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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Rebecca CaseyORCiD, Dr Deborah HarrisonORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND).
This article critically examines benefits realization management (BRM) as a strategic tool for public sector transformation. Widely promoted as a response to the challenges of digital adoption and organizational change, research shows that its practical use often diverges from its theoretical intent, particularly in complex and politically charged environments. Applied to the context of healthcare in England, this ethnographic case study brings together observational, interview and documentary data gathered across multiple National Health Service (NHS) sites. Using the sociology of translation as the analytical lens, the study explores how governance arrangements, accountability frameworks and organizational cultures shape the enactment and outcomes of BRM. The findings reconceptualize BRM as a relational and contested process co-constructed through the interplay of human and non-human actors, showing how power dynamics and institutional tensions can redirect or marginalize its influence. The discussion considers the implications for public sector transformation more broadly and offers insights that may assist decision-makers seeking to strengthen BRM implementation approaches that recognize the centrality of power, politics and relationships.
Author(s): Casey R, Ivory C, Walsh L, Harrison D
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Public Money and Management
Year: 2026
Pages: epub ahead of print
Online publication date: 04/06/2026
Acceptance date: 24/04/2026
Date deposited: 16/06/2026
ISSN (print): 0954-0962
ISSN (electronic): 1467-9302
Publisher: Routledge
URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2026.2681001
DOI: 10.1080/09540962.2026.2681001
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