PRINCE2 Synopsis 2009 - Pre Course Reading

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scoll methods

Revised June 2009

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A synopsis of PRINCE2 ® Version 2009

Managing Successful Projects

s c o l lmethods



PRINCE2 Synopsis 2009 (v4.01) __________________________________________________________________________________________________

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ContentsSection 1 – BackgroundSection 2 – OverviewSection 3 – The ProcessesSection 4 – PRINCE2® Themes

Section 5 – The Benefits of PRINCE2 ®

Section 6 – scoll methods’ Services




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1. Back ground

A bit of history

PRINCE (PRojects IN Controlled Environments)

Version 2 was launched by CCTA (CentralComputer and Telecommunications Agency, nowpart of OGC) on 1 October 1996 as the openstandard for Project Management in the UK. Since1996 use of PRINCE2® has expanded rapidly.Organisations using and tailoring PRINCE2® forproject management number in the thousands.Project Managers with the recognised qualificationof PRINCE2® Practitioner number in the hundredthousands. PRINCE2® has become so influential;it is almost now the mandatory requirement for anyProject Manager applying for a Project Managerposition.

The key to this expansion has been theinvolvement of the APM Group and the accreditingof Training Organisations to train both experiencedand budding Project Managers in PRINCE2®. Thisrapid expansion has resulted in a great deal ofproject experience in the application of PRINCE2® and considerable feedback from organisationsusing the method. Consequently, PRINCE2® hasundergone revision and refinement in September1998, 2002, 2005 and again in June 2009.

A companion Programme Management methodManaging Successful Programmes (MSP) wasreleased in 1999. This introduction of MSP hasallowed the authors of PRINCE2® to drop all detail

on programme management and to include onlythe interface information flows between the twomethods. This fits with OGC’s overall strategy ofdeveloping ‘plug and play’ standards so thatorganisations can choose methods that theyconsider ‘best of breed’ for their particularapproach to product development.

The consequence of this strategy is that, as amethod, PRINCE2® has moved a long way from itsroots in PROMPT and the subsequently developedPRINCE® (the first version - the predecessor toPRINCE2®) that incorporated computer systemdevelopment.

PRINCE2® is now independent of all technologyand is available for use to manage all nature ofprojects from major projects within a ‘programme’of projects right down to small ones involving justone or two staff for a short period. It just needs tobe tailored to suit the needs of the project.

Free use of PRINCE2®

PRINCE2® is Crown Copyright and is owned bythe UK Government. The Stationery Officepublishes the manual and the PRINCE2® name issubject to licensed trademark control, but themethod itself is in the public domain. There istherefore no licence fee to pay to use PRINCE2®.Consultancy, publications and PRINCE2® trainingare available from accredited and registeredsuppliers so organisations have an independentassurance of quality from the APM Group.

As a company with an interest both in projectmanagement and in the effective and pragmatic

use of methods, scoll methods is fully accreditedfor PRINCE2® training and its course trainers allhold the PRINCE2® Practitioner certificate.

Projecting’s training specifically works with casestudies taken directly from clients’ experiences. We

believe that applying PRINCE2® and working onprojects in which delegates are involved helpsthem to better understand PRINCE2®’s fullflexibility and scalability (as well as preparing forany exams) far more than simply learning thetheory stated in a manual.




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2. Overvie w

The structure of the methodology

PRINCE2® focuses on the processes of projectmanagement. It defines the activities, tasks andresponsibilities for all members of a Project

Management Team from the Executive of theProject Board, who holds the purse strings, throughto the specialist Team Managers who superviseproduction of the project deliverables.

The processes cover the various phases of aproject from high-level planning based on anagreed and valid Business Case through day-to-day project control to formal Project Closure wherethe Project Management Team can demonstratethat the project’s objectives have been achieved.

In all this detail, PRINCE2® recognises that anyorganisation funding a project does so in order toobtain ‘beneficial products’ of a quality that it canafford in a timescale that fits its business strategyand need. PRINCE2® provides project teams withthe tactics and techniques, and recommendedcommunications to achieve this. Only the softwaretools are not included, but the expanding marketplace is making up this shortfall.

A little more detail

Organisations that are not of the ‘just do it' varietyhave long since recognised that 70% of theprobability of a project’s success is dependent onthe quality of project planning. Much of PRINCE2® is geared to helping Project Teams get the

planning right. The rest of PRINCE2® is aboutrunning the project right and to plan.

A PRINCE2® ‘plan’ consists of 7 themes that arecombined into a set of major documentation termedthe Project Initiation Documentation, endearinglyknown to all as the ‘PID’.

The themes are:

1. Business Case2. (Project) Organisation3. Quality4. Plans5. Risk6. Change7. Progress

To help a Project Team devise strategies toimplement these themes and then work withinthese strategies PRINCE2® defines 7 processesthat incorporate the activities and tasks of projectmanagement.

