Glossary

The discipline of defining expected benefits, setting baselines and measures, and tracking forecasts vs actuals with explainable variance.

Benefits Management in a project/change context: identifying, planning, and realising benefits from initiatives and portfolios (not HR).

A visual map linking enablers/outputs to outcomes and benefits, used to clarify intent and dependencies.

A structured form of benefits map showing dependencies from enablers through outcomes to benefits.

A decomposition of benefits into components to clarify what must be achieved and measured.

A structured list of benefits with owners, measures, baselines, targets, timing and status.

A one-benefit specification: definition, owner, measures, baseline, target, timing, risks and evidence plan.

A time-phased plan for how benefits will be achieved, measured, reviewed, and sustained (including roles and governance).

The pre-change reference point used to measure improvement and attribute benefit.

The intended post-change level for a measure, compared to baseline over an agreed period.

A metric used to observe performance against benefit/outcome intent; defined with clear calculation and cadence.

A predictive measure that signals progress toward a benefit before the benefit is fully realised.

A confirmatory measure that shows the benefit after the change has had time to take effect.

A consolidated view of benefits measures, status vs target, forecasts, and exceptions for decision-making.

A governance checkpoint where benefits performance, variance, and decisions/actions are reviewed.

Planned review milestones in the benefits realisation plan that trigger structured decision-making.

Governance arrangements after delivery to ensure benefits are monitored and sustained into BAU.

A plan that identifies controls, risks, and monitoring needed to sustain benefits after go-live.

Assurance activities that test whether benefits intent, measures, evidence and governance are credible and sustained.

Negative impacts arising from change that should be identified, measured and governed alongside benefits.

The accountable person for a specific benefit’s measures, evidence, and reporting through realisation and sustainment.

Executive accountability for the initiative’s benefits and governance, including post-project arrangements.

The office that standardises benefits data, reporting and review cadence across initiatives so decisions are comparable.

Role responsible for adoption and operational change needed for benefits to materialise.

Benefits that release cash (e.g., reduced spend), not just improved performance.

Benefits that improve outcomes/efficiency without directly releasing cash (e.g., quality, time, risk).