The EPD model

Ben Webb’s EPD model rests on six foundational pillars. Each pillar is a guiding principle that together creates a robust delivery environment. The pillars are: Clarity of Purpose, Leadership & Accountability, Decision Readiness, Team Enablement, Compliance Integration, and Progressive Documentation. Across industries from infrastructure to software, Webb finds that projects thrive when these principles are baked in from day one.

• Clarity of Purpose ensures everyone knows the true goal. Webb calls purpose “an operational tool—a guiding anchor for decisions, leadership, and trade-offs”.
• Leadership & Accountability guarantees someone owns the outcome. No more diffused responsibility. Every project must have a single named leader who actively drives results.
• Decision Readiness means decisions happen when needed. EPD builds mechanisms (like decision logs and escalation paths) to avoid paralysis by indecision.
• Team Enablement puts people first. Rather than drowning teams in bureaucracy, EPD designs environments where empowered teams can deliver with focus and morale.
• Compliance Integration treats risk, governance, and assurance not as an afterthought but as part of the flow. Approvals and audits are built in, not bolted on.
• Progressive Documentation creates a living record. Instead of frantic end-of-project reports, documentation is captured in real time so that by handover the story has already been written.

Each pillar builds on the others. For example, clear purpose helps leaders hold teams accountable, and an accountable leader ensures documentation and compliance are taken seriously. Together, the six pillars form a coherent EPD framework that addresses modern project challenges.

As Webb writes, EPD “makes [traditional frameworks] work by restoring what they left behind: leadership, clarity, and outcome-focused delivery.” This series will dive into each pillar, providing actionable insight into how to implement EPD in your organization.