No one can disagree that benefits are good things. Whether you are responsible for projects, programs, or portfolios, you are increasingly expected to think—and act—in an appropriate benefits-driven way. However:

• Do you understand that what may be appropriate for a project may be inapplicable for a program?
• Can you avoid the trap of wishful thinking based on overinflated expectations and underestimated costs?
• Can you manage your program or portfolio from inception to final delivery in a consistent, benefits-focused way based on a single, coherent model?

This book describes how Earned Benefit Program Management techniques provide an innovative, all-inclusive model and set of tools developed specifically to answer these questions. This model consolidates the key concepts of project, program, and portfolio management and ensures that all program and portfolio management steps are carried out based on a single, signed-off model in a consistent, verifiable manner within a consolidated life cycle. This approach guarantees alignment with strategic goals and constraints through every stage of a program.

Case studies highlight the key features of the approach and provide important lessons and insights for managing programs. Although the ideas and concepts for each topic are fully consistent with existing standards and other published material, they are based on new thinking and go beyond current practice. They provide a set of original and powerful techniques that are applicable to both programs and portfolios in a wide range of business environments.