised. Benefits realisation
involves checking, after the project has completed, whether the benefits were
gained or not – and, if not, what else could yet be done to secure them.
A benefits review also helps an organisation, over time, become better at choosing
which projects to undertake – just as a post-project review (a different thing)
enables an organisation to get better at the execution of projects.