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2005 Spring School - Benefits Management
One of the many reasons given for project failures is that they did not, or were not seen to,
actually deliver the expected benefits. It is therefore critical to the success of a project to
ensure that it remains focused on the benefits that are to be realised (and note how they may change)
as well as the actual deliverables. How do you then prove to the satisfaction of the business that
the benefits have been realised? The School addresses this perennial problem and highlights ways
and means of ensuring that projects are seen as successful.
This PROMS-G School focuses on ways of ensuring that the benefits are visibly delivered,
by active benefits identification, management and realisation, focused planning and actual
demonstrable delivery throughout the project.
The subject should appeal to anyone involved in benefits management and realisation,
either as project manager, project team member or stakeholder.
| Date |
Topics |
Speaker |
| Tue 22 Feb 2005 |
The Business Case: its purpose and preparation
Successful delivery of any project depends on everyone pulling together towards an agreed goal.
The Business Case helps ensure this happens, but it also sets out the rationale for the project covering:
project scope; alignment with organisational strategy; options analysis; costs and benefits; and
availability of resources required. The development and maintenance of the Business Case is a
process rather than a task - updates are required as the project develops and the outside world moves
on. Its effectiveness as a tool depends on its use both for gaining stakeholder commitment, and for
monitoring progress on benefits realisation as well as project milestones. This talk will illustrate
how to make the Business Case work for organisations, providing tips for success and identifying some
of the pitfalls to be avoided. |
Jim Stockwell MA PhD FCCA has over 30 years experience in the preparation and
presentation of projects in diverse organisations. He worked for over 20 years in the UK coal
industry during a period of significant upheaval, and as Chief Investment Accountant was responsible
for the scrutiny of investment plans for a multi-billion programme of projects. Later he developed a
portfolio career working on an interim basis in transport (London Underground), health bodies, media,
and central government. Amongst other things he has specialised in project appraisal and the
presentation of complex issues at board level. |
| Tue 1 Mar 2005 |
Critical Success Factors and Measurement
Many organisations may spend up to a third of their annual management expenses on the execution of
business change, but have a low execution capability. When addressing improvements in this arena, the usual
approach is for strong focus on delivery. However, that focus must also include Benefits Realisation as,
although those benefits may be some way off, the foundation stones for realisation are laid down in the
delivery phases. Without a practical realisation method deployed in the operation phases, the organisation
can slide into an institutionalised, "project happy" culture, and any delivery capability becomes irrelevant.
Sounds familiar? Whilst a Benefits Realisation methodology itself can be quite simple, it is the practical
application of that theory throughout the change cycle which is necessary to achieve real traction. With the
right approach, management information and sponsorship, the organisation can start to use Benefits
Realisation data to drive its execution track record in real financial terms.
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Jon Bassett is currently Implementation Director at AXA Life UK. He has been working on
the execution of business change for many years, and has hands-on experience of large mergers, business
transformation programmes, and of large technical and infrastructure programmes. He has over 20 years
experience with the AXA group, in UK, Asia and Australia. Over this time Jon has developed an approach
to improving execution capability with Benefits Realisation as a key building block within that
transformation. He is a professional project manager and is Six Sigma certified. |
| Tue 8 Mar 2005 |
Benefits-driven Project Management - Methodolgies
Most of the techniques and approaches used to manage projects today are based on achieving project and
deliverable development efficiency - not benefit delivery efficiency. This talk will describe the changes
needed to the standard approach to managing a project if it is to be benefits focused and what project
managers and organisations can get from this. A senior project manager from a major government department
who has adopted this approach will co-present and give his practical experiences in using it. The session
will examine in detail the changes that need to be made to the typical standard project management methods
in order to ensure that this actually happens and is not just a dream. It will give delegates an opportunity
to experience first hand this approach in particular the concept of right-handed planning. This session
provides the elusive missing link between Project Management and Programme Management - Benefits Driven
Project Management. |
David Wilkin has had a wide and varied career over the past fifteen years, during
which he has gained experience in public and private sectors, and in the privatised utility sector.
Having worked extensively in the provision and acquisition of ICT, David's technology background provides
him with a firm foundation in the realisation of business benefits through ICT enablers and complementary
process change and human impact management. |
| Tue 15 Mar 2005 |
Post Implementation and Monitoring
This session will look at what happens when a project is completed. The team is ready to move on, but the
customer is ready to get started with the products they have waited for. How will the benefits of the system
be measured? What does the Project team need to put in place before they disband? During the session the
unique challenges of 3 programmes will be discussed: a government funded systems integration programme that
took years to procure and deliver, but that is now, post implementation, a successful set of products; a global
outsourcing deal that is about half way through the life of the contract; and a commercially funded systems
integration programme that is nearing completion. How was the post implementation monitoring put in place for
the completed programme - did the benefits meet the plan? How to address the same question in an outsourcing,
long term relationship programme? And what lessons can the management team of the third programme learn as
they approach the final major release of their development?
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Ian Kennon Ian Kennon is an experienced Programme and Project Manager with IBM. He started
his career as an Electronics Engineer. He moved to an academic role in the early 1980s teaching Computer
Architecture at Hatfield Polytechnic. Joining IBM in 1989 he has managed projects as well as
teaching/presenting on Project Management. He has been part of some of IBM's biggest system
integration and outsourcing programmes as well as working on smaller projects. He has experience of
delivering value to clients through project management and in evaluating the success of projects post
implementation. |
The event is being supported by 
Event logistics:
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Dates: |
Four Tuesdays as above |
Time: |
18:45 (registration and refreshments available from 18:30) |
| Venue: |
IBM
76/78 Upper Ground
South Bank
London
SE1 9PZ
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| Cost: |
BCS members |
£130 (£110.64 + VAT) |
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Non members |
£175 (£148.94 + VAT) |
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Unwaged/Students |
£ 25 (£21.28 + VAT) |
| Bookings: |
- Please send a copy of the paper booking form
with your cheque for the school fee (see above) to the address specified. Note that your place will not
be guaranteed until we receive your payment.
- if your organisation requires a proforma
invoice in order to generate the payment, please contact us (details on
the booking form) and we will send it to you. Please make sure you give
us contact details for both you and the paying authority in your
organisation!
If you have any subsequent queries about your
reservation, please contact promsg.admin@bcs.org.uk,
or telephone our administrator, Sue McGowan, on 07866 329391.
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