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Stakeholder and Value June 2026

Pillar 8 · Cluster 3

Stakeholders and value realization

RACI matrices clarify who does what. Benefits realization tracks whether the project actually delivered value. Steering committees provide governance. Together, they determine project success.

85%Of projects with clear RACI avoid role confusion
40%Of project benefits are never formally tracked post-go-live
MonthlySteering committee cadence for major GBS programs
GBS project stakeholder and value realization framework

GBS project stakeholder and value realization framework

Sound familiar?

Start with your problem. Each one routes to the topic that solves it.
KTwo teams built the same thing. Nobody owned it.T1 → PThe project closed green. The savings vanished.T2 → PYour steering committee nods and never decides.T3 →

Topic 01 · Role Clarity

RACI matrix — mapping roles and responsibilities

TL;DR

RACI ends the "I thought you had it" failure: one Accountable per task, Responsible doers, Consulted and Informed defined. The model is in THE FIX.

Everyone assumed someone.
Someone assumed you.

2 min read · full theory in the expandable
The Problem
K
Klaudia
Senior associate · Year 3 · Krakow

Three weeks, two teams, one deliverable — built twice, in two versions, by people who each thought they owned it.

Klaudia draws the grid: who does, who owns, who advises, who just needs to know.
Thirty minutes of clarity ends three weeks of duplication.

"The work was never the problem. The ownership was."

She feels effective with the simplest tool on the project.

The Trap

You assume ownership is obvious. On cross-team work, obvious means duplicated or dropped.

The Fix

Four letters, one hard rule.

RResponsible. Does the work. Can be several.
AAccountable. Owns the outcome. Exactly one — the hard rule.
CConsulted. Gives input before. Two-way.
IInformed. Told after. One-way.

Every deliverable gets one A. Duplication and dropping both stop — the grid catches what assumption missed.

RACI in depth — with worked exampleTHEORY · 3 MIN

When everyone is responsible, nobody is responsible. RACI prevents ambiguity by defining exactly who does the work, who owns the outcome, who provides input, and who needs to be kept aware.

Responsible Accountable Consulted Informed Does the work Owns the outcome Gives input Kept in the loop SLA Draft R A C I GBS Ops Lead Service Owner BU Stakeholder Finance Director RULE: EXACTLY ONE A PER ROW If two people are accountable, nobody is accountable.
RACI Responsibility Matrix
RACI definitions
  • Responsible (R) — the person or team who does the work. There can be multiple Rs for different sub-tasks.
  • Accountable (A) — the single person who owns the outcome. Only one A per task. The buck stops here.
  • Consulted (C) — people whose input is needed before the work is done. Two-way communication.
  • Informed (I) — people who need to know the outcome but do not need to provide input. One-way communication.
RACI discipline

The most common RACI failure is having too many Cs and no clear A. Every stakeholder wants to be consulted, which creates a consensus-driven paralysis. A well-governed RACI does three things:

  • Assigns exactly one A per deliverable.
  • Limits Cs to those whose input genuinely changes the quality of the decision.
  • Uses I liberally to keep people informed without slowing down execution.
BUSINESS CASE STRUCTURE PROBLEMWhy change?Cost of doing nothing SOLUTIONWhat we proposeOptions considered COSTInvestment neededTCO view BENEFITSROI · PaybackTangible + intangible RISKWhat couldgo wrong A STRONG BUSINESS CASE SELLS ITSELF

Business case — problem, solution, cost-benefit, ROI, risk

Monday Move

RACI your most confused deliverable. Enforce the single-A rule.

→

Roles clear. Now the money the project promised.

Topic 02 · Value Tracking

Benefits realization — tracking ROI post-project

TL;DR

Benefits realization starts at the charter, not at go-live. A benefit without a baseline, owner, and date is a hope. The model is in THE FIX.

The project delivered.
Did the benefits?

2 min read · full theory in the expandable
The Problem
P
Peter
Team lead · Year 2 · Budapest

Six months after go-live, Finance asks Peter for the promised savings.

The project closed green. The savings were never baselined, never assigned, never tracked.
The number in the business case is now unprovable — in both directions.

"We finished the project and lost the point of it."

He feels cornered by a question the charter should have answered.

The Trap

You track the project’s delivery and nobody tracks the project’s promise.

The Fix

Benefits survive on three anchors set at the charter.

BASELINEMeasure before. No before, no provable after.
OWNERA named benefit owner. Usually in the business — the project team leaves; the owner stays.
SCHEDULETracking dates past go-live. Benefits arrive in quarters, not at the closing party.

His next charter has a baseline table and a benefit owner. Finance signs the savings a year later — with evidence.

Benefits realization in depthTHEORY · 4 MIN

The project business case promises benefits. Benefits realization tracks whether those benefits actually materialized after the project ended.

