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How Can PRINCE2 Help My Project? 

 February 27, 2016

By  Dave Litten

PRINCE2 – So How does It Help?

Most folks don’t understand that PRINCE2 evolved out of best-practice and that much of the idea developments came from the private sector.  Although later the UK government procured the method, to their credit they ensured that that the method remained fully compatible with the private sector projects.

Another misconception is that PRINCE2 is only suitable for large projects.  You can understand that view when trying to wade through the 327 page Manual!  But nothing could be further from the truth; the framework and structure of PRINCE2 allows it to be extensively tailored to any size of project in any industry.

Looking back over the past 15 years, I have seen how novice PRINCE2 organisations attempt to apply the method in a heavy handed manner.

Again, just looking at the Manual itself, you may be excused for thinking that PRINCE2 is overly bureaucratic.  This is another clue that it is being used without tailoring.

One of the latest methodology developments is the use of Agile, and not many people realise that PRINCE2 can also be used in an agile way.

Before looking at the benefits of using PRINCE2, I want to mention one more misconception; it is that the method is seen as another layer of project management and hence another overhead.  This is just plain wrong as the essence of PRINCE2 IS project management!

Applying PRINCE2 to  improve your chances of project success:

  • The definition of the role and responsibility for the individual who is ultimately in charge of the project (for whom the buck stops here!).  This is the project board executive role who has the ultimate power and authority to ensure that actions are implemented and the right decisions are made for the right reasons
  • It provides the product based planning approach before determining the details of the tasks and activities.  This discipline is both a logical and effective as it ensures that the entire scope of the project is fully understood and planned.
  • It defines the quality criteria for each of the them by of products or deliverables and ensures that such criteria is specifically stated while describing how such criteria must be measured.
  • It provides decision points at the end of each stage and ensures that the right people are involved in making informed decisions about whether the project should proceed, change in some way, or stop.
  • During each stage there are control points to check progress so that decisions are made in a timely manner.
  • It ensures that the business case is continuously reviewed even while this key document is being refined.  The business case contains measurable benefits and the balance between these and risks and costs ensure that the viability of the business case can be used as a basis for key management decisions as to whether the project should continue, be modified in some way, or stop.
  • PRINCE2 is flexible and can be tailored to adapt to different types and sizes of project operating within differing environments.
  • It includes a set of processes and associated activities that can be applied to any project.  This is a very useful checklist to ensure that a given project has included all relevant aspects.
  • If includes the design and appointment of the roles and responsibilities for the management team and other key stakeholders, and in this way helps prevent misunderstanding and communication problems.  In addition if includes clear descriptions of each role which may be filled or shared by one or more individuals.
  • It includes both sides of a typical project endeavor – those who will use the end-product, and those who supply the resources for the project work.  These two roles are actively involved throughout the project including when key decisions are needed.
  • It builds in the process of managing risks and includes the relevant responses to ensure that risk to the project objectives are minimized.
  • It includes independent auditing by the project board to ensure that the project is being managed effectively and that precise and accurate information on such progress is being communicated.
  • PRINCE2 incorporates both project board level and project management level progress monitoring controls that are based on actual and measurable progress.  The application of Product-based planning and the testing of quality criteria for each product, plays a key part here.

In summary, the PRINCE2 method hold your hand throughout the entire project and gives you key pointers in the form of checklists from pre-project through to successful completion.

In all of the above, the most important mindset for the application of PRINCE2 to a given project is that you tailor the method in terms of doing the minimum necessary to ensure adequate control.

Never apply PRINCE2 ‘full strength’ without thinking through how it should be tailored to ensure a ‘lightness of touch’.  If an aspect of PRINCE2 does not make sense, or should be minimized in respect of a particular project, then leave it out or simplify it down to the point where it is suitable for purpose.

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Dave Litten


Dave has spent 25 years as a senior project manager for USA multinationals and has deep experience in project management. He now develops a wide range of Project Management Masterclasses, under the Projex Academy brand name. In addition, David runs project management training seminars across the world, and is a prolific writer on the many topics of project management.

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