This document provides information about benefits dependency networks (BDNs), which are a tool used in benefits management. It explains that a BDN shows the chains of cause and effect between ends (what you want to achieve), ways (what you do), and means (what you use). The document provides examples of how to construct a BDN by sorting items into these categories. It emphasizes that BDNs help ensure objectives are rational and appropriate by analyzing the activities and benefits required to deliver each objective. The document also notes some observations about how BDNs can help address issues like a lack of radical change and validating existing plans rather than strategic objectives.

1. Benefits Dependency
Network

2. The preoccupation with the
“How” diminishes the “What”
• Ask someone what they are doing and chances
are they’ll tell you how they are doing it.
• “What are you doing?”
• “We are working as one enthusiastic team to deliver our
project on time and in budget.”
• “What is it?”
• “It’s a relational database of millions of records, accessed by
hundreds of concurrent users in milli-second response time.”
• “What does it do?”
• “It records transactions between suppliers and purchasers
across the region.”
• “What’s it for?”
• “Dunno”

3. The official definition:
An advantageous change realised from the
transformation of resources to deliver new
or improved value adding activity
The simple definition:
A benefit is a result that a stakeholder
perceives to be of value
What is it all for?
What is a benefit?

4. The Benefits Dependency
Network
MEANS WAYS ENDS
• The BDN is a key tool in Benefits Management. It shows the chains of
cause and effect between ends, ways and means, i.e. what you want,
do and use.

5. • These are the
areas to consider.
• What people,
processes and
technology are in
use?
• Who are the
stakeholders who
get benefit?
• What does the
organisation want
to achieve?
• What business
environment is it
in?

6. Start with the End in Mind
Why did Nelson
fight at Trafalgar?
It’s not only what you do, it’s also why you
choose to do it
B) Use up the old gunpowder
before its sell-by date
A) Destroy the French fleet
and remove the threat of
invasion
C) Impress Lady Hamilton
Answer: A (if you didn’t pick A you are not taking this seriously)

7. Blueprint - Endgame
• The game
ends when:
a) You are
checkmated
, or
b) My King is
in g3, my
Queen is in
c5, etc….

8. This is manageable

9. This is
not

10. Spot the Objectives
Increase
spare cash
Stop
smoking Change job
Reduce blood
pressure to
120/80
Exercise
regularly
More stressed
Increase
disposable
income by 20%
this year
Eat
healthily
Increase
salary
Can’t pay bills
Improve
wellbeing
Write these items on Post-It notes and put them into a
Benefits Dependency Network. Sort them into:
Activities
Benefits
Objectives
Drivers

11. Spot the Objectives
Activity Benefit Objective Driver
Can’t
pay bills
Increase
salary
Increase
disposable
income by
20% this year
Eat
healthily Improve
wellbeing
Stop
smoking
Change job
Reduce
blood
pressure to
120/80
Exercise
regularly
More
stressed
Increase
spare
cash

12. Phraseology matters
• Means – what you use
• Ways – what you do
• Ends – What you want

13. What drives the drivers?

14. • Programme
objective becomes
project driver
• Project objective
becomes
workstream driver

15. Setting some boundaries
• Decide the limits of your
responsibility
INTERDEPENDENT NETWORKS

16. Stakeholder Analysis
•Who are the key
stakeholders?
•What will they gain/lose?
•What impact will they have
upon your objectives?

17. Observations
• Lack of radical change
– SMART implies small - strategic objectives get de-scoped
– BM to validate / justify existing plans
– Inappropriate benefits
• BDN helps rationalisation
– The amount of activity required to deliver each benefit
– The validity of projects mapped to strategic objectives
– Re-defined objectives
• Iteration works
– The third draft BDN will look very different (and much better) than
the first

18. Discussion
David Waller
david.waller@keldale.com
07780 533876
www.keldale.com
www.goalmodelling.com
http://consultyorkshire.com