The processes are:

1. SU - Starting up a project

2. IP - Initiating a project3. DP - Directing a project4. CS - Controlling a stage5. MP - Managing product delivery6. SB - Managing a stage boundary7. CP - Closing a project

To support these processes and to aid consistencyof project management approach, PRINCE2® provides comprehensive descriptions of a set ofrecommended communications (e.g. via documenttemplates). These communications cover theneeds of most projects. They encompass plans,procedures, project logs, change requests, issuesand several types of report.

PRINCE2® authors recognised that planningtechniques and diagram styles have becomecommon throughout business. The PRINCE2® ‘plug and play’ strategy encourages organisationsto continue using diagram styles with which theirproject teams are comfortable. As a consequence,comprehensive as PRINCE2® is, it is short ontechniques. One major technique that PRINCE2®

does include and endorse is Product-basedPlanning. The focus is always on the use of projectmanagement to deliver ‘beneficial’ products.

Planning with products

PRINCE2®’s ‘product-based planning’ technique isboth logical and powerful. This Product-basedPlanning starts by identifying the Project Product[or final deliverable(s) from the project] and thecustomer’s quality expectations of that ProjectProduct. The Project Product is ‘broken down’ intoits constituent parts (products). Essential,sequential dependencies in production of theseproducts are identified. Activity planning is thenapplied based on recognising the specialistactivities needed to generate these products. Theproject plan is often documented in the form of aGantt chart.

Products make effective project milestones.Products of the right quality which are delivered ontime enable the customer to reap benefits.




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3. The Proces ses

In PRINCE2® the 7 processes list the activities andtasks required of the different members of theProject Management Team. Project Board-members and Team Manager activities are

included but most activities are the responsibility ofthe Project Manager. To help in the practicalimplementation and tailoring of processes to theneeds of a project are a set of 7 clearly statedPrinciples that underpin successful use ofPRINCE2®. It is up to The Project ManagementTeam-members to apply skill and experience toperforming the tasks, but PRINCE2® providesHints and Tips to help get the best out ofPRINCE2®.

SU - Starting Up a Project

Gathering basic information.This PRINCE2® process starts with receipt of a

Project Mandate. Before SU deals with thequestion “is the Business Case valid?” and “do wehave a viable project?” the Project Manager isencouraged to investigate what lessons should belearned from previous projects. In the light of theselessons it is easier to judge the viability of theproject. Basic project organisation roles have to befilled to make the decision. If the Business Case isvalid and the project viable (acceptable levels ofRisk), the Project Board makes the decision toallow project planning to start.

IP - Initiating a Project

Agreement that we know what we are doing.This is the initial project planning stage and willgenerate a set of plans known as the PID - theProject Initiation Documentation. The PID includesitems such as the Project risk ManagementStrategy, Quality Management Strategy,Configuration Management Strategy,Communication Management Strategy and a fullBusiness Case. It will provide the information forthe Project Board to decide formally whether or notto commit to running the project.

DP - Directing a Project

Management by Exception.The Project Board is ultimately responsible fordelivering the required product or outcome to theorganisation. The Project Board oversees projectprogress, making decisions at key points to takefirm control. The Project Board grants authority for

work to proceed on the project in Stages but only ifthe project is on target. Exceptional deviation fromtarget triggers the Project Board firmly taking backcontrol.

CS - Controlling a Stage

Managing the project.This covers the day-to-day work of the ProjectManager in monitoring a stage, reporting progressand taking any corrective action necessary.

MP- Managing Product Delivery

Managing the development of products.Team Managers work to directives in WorkPackages. They manage the building of products,report progress and deliver the products of provenquality.

SB - Managing a Stage Boundary

Taking stock and preparing for the next stage.The Project Board reviews the project at the end ofeach stage. SB covers the updating of keyinformation, production of the next Stage Plan anda report ready for Project Board review and theissue – if appropriate – of authority to proceed.

CP - Closing a Project

Making sure the project has done the job.PRINCE2® requires an orderly close. CP definesthe tasks needed to ensure that a project iscomplete.

Startingup a

Project Directing a Project

Managing aStage Boundary

Closinga

Proect

Managing Product Delivery

Initiatinga Project

Controlling a Stage

©Crown Copyright 2009

Reproduced under licence from OGC




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4. PRINCE2® The m es

The Themes

PRINCE2® has 7 themes, the appropriate use ofwhich needs to be thought through for the nature ofthe project when assembling the Project InitiationDocumentation (PID). The PID addresses all themajor aspects of project management fromBusiness Case to Issue and Change Control. Themethod gives specific advice in each of theseareas.

