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Representative POMs are described for Benefits Harvesting at each level of maturity.

2Basic

• Practice

  Ensure oversight of harvesting is managed by the programme sponsor.

  Outcome

  Harvesting is managed (or delegated) by the programme sponsor.

  Metric

  % of completed projects/programmes with harvest oversight.

• Practice

  Assign accountability for the harvesting of targeted benefits to business areas.

  Outcome

  Accountability for benefits delivery is at the general business area level.

  Metric

  % of projects/programmes for which a benefits owner is identified.

• Practice

  Review benefits harvesting at various points after go-live.

  Outcome

  Benefits harvesting in some form is carried out after the project is implemented.

  Metric

  % of projects that review benefits harvesting after go-live.

• Practice

  No formal processes for work practice evolution at this stage.

  Outcome

  Work practices are sometimes changed to enable benefits.

  Metric

  % of projects where work practices are changed at some point.

• Practice

  Conduct post-implementation reviews for all major projects/programmes, focusing largely on deliverables (time, scope, budget).

  Outcome

  A project-oriented post-mortem takes place on all projects/programmes.

  Metric

  % of projects/programmes on which a review is carried out within six months of completion.

• Practice

  Review benefits in the context of determining if the proposed change has been achieved or not.

  Outcome

  Post-implementation reviews assess how successfully the proposed changes have been introduced.

  Metric

  Benefit success rate = % of targeted benefits actually achieved.

• Practice

  Use a benefits thinking approach in investment decision-making.

  Outcome

  Benefits realization begins to be evident in decision-making.

  Metric

  % of business cases that are benefits-led.

3Intermediate

• Practice

  Establish a post-implementation harvesting steering group to oversee delivery of targeted benefits for some projects/programmes.

  Outcome

  The harvesting team, composed of key IT and other business stakeholders, oversees benefits delivery and holds benefit owners accountable.

  Metric

  % of completed projects/programmes with a harvesting team.

• Practice

  Assign accountability to named business individuals for the harvesting of targeted benefits.

  Outcome

  Accountability for benefits delivery is assigned to named people.

  Metric

  % of completed projects/programmes with accountabilities assigned for harvesting.

• Practice

  Commit targeted benefits into business unit budgets.

  Outcomes

  • Targeted benefits are committed into corporate systems and processes.
  • Benefits accountability is enforced through budgets and head-counts.

  Metric

  % of projects with benefits committed to budgets.

• Practice

  Review benefits harvesting throughout the project life cycle.

  Outcome

  Benefits harvesting stage gates are enacted and reviewed throughout the life cycle.

  Metric

  % of projects that review benefits harvesting throughout the life cycle.

• Practice

  Evolve working practices to achieve targeted benefits.

  Outcome

  Changes are embedded in work practices, and oversight and reward systems throughout the entire organization.

  Metric

  % of projects where work practices are evolving throughout the project.

• Practice

  Conduct post-implementation reviews that prioritize the realization of benefits over project deliverables.

  Outcome

  A benefits-focused post mortem is in place for all projects/programmes.

  Metric

  % of projects/programmes with a benefits-focused post-implementation review.

• Practice

  Conduct architectural reviews of each project to determine its potential benefits.

  Outcome

  The architectural roadmap is updated for each project.

  Metric

  % of projects that include architectural reviews.

• Practice

  Facilitate lessons learned reviews, with a focus on benefits.

  Outcomes

  • A lessons learned report is available.
  • The benefits action plan also includes the benefits that were expected but not achieved.

  Metric

  % of projects for which lessons learned reviews are conducted.

• Practice

  Use benefits thinking in business cases.

  Outcome

  Benefits realization influences most IT investment decisions through the benefits-led business case.

  Metric

  % of business cases that are benefits-led.

4Advanced

• Practice

  Establish a post-implementation harvesting team for all IT-enabled change initiatives above a defined threshold.

  Outcome

  Harvesting teams are standard practice across the organization.

  Metric

  % of completed projects/programmes with a harvesting team.

• Practice

  Link personal objectives to the achievement of committed project/programme benefits.

  Outcome

  Benefits accountability is enforced through individual scorecards and incentives.

  Metric

  % of projects with benefits committed into individual incentives.

• Practice

  Give business accountability and ownership of evolving work practices and continued benefits harvesting.

  Outcome

  Benefits targets are integrated into the overall organizational performance monitoring.

  Metric

  % of projects where benefits targets are integrated into the overall performance monitoring.

• Practice

  Conduct benefits reviews actively through the project life cycle, both during and following project implementation.

  Outcome

  Enable the business case to be a living investment document that is challenged and revised as assumptions change through the project life cycle.

  Metric

  % of projects where business cases are regularly reviewed and updated throughout the life cycle.

• Practice

  Identify emerging unforecasted benefits.

  Outcome

  A benefits action plan for emerging unforecasted benefits is identified.

  Metric

  Number of emerging unforecasted benefits generated by project.

• Practice

  Ensure benefits realization drives portfolio appraisals.

  Outcomes

  • Project evaluations are focused on benefits to stakeholders rather than on simple financial returns.
  • Formal benefits-driven portfolio appraisal reviews take place.

  Metric

  Portfolio investment criteria are benefits focused.

5Optimized

• Practice

  Recognize business ownership as a routine aspect of delivering benefits through business change.

  Outcome

  Business ownership for benefits delivery and business change is organizationally formalized in job specifications and HR policies.

  Metric

  Existence of HR policies and practices mandating business ownership of business change and benefits delivery.

• Practice

  Integrate formal benefits harvesting into the organization's financial governance.

  Outcome

  Benefits harvesting directly impacts subsequent financial planning — savings and revenues are reflected in adjusted budgets, cost allocations etc.

  Metric

  % of projects where benefits harvesting directly impacts financial planning.

• Practice

  Routinely undergo external harvesting audits.

  Outcome

  Oversight of benefits delivery is done in the context of the overall portfolio.

  Metric

  % of projects where benefits delivery is overseen in the context of the overall portfolio.

• Practice

  Embed benefits thinking across the investment life cycle.

  Outcome

  Targeted benefits are achieved in most investments.

  Metric

  % of investments achieving business benefit targets.