Benefits realization framework
  • Define benefits at project initiation — not after go-live, when it is too late to set baselines
  • Baseline current state — measure the metrics you plan to improve before the project begins
  • Assign benefit owners — someone accountable for each benefit realization, independent of the project team
  • Track at 3, 6, and 12 months post-go-live — benefits rarely materialize at go-live; they emerge as adoption matures
  • Report honestly — if benefits did not materialize, document why and adjust future business cases accordingly
01 Define Benefits 02 Baseline State 03 Assign Owners 04 Track 3–12 mo. 05 Report Honestly
Benefits land after adoption matures.
BENEFITS REGISTER BENEFITTYPEMEASUREOWNERSTATUS FTE savingsHardHeadcount reductionFinance LeadTracking Cycle timeSoftDays reducedProcess OwnerRealized IF YOU CAN'T MEASURE IT, YOU CAN'T PROVE IT · TRACK BENEFITS FROM DAY ONE

Benefits register — cost savings, revenue, quality, risk, experience

Monday Move

For your current project: name the benefit owner. If nobody is, that is the finding.

→

Benefits need sponsors alive and engaged. Sponsors need managing too.

? CHALLENGE YOURSELF click to expand
  • Have you contributed to a business case — even a section? Could you build one from scratch for an initiative you care about?
  • Do you know the difference between hard savings and soft savings? Which ones has your team or project actually validated with Finance?
  • How do you prepare for a steering committee or leadership update? Do you lead with status or with decisions needed?

Topic 03 · Governance

Managing executive sponsors and steering committees

TL;DR

Sponsors and steering committees do not manage themselves. Prepare them, feed them decisions, never surprises. The model is in THE FIX.

Your steering committee
steers only if you load the wheel.

2 min read · full theory in the expandable
The Problem
P
Priya
Process SME · Migration + BAU · Bangalore

Priya’s first steering meeting: twelve slides of status, polite nods, zero decisions.

A veteran PM shows her the trick: brief the sponsor before the meeting, put one decision on the table, frame options with a recommendation.
Next session: eight minutes of status, one decision taken.

"Steering committees decide what you prepare them to decide."

She feels in control of a room above her pay grade.

The Trap

You report to the steering committee and wonder why it never steers.

The Fix

Steering runs on preparation, not presentation.

PRE-BRIEFThe sponsor hears everything first. No sponsor surprises, ever — that is the alliance.
ONE DECISIONPer session, framed. Options, trade-offs, your recommendation.
MINUTESDecisions documented same-day. A decision unrecorded gets relitigated.

Her steering sessions shrink and sharpen. The committee starts doing its actual job — because she does hers.

Sponsors and steering committees in depthTHEORY · 4 MIN

Steering committees are where projects get approved, funded, and protected. Managing them well is the difference between a project with air cover and a project that gets defunded at the first obstacle.

Steering committee management
  • Pre-wire decisions — never surprise a steering committee; brief key members individually before the meeting
  • Focus on decisions, not updates — status reports can be read; steering committee time should be used for decisions and escalations
  • Present options, not problems — come with recommended actions and the trade-offs of alternatives
  • Protect the sponsor — your executive sponsor's credibility is tied to the project; keep them informed of risks early so they are never blindsided
  • Document decisions and distribute immediately — steering committee decisions carry organizational authority only when documented and communicated
VALUE TRACKER PLANNED VALUEBusiness case promise vs REALIZED VALUEActually delivered = VALUE GAPAction required to close TRACK MONTHLY · REPORT TO STEERING · CLOSE THE GAP

Value realization — investment to optimization

Monday Move

Before your next steering: pre-brief the sponsor and frame one decision. Recommendation included.

→

Governance moves the top. Cluster 4: the humans it lands on.

Business Case Problem to ROI Justify the investment Value Tracker Investment to impact Close the value gap Benefits Register Measure outcomes Cost, quality, risk
Stakeholder Value Framework
JT
FROM THE FIELD
  • I have never seen a project fail because the business case was wrong. I have seen dozens fail because nobody tracked whether the promised benefits were actually delivered. Benefits realization tracking should start at the charter, not at go-live.
  • Hard savings hit the P&L. Soft savings make a nice slide. Finance will only validate the hard ones. If your improvement project claims "productivity gains" without showing headcount reduction or volume absorption, expect pushback at sign-off.
? CAREER CHECK click to expand
  • Building business cases is a skill that separates operational thinkers from strategic thinkers. How confident are you with ROI and payback calculations?
  • Have you ever tracked benefits realization after a project ended? Most people move on — the ones who track impact build stronger promotion cases.
  • Could you present project results to leadership in a compelling 5-minute summary? What framework would you use?
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Reference

Glossary

Full glossary at the GBS Insider Club Field Guide.

RACIResponsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed — a matrix that clarifies roles for each task or decision in a project. Prevents ambiguity and ensures clear ownership.
Benefits realizationThe discipline of tracking whether the value promised in a project business case actually materializes after implementation.
Steering committeeA governance body of senior leaders who oversee a project, make strategic decisions, resolve escalations, and provide organizational support.
Executive sponsorThe senior leader who owns the project at the organizational level, provides funding, removes obstacles, and champions the project to other leaders.
Business caseThe documented justification for a project, including the problem statement, proposed solution, expected benefits, costs, risks, and timeline.
Sources and further reading
  1. PMI — Benefits Realization Management Practice Guide, 2019
  2. PRINCE2 — Project Board and steering committee governance
  3. McKinsey — The role of the executive sponsor in transformation, 2024
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