Business Case

The Business Case describes the valid reasons forundertaking a project. It covers the full scope of theproject and includes estimated costs, savings andbusiness benefits. PRINCE2® emphasises that theBusiness Case must stay valid throughout the lifeof the project. Without a valid Business Case a

project should not start and if the Business Casecollapses, the project should be cancelled.

Organisation

PRINCE2® includes an organisation structure thatdefines roles and responsibilities for eachmember of a Project Management Team. Tailoringthe Project Management Team to the needs of theproject is essential. Roles may be shared by morethan one person or one person can fulfil more thanone role (especially on smaller projects).

The 3 organisation interests

PRINCE2® requires representation for three keyinterests when any significant decision is to betaken in the project: A financial, business interest to ensure that the

project delivers ‘best value’ for theorganisation.

A user interest to ensure that the deliverablesare practical (fit for purpose) and will enablethe organisation to realise benefits.

A supplier interest to ensure that the requireddeliverables are within the capabilities of theproject team (can be done).

These interests are reflected in the Project Board(senior management) roles. PRINCE2® assumes

a Customer (with a business need) – Supplier (of abusiness solution) relationship for each project.

The Project Manager comes from and representsthe Customer. If the supplier is an externalorganisation, their representative sits on the Project Board to ensure that their interests and concernsare considered in any Project Board decision.

Quality

PRINCE2® requires a ‘fit for purpose’ quality for alldeliverables. This requires the purpose of eachproduct to be defined and the quality criteria set toensure that every product is built ‘to purpose’. Theapproaches to quality and specific roleresponsibilities are spelt out in a Project QualityManagement Strategy.

Plans

PRINCE2® requires a project plan that the ProjectBoard and Project Manager together agree isrealistic. The methodology does not specify thestyle of plans to be drawn but does suggest the use

of the Product-based Planning technique.

Risk

Projects produce change and change involves risk.PRINCE2® ensures that risk management isintegrated into project plans. Risks are identifiedand analysed, and their management is allocatedto specified individuals. PRINCE2® does not definea level of acceptable risk. Undertaking a high-riskproject can be justified if the risks are managed.

Change

User requirements are subject to change so

PRINCE2® requires an Issue and Change Controlprocedure. This procedure handles any ProjectIssues, be they change requests, statements ofconcern or queries, and incorporates a tight link torisk analysis.

Integral with Issue and Change Control isConfiguration Management controlling versions ofproducts. This is an essential discipline to avoidconfusion with team-members working on differentdocument versions. PRINCE2® requires aconfiguration management procedure to be definedas part of the Project Configuration ManagementStrategy.

Progress

PRINCE2® bases progress control on'management by exception' giving a ProjectManager well-defined levels of authority at different

stages within a project. Within project stages, theProject and Team Managers are required to reportat defined intervals.

Organisation

BusinessCase

Quality

Plans

Risk

Change

Progress

Part

A7Part A7

Part

A7

©Crown Copyright 2009

Reproduced under licence from OGC




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5. The Ben ef i t s of PRINCE2®

Use of PRINCE2® is growing world-wide. It issupported by a wide range of service and toolsproviders and has strong user groups so that itspractitioners can influence development of themethod.

It is important to consider the benefits of themethod, since there is no point in applying anymethod that does not help organisations to improveproject management. The following list of benefitsis not exhaustive but incorporates those widelyrecognised…

• PRINCE2® is designed for use on a very widerange of projects, from ‘programmes’ ofprojects down to small ones involving just twoor three staff for a short period. Clearly theapproach to managing a very large, expensive,high-profile, business-critical project is going to

be vastly different to managing a very smallone which is neither business-critical nor highrisk. PRINCE2® can be adjusted betweenthese extremes to be applied to projects ofdiffering scale and complexity.

• It embodies best current practice in projectmanagement and is readily understandable.

• It requires frequent review of the BusinessCase (the justification for the project). Thismeans the project can be given higher priority ifthe Business Case gets stronger or stoppedquickly if the Business Case collapses.

• The Business Case is established beforeresources are spent on running a project.

• Business benefits are checked during, at theend of the project and afterwards in (a) BenefitsReview(s), not merely recorded as justificationat the beginning. This means the organisationcan be realistic about its projects and learn fromone project to the next, neither overstating norunderstating the benefits.

• It incorporates regular checks against the planand alerts the project owners quickly ifprojections indicate that the project will gooutside pre-determined tolerances. This brings

project sponsors in quickly to make decisions ifcircumstances change.

• It provides a defined project structure fordelegation, authority and communication. Thisreduces significantly the likelihood of confusionover responsibilities and authority.

• It provides a means of controlling resourcesand a framework to manage risk effectively.

• Risk management is incorporated intoPRINCE2® project management processes so‘crisis management’ ceases to be the norm.

