Practices and the Development of Competences for Benefits Realization

There are a number of further implications of the work to date for the development of organizational competences for benefits realization. This chapter explores how the idea of ‘practices’ can be used in practice. It then goes on to explore further factors related to practices, and how they can contribute to the development of competences for benefits realization. First, the importance of clear ‘principles for benefits realization’ that provide the basis for a benefits mindset or paradigm and help guide the selection of relevant practices. Secondly, the value of the format provide by the idea of ‘patterns’ as a way of capturing and sharing what works. Patterns are presented in the context of key challenges identified in the knowledge management literature. Thirdly, the need for a common project framework within which the practices can be enacted. Finally the importance of effectiveness, it is how the practices are enacted that is important. Practices are envisaged as a resource to equip teams involved in IT-enabled change, not a new form of ‘methodology’.