I am often asked questions about the Prince2

methodology, so I thought I should jot down a few notes

about it.

The project Management methodology PRINCE2

started life in 1975 as PROMPT2 (Project, Resource,

Organisation, Management and Planning Technique)

developed by Simpact Systems Ltd, a UK company.

Four years later in 1979 PROMPT2 was adopted by

another UK Company CCTA (Central Computer and

Telecommunications Agency), now part of the Office of

Government Commerce (OGC), who modified and

renamed the methodology to PRINCE (Projects In

Controlled Environments) in 1989, following input from

around 150 European organizations, and used it as

the standard methodology for all government

information systems projects.

In 1996 CCTA released PRINCE2, as the standard

methodology for managing all projects in the UK

government

2005 saw the release of a significant update of

the PRINCE2 documentation.

PRINCE2 itself is actually in the public domain,

so it is not restricted to a particular vendor,

however there are many training organisations

around to world to assist with accreditation.

There are two accreditation levels, "Foundation",

a one-hour multiple-choice exam, and

"Practitioner", a three-hour written exam. The Practitioner

exam is open-book.

Whist preparation courses are available around

the world; they are not mandatory for attempting

the exams.

Project managers often ask what the difference is

between PMBOK (a guide to the Project Management

Body Of Knowledge, the ANSI standard for project

management, produced by PMI) and PRINCE2. You can

think of it this way, PMBOK tells you what a

project manager should know to manage a project

successfully, PRINCE2 tells you what you should do.

There is often a misconception that PRINCE2 is

applicable only to IT projects. Although that was

the case in the early days, that is no longer

true.

PRINCE2 is a process-driven project management

method, but pne of its weaknesses comes from its a

high degree of scalability and applicability of

modules that it can lead to a project becoming

what has been dubbed a "PINO", a PRINCE In Name

Only.

PROCESSES

The PRINCE2 methodology comprises forty-five

sub-processes organized into eight high level

Processes. Each process has key inputs and outputs,

together with the specific objectives, activities and

documentation:

1.SU Starting Up a Project

2.PL Planning

3.IP Initiating a Project

4.DP Directing a Project

5.CS Controlling a Stage

6.MP Managing Product Delivery

7.SB Managing Stage Boundaries

8.CP Closing a Project

SU - Starting up a project

---

The project brief (charter) is formulated,

including the outline scope of the project (what will

be/not be included in the project) and its

justification. This phase also appoints the team, and

lays out the project management approach to be

taken. Once this stage has been signed off by the

Board, the preliminary project officially exists,

but is not yet initiated.

PL - Planning a project

---

The activities necessary to produce the product

of the project are identified. This is critical

because the PRINCE2 methodology strongly recommends

a product-based approach. Next, the effort for

each activity is estimated and combined in a

schedule. Risk are evaluated and recorded and planned

for in the Risk Log, and the reporting format for

the rest of the project determined.

IP - Initiating a project

---

The oupouts of the previous stages are considered

and enhanced to form a Business Case (a Business

Case is mandatory for each project). Due

consideration is given to the project management and

controlling approach and quality standards to be

followed. The Project Initiation Document (PID) is

produced and submitted to the board for project

authorisation.

DP - Directing a project

---

This is where a lot of the "real" project

management happens. Stages can be authorized, or the

plans can be amended (and reauthorized) to allow for

risk events, slippages, scope changes and so on.

If a project has "gone wrong" and is

unrecoverable, it is during this process that a decision to

terminate may be made.

CS - Controlling a stage

---

Projects, especially large or complex projects

are often decomposed to stages, each stage being

managed as almost a separate project. This stage

also monitor progress and reports to the Board.

Issues (acrualised risks) from these stages are

dealth with or (where predefined triggers are met)

excalated to the Board.

MP - Managing product delivery

---

Work packages need to be ececuted, delivered and

accepted (by comparison with the project plan,

including the product scope statement adn quality

plan)

SB - Managing stage boundaries

---

A stage boundary is the final part of a stage, so

when a proect is divided into stages, this

process defines what must happen towards the end of a

stage and how the subsequent stage is actioned (or

current stage corrected, if it fails the quality

checks). The information from the stage end is

fed back through the communication plan.

CP - Closing a project

---

Formally end the project and free up remaining

project resources. Measure the degree of success of

the project and record the Lessons Learned report

produced for analysis of this project and for

planning future projects. Officially accept the

product of the project.

PHASES

PRINCE2 projects are usually in four PHASES:

1. Starting a project

2. Initiating a project

3. Implementation

4. Closing a project