PRINCE2- Projects IN Controlled Environments

PRINCE2 is recognised as a world-class international product and is the standard method for project management, not least because it embodies many years of good practice in project management and provides a flexible and adaptable approach to suit all projects. It is a project management method designed to provide a framework covering the wide variety of disciplines and activities required within a project. The focus throughout PRINCE2 is on the Business Case, which describes the rationale and business justification for the project. The Business Case drives all the project management processes, from initial project set-up through to successful finish.

PRINCE2 is derived from the earlier PRINCE project management method, which was initially developed in 1989 by the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) as a UK Government standard for information systems (IT) project management; however, it soon became regularly applied outside the purely IT environment[1]. PRINCE2 was released in 1996 as a generic project management method[2]. PRINCE2 has become increasingly popular and is now the de facto standard for project management in the UK[3]. Its use has spread beyond the UK to more than 50 other countries.

PRINCE2- Overview

PRINCE2 is a process-driven project management method which contrasts with reactive/adaptive methods such as Scrum. PRINCE2 defines 45 separate sub-processes and organizes these into eight processes as follows:

* Starting Up a Project (SU) * Planning (PL) * Initiating a Project (IP) * Directing a Project (DP) * Controlling a Stage (CS) * Managing Product Delivery (MP) * Managing Stage Boundaries (SB) * Closing a Project (CP)

Starting Up a Project (SU)

In this process the project team is appointed and a project brief (describing, in outline, what the project is attempting to achieve and the business justification for doing so) is prepared.

SU1 Appointing a Project Board Exec and Project Manager SU2 Designing a Project Management Team SU3 Appointing a Project Management Team SU4 Preparing a Project Brief SU5 Defining Project Approach SU6 Planning an Initiation Stage

Planning (PL)

PRINCE2 advocates product based planning which means that the first task when planning is to identify and analyse products. Once the activities required to create these products are identified then it is possible to estimate the effort required for each and then schedule activities into a plan.

PL1 Designing a Plan PL2 Defining and Analysing Products PL3 Identifying Activities and Dependencies PL4 Estimating PL5 Scheduling PL6 Analysing Risks PL7 Completing a Plan

Initiating a project (IP)

IP1 Planning Quality IP2 Planning a Project IP3 Refining the Business Case and Risks IP4 Setting up Project Controls IP5 Setting up Project Files IP6 Assembling a Project Initiation Document

Directing a project (DP)

These sub-processes dictate how the Project Board (which comprises such roles as the executive sponsor or project sponsor) should control the overall project.

DP1 Authorising Initiation DP2 Authorising a Project DP3 Authorising a Stage or Exception Plan DP4 Giving Ad Hoc Direction DP5 Confirming Project Closure

Controlling a stage (CS)

PRINCE2 suggests that projects should be broken down into stages and these sub-processes dictate how each individual stage should be controlled.

CS1 Authorising Work Package CS2 Assessing Progress CS3 Capturing Project Issues CS4 Examining Project Issues CS5 Reviewing Stage Status CS6 Reporting Highlights CS7 Taking Corrective Action CS8 Escalating Project Issues CS9 Receiving Completed Work Package

Managing product delivery (MP)

This process consists of three sub-processes and these cover the way in which a work package should be accepted, executed and delivered.

MP1 Accepting a Work Package MP2 Executing a Work Package MP3 Delivering a Work Package

Managing stage boundaries (SB)

The Controlling a Stage process dictates what should be done within a stage, Managing Stage Boundaries (SB) dictates what should be done towards the end of a stage

SB1 Planning a Stage SB2 Updating a Project Plan SB3 Updating a Project Business Case SB4 Updating the Risk Log SB5 Reporting Stage End SB6 Producing an Exception Plan

Closing a project (CP)

CP1 Decommissioning a Project CP2 Identifying Follow-on Actions CP3 Project Evaluation Review