Why Traditional Project Management Needs Enabling Project Delivery (EPD)

In project management today, organizations constantly chase new tools, certifications, and frameworks, hoping to tame complexity. However, Ben Webb argues that these approaches miss the root causes of failure. “Projects don’t collapse because of missing templates. They collapse because: no one knows who owns the outcome; decisions aren’t made when they need to be; stakeholders…

Ben Webb – Project Manager's avatar by Ben Webb – Project Manager

What is epd?

In the world of project management, there’s no shortage of frameworks, certifications, or acronyms. From PRINCE2 to PMBOK, Agile to Lean, the industry has spent decades building systems to manage complexity, reduce risk, and keep teams aligned. But ask anyone who has delivered a high-pressure, high-stakes project—especially in infrastructure or construction—and they’ll tell you the…

Ben Webb – Project Manager's avatar by Ben Webb – Project Manager

Pillar 1 – Clarity of Purpose:

The Key to Aligning Your Project

The first pillar of EPD is Clarity of Purpose. Webb warns that many projects start with excitement but without a shared understanding of success. He explains that teams often discover too late “That’s not what we thought the scope was” or “We didn’t realise that was the actual objective”. These misunderstandings are not mere miscommunication; they are failures of alignment.

In EPD, purpose is not a vague slogan but an operational tool. A well-defined purpose answers critical questions: Why is this project happening? What outcome will be delivered? What problem is being solved? With purpose clearly articulated from day one, every decision, trade-off, and design choice can be tested against it. Webb illustrates that without this anchor, “projects wander” and sometimes finish with no one agreeing on whether it was worth it.

Implementing Clarity of Purpose:

  • Define and Document It Early: At project initiation, collaboratively create a purpose statement that is specific and measurable (not just “we need a new website” but “a website that increases X by Y%”).
  • Embed in Decision-Making: For every major choice—scope changes, budget decisions, stakeholder requests—ask, “Does this support or dilute our purpose?” Webb notes that EPD embeds this as part of governance, so scope debates are resolved faster: “Does this change support or dilute our purpose?”.
  • Communicate Broadly: Make sure everyone, from executives to contractors, can state the purpose. Webb emphasizes it’s “everyone’s job to protect [the purpose], escalate misalignment, and steer back on course”.

Why It Matters: Projects without clarity of purpose lose time in second-guessing and hedging. Webb observes that teams without a clear purpose cannot make smart design decisions, realistic budgets, or delegate effectively. In contrast, when purpose is clear, “everything else flows faster — and with less friction.” Thus, by defining purpose as a tangible outcome at the outset, EPD prevents costly rework and ensures all stakeholders pull in the same direction.

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