• It divides the project into manageable chunks

(stages) for more accurate planning and tobuild in key management reviews.

• It ensures that resource commitment frommanagement accompanies authority to proceedwith project stages. This puts responsibility for providing resource with those who commissionthe project rather than with the Project Manager

who usually will not have authority to commitsuch resource.

• It has a Communication Management Strategyto ensure stakeholders receive and contributeregular information flows. Project Boards arekept abreast of progress in between scheduledcontrol points enabling them to 'manage byexception'. This gives the Project Managerfreedom to manage the project in betweenthose control points with clear authority.

• It provides quality checks throughout the projectand product by product, as required.

•

Key interests in the project are represented inthe Project Management Team. This meansthat users get what they need, deliverables are justified by the benefit to the organisation andthat the products are technically viable.

• The nature of key deliverables is agreed at theoutset. This helps everyone understand exactlywhat the project will deliver and significantlyreduces the risk in delivery of the 'wrong'product.

• The identification and definition of productsprovides clear milestones for unambiguousprogress checks. Both Project Manager and

Project Board can see progress easily.• The inclusion of a Product-based Planning

technique makes a major contribution toprogramme management and to mapping theinterfaces between projects.

• Change is controlled from the outset, helping toavoid 'scope creep' followed by a 'freeze onchange' which distances the project from therealities of a dynamic business environment.

• The methodology is very flexible, adaptable andscalable, allowing organisations to use onestandard method for different sizes and types ofproject. This delivers advantages of consistency

and familiarity with the project approachparticularly for contract staff. Practitioners cangain recognised qualifications (Foundation andPractitioner Certificates). These conferprofessional credibility on in-house staff and setminimum standards for contractors.




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6. PROJECTING Serv ices

At Projecting, we provide professional consultancyand training services in...

• Project Management skills

• PMP

• PRINCE2®

• Microsoft Project• ITIL

• Programme Management (MSP™)

• Change Management (APMG accredited)

PRINCE2® Overview1 short day – public and on-siteA short day that outlines the method and itsbenefits. This is suitable for senior managers,Project Managers and team-members who need tounderstand the approach of PRINCE2®.

PRINCE2® SRO/Executive Workshop1 short day – on-site only

Workshop designed to give an overview of thePRINCE2® methodology, but to then focus oncontrol, tailoring specific issues for the ProjectBoard and Senior Responsible Owner [SRO] (alsoknown as an Executive).

PRINCE2® for the Project Board1 day – on-site onlyAn overview course, but spotlighting theinvolvement and responsibilities of Project Board-members. This is for managers who are alreadyfamiliar with the project environment and whounderstand Project Plans. The course is deliveredon-site and includes time for facilitated discussion

on how the method can be used in theorganisation.

Peer Review Workshop1 short or part day – on-site onlyWorkshop for staff involved in peer reviews. Thiswill enable staff to understand the purpose, natureand processes of a peer review, and to be able todemonstrate an appreciation of the skills requiredin a peer review.

PRINCE2® Project Management4 days – public and on-siteThis is the Practitioners’ course designed for allthose in projects, especially Project Managers, who

will have close involvement with the running ofPRINCE2®. It is delivered at the level of detailneeded to sit the PRINCE2® examinations. Thepublic 4-day courses are always followed by theexam which delegates can sit if they wish.

PRINCE2® Foundation3 days – public and on-siteThe 3-day PRINCE2® Foundation and 2-dayPRINCE2® Conversion courses are an alternativeto the 4-day PRINCE2® Practitioner course, fordelegates who would prefer further class exercises,practice exam questions and time to consolidatethe Foundation elements of the course before

progressing to Practitioner level.

PRINCE2® Conversion2 days – public and on-siteA Practitioner exam preparation course buildingupon the knowledge gained in the PRINCE2® Foundation course, and providing detailed andpractical examples in preparation for the

Practitioner exam.

PRINCE2® - Tailored coursesWe can develop other courses to meet your needs,often with no or low development costs owing tothe modular nature of our material. Call us todiscuss any specific needs.

On-site coursesWe deliver courses publicly but are also happy todeliver on your own premises. On-site delivery isnormally more cost-effective if you have a numberof people to train simultaneously. On-site trainingallows the course to be adapted to your ownenvironment and procedures, if required.

Accreditation and the PRINCE2® exam

Projecting are affiliates to scoll methods who are fully accredited to deliver PRINCE2® training and as such is authorised to run thePRINCE2® examination in public sittings and onclient sites as required.

Our training includes advice on tailoring the method effectively and works with case studies taken directly from clients’ experiences. These help Project Managers understand PRINCE2®’s full flexibility and scalability.

Projecting

[email protected]

Web: www.projectingit.com

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