Enabling the Project Owner Role for Benefits Realization Management: a case study of an IT project in a public organization

Abstract

Added value from projects doesn’t depend only on the temporary organization; rather it is deeply modulated by the actions undertaken by the permanent organization that have defined the project and will transform the project deliverables in outcomes, and then in organizational benefits. Research has introduced the role of the project owner as an organizational capability to realize benefits. Based on a case study, this paper aims at analyzing the organizational enablers allowing the adoption of the project owner role for the benefit realization. We identified six organizational enablers, such as benefits management practices, change management practices, organizational leadership, information infrastructure, strong relationship with the project supplier and urgency for realizing benefits. Our results reveal that organizational enablers for enabling the project owner role emerged within and throughout the entire business unit that has launched the project and obtained the expected benefits.