Closing the Strategy-Execution Gap
Implementing BS202002: Benefits management on
portfolios, programmes and projects
SERIES ARTICLE
By Dr. Hugo Minney
United Kingdom
Abstract
Figure 1 Taking your portfolio of projects towards a shared destination
In today’s complex organisational landscape, aligning projects with strategic objectives is critical to success. Yet, many organisations struggle to prioritise their portfolios effectively, often initiating projects without a clear link to overarching goals. This article explores how benefits management provides a structured framework for translating strategy into measurable outcomes, enabling dynamic portfolio decisions that balance change initiatives with business-as-usual (BAU) activities. Drawing on previous research and practical case studies, we demonstrate how benefits management supports strategic gap analysis, dynamic scoring models, and iterative portfolio reappraisal to optimise resource allocation and maximise value delivery.
- Introduction: The Case for Benefits-Driven Prioritisation
Organisations today face a dual challenge: driving transformative change while maintaining operational stability. Too often, projects are initiated based on individual agendas or short-term gains rather than strategic alignment [2]. This reactive approach leads to resource inefficiencies, misaligned priorities, and missed opportunities to deliver meaningful benefits.
Benefits management offers a solution by acting as a “translator” between high-level strategy and project-level execution [3, 4]. It ensures that every project contributes to organisational success by aligning with both strategic objectives and operational key performance indicators (KPIs). As we highlight in earlier work, “Benefits management is not just about delivering outputs; it’s about delivering outcomes that matter” [5].
Figure 2 Strategic Benefits Management pyramid
This article builds on the principles of benefits management to propose a framework for portfolio prioritisation. By integrating benefits management into the portfolio decision-making process, organisations can:
- Identify gaps between current performance and strategic ambitions.
- Prioritise projects based on their contribution to organisational success criteria.
- Reallocate resources dynamically to address emerging priorities without compromising BAU activities.
The goal is not merely to deliver projects but to deliver value—ensuring that every investment drives progress toward the organisation’s mission.
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Editor’s note: The author Dr. Hugo Minney is a Fellow of APM (Association for Project Management), a Member of PMI and PMI UK, Co-Chair of APM’s Benefits and Value SIG, and committee member of PMI UK’s Sustainability Community of Action. For more, see his author profile at the end of this article.
How to cite this work: Minney, H. (2025). How benefits management supports portfolio prioritization, Implementing BS202002: Portfolio Prioritisation Through Benefits Management: Closing the Strategy-Execution Gap, series article, PM World Journal, Volume XIV, Issue IV, April. Available online at http://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/pmwj151-Apr2025-Minney-Portfolio-Prioritisation-Through-Benefits-Management.pdf
About the Author
Dr Hugo Minney
London, UK
Dr. Hugo Minney is a Fellow of APM (Association for Project Management), a Member of PMI and PMI UK, Co-Chair of APM’s Benefits and Value SIG and committee member of PMI UK’s Sustainability Community of Action (none of which are paid).
Minney set out to become a farmer but was defeated by bureaucracy. He sold high ticket computer systems and specialist software for workforce planning; joined the National Health Service for 18 years (and as a Chief Executive for the last 7 of these) and is now a project management consultant with a sideline chairing a charity restoring the sense of community for young people.
Minney works in project management, and in particular benefits management, motivating team members by reporting what they are achieving together and changing the community and culture to want to achieve – together. At present, he’s more involved on the governance side, accredited as a Social Value practitioner and Chartered Project Professional, and reviewing the balance of projects and contribution to objectives and benefits across portfolios.
Dr. Minney can be contacted at hugo.minney@thesocialreturnco.org
To view previous works by Hugo Minney, visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/dr-hugo-minney/
