Authorize a Stage or Exception Plan

 

The project board use this activity for one of two situations, either to approve the next Stage Plan as the current stage reaches completion, or to approve an Exception Plan if at some point during the current stage, the project manager had forecast that tolerance will be exceeded.  Of course, the project board may choose to prematurely close the project.

 

In making this decision, the project board will want to look back and ensure the current stage has proceeded satisfactorily, look up, and ensure that the Project Plan and Business Case remain viable, and look forward, by approving the next Stage Plan.  The important principle here is that the next stage is not started until the project board have authorised it.

 

Remember, that the project board only have the authority to set the stage level tolerances, and if at any point project tolerances are forecast to be exceeded, then the project board must escalate this to corporate all programme management for their decision on what to do next.  The project board may appoint project assurance to carry out some of the reviewing of draft documentation prior to them Authorising a Stage or Exception Plan.

 

Authorise a stage or exception plan activity is therefore either used for an end stage assessment or for an exception assessment.  The project board must review and approve the following:

 

Check that any deviations and current forecasts for the project are satisfactory, and if needed review the Lessons Report.  The project board must check that the aggregated risks are still acceptable and that risk responses are realistic and incorporated within the appropriate plan.

 

Some projects will hand over products to the customer or users during the project rather than just at the end of the project.  If so, then the project board must satisfy themselves that product hand over occurred in line with the Configuration Management Strategy, and that user, operational, and maintenance acceptance has occurred. There may also be some follow-on action recommendation, and the project board will want to ensure that the appropriate groups have accepted such responsibilities.

 

Whether the project board are being asked to confirm a Stage or Exception Plan, then product based planning will have occurred and they should review and approve any new or modified Product Descriptions.  Also the four Strategy documents, Project Plan, Business Case, and Benefits Review Plan will have been updated as appropriate, and the project board must review and approve these.

 

The project board have the following choices in making a decision for the remainder of the project:

 

Approve the plans, ensure resources are available, set tolerances for the next stage, advise the project manager how often they want to receive the Highlight Report for the next stage, and authorise the project manager to proceed.

 

They may reject some of the documentation and ask the project manager to make alterations or corrections, and come back to them for an approval.

 

They may instruct the project manager to initiate premature closure of the project.

 

Finally, the project board must communicate the status of the project to corporate or programme management is and any other interested parties as laid out within the Communication Management Strategy.

 

For more information on PRINCE2 -  GO HERE