Achieving Clarity

Tools and Techniques for Defining Project Purpose Building on the first pillar, this post explores concrete practices for establishing and maintaining clarity of purpose in project teams. Ben Webb highlights that clarity “isn’t optional” but the foundation of EPD. Here’s how modern project managers can ensure this pillar is effectively implemented: Signs of Success: When…

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

The Six Pillars of Enabling Project Delivery (EPD) – An Overview

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…

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”.…

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

How EPD Works

From Framework to Real-World Delivery

EPD (Enabling Project Delivery) works by changing how decisions are made, how governance is used, and how delivery momentum is protected — without adding unnecessary layers or complexity.

Rather than introducing new bureaucracy, EPD focuses on how existing project structures actually behave under pressure — and corrects them where they fail.

The Core Principle

Most projects already have:

  • Schedules
  • Risk registers
  • Steering committees
  • Status reports

EPD does not replace these.

Instead, EPD asks one fundamental question at every stage:

“Is this enabling delivery — or is it simply documenting activity?”

If it’s the latter, it gets redesigned.

The Four Operating Pillars of EPD

EPD works through four tightly connected pillars. Each one reinforces the others.

1. Decision Architecture

Making it unambiguous who decides what — and when

Projects slow down not because decisions are hard, but because decision ownership is unclear.

EPD establishes:

  • Explicit decision rights (not implied authority)
  • Clear thresholds for escalation
  • Defined information requirements — no more, no less
  • Time-bound decisions to avoid drift by delay

This removes:

  • Endless “alignment” meetings
  • Passive escalation
  • Decisions disguised as discussions

Outcome: decisions move forward without chaos or bottlenecks.

2. Delivery Cadence

Shifting meetings from updates to momentum

Traditional project rhythms prioritise reporting:

  • What happened
  • What might happen
  • What everyone already knows

EPD redesigns cadence to focus on:

  • What must happen next
  • What is blocking progress
  • What decision is required now

Meetings become:

  • Shorter
  • More focused
  • Decision-oriented

Reporting becomes a tool — not the objective.

Outcome: teams spend more time delivering and less time explaining why they aren’t.

3. Governance That Enables Action

Using governance as a lever, not a shield

Governance often becomes defensive:

  • Protecting process
  • Avoiding accountability
  • Deferring decisions “upwards”

EPD reframes governance as:

  • A mechanism to enable timely decisions
  • A forum for resolving trade-offs, not avoiding them
  • A support system for delivery leaders, not a barrier

This includes:

  • Redesigning steering forums
  • Clarifying what governance actually owns
  • Removing duplicative reporting
  • Aligning authority with responsibility

Outcome: governance accelerates delivery instead of slowing it down.

4. Early Drift Detection

Identifying misalignment before recovery is required

Project drift rarely appears suddenly.
It develops quietly through:

  • Unchallenged assumptions
  • Incremental scope creep
  • Deferred decisions
  • Optimism replacing evidence

EPD introduces simple, repeatable checks to detect:

  • Misalignment between scope, time, and resources
  • Decision bottlenecks
  • Ownership gaps
  • Unrealistic sequencing

This allows intervention before the project needs “recovery”.

Outcome: problems are corrected while they’re still cheap to fix.

How EPD Is Applied on a Project

EPD is applied in stages, not as a one-off workshop:

  1. Diagnosis
    Rapid assessment of decision flow, governance effectiveness, and delivery risks.
  2. Reset
    Clarifying decision rights, delivery cadence, and governance roles.
  3. Embed
    Introducing EPD tools and habits into existing project structures.
  4. Reinforce
    Ongoing check-ins to prevent drift and maintain momentum.

EPD adapts to the project — not the other way around.

What Changes When EPD Is Working

When EPD is functioning properly:

  • Decisions are made earlier and with clearer ownership
  • Meetings become shorter and more purposeful
  • Issues are surfaced honestly, not managed cosmetically
  • Teams regain confidence in the plan
  • Delivery momentum becomes visible and measurable

Most importantly, projects feel calmer — even when complexity remains high.

Designed for Real Projects

EPD is designed for:

  • Projects with multiple stakeholders
  • High public or reputational exposure
  • Tight timeframes
  • Complex governance environments

It recognises that delivery rarely happens in perfect conditions — and builds systems that work despite that.

EPD does not promise certainty.
It creates clarity — and clarity is what allows projects to move.