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PRINCE2 Quality Theme 

 June 21, 2016

By  Dave Litten

PRINCE2 Quality Theme

Revising the quality theme can seem difficult to grasp as the official Manual explanation is focused on procedures and definitions making the quality approach unclear.

PRINCE2 does not insist on the very highest level of quality for every project, as in the real world the level of quality required will depend mainly on the type of product and the environment within which it will be used.

A compressor fitted to a jet airliner will need different quality criteria to a compressor fitted to your kitchen refrigerator.

In PRINCE2, the difference between projects is reflected in the fact that there our customer quality expectations, project acceptance criteria and a quality management strategy for each project.

It is important therefore that you determine what quality level is appropriate for each individual project, how that quality will be achieved – the quality strategy, and go on to check that it has been delivered.

The PRINCE2 method covers all of those things with an approach that maps through to the acceptance of products.

PRINCE2 quality planning

Planning quality is focused on achieving the required quality.  It is all about implementing the quality management strategy.  The project manager checks the strategy when creating the project plan, and then repeatedly when planning successive stages, to build in the correct level of quality.

This includes meeting any specified standards.

The PRINCE2 product description

The PRINCE2 approach to quality is tied in with Product-Based planning, so the quality is very specific indeed.  The final five sections of each product description are all quality related.

You will want to check that you are clear on each one of these five sections, namely, quality criteria, quality method, quality tolerance, quality skills required and quality responsibility.

The last of those, quality responsibility, is not well explained within the official Manual as it lists who will produce the product, who will check it and who will approve it.  It also states and approve of a product may be by the same person who checked it.

The official PRINCE2 Manual describes who will review a product rather than who will check it, leading to the common misconception that every product needs to go through a quality review (QR).

However, review doesn’t necessarily mean quality review.  Also the producer the product is and always involved with the quality management as often it is important that the producer is not involved so that checks are fully independent.

The PRINCE2 quality register

The use of the quality register is a great idea, although the Manual refers to it being similar to a quality diary, whereas it actually functions more as a checklist.

The concept of a checklist is key, because that is where the strength of the register lives.

The register is primarily a list of product tests that are to be made during a stage, and when each test is carried out, it is signed off in the register.  It is therefore very easy to see whether a planned test or any other quality action has been forgotten because it will not have been checked off within the checklist.

The project manager puts the list of tests into the quality register during stage planning.

The project manager works with the stage level product descriptions, each of which has a “quality method” section to say how that product will be tested.

The tests from all of the product descriptions for a particular stage are simply copied into the register ready to be signed off when they are done.

Should a product fail during the stage, then of course it has to be put right and retested.  That additional test work must now be entered into the quality register so that it too can be signed off once it has been done.

Most entries in the register then, are made during stage planning, but somehow made during the stage itself as the need for additional quality work is identified.

In the context of the quality register, the method refers to quality actions rather than tests or checks.  The term “quality actions” is appropriate because other quality work above and beyond the testing needs to be put into the register.

For example, quality audits may be planned for the stage, and the register needs to show that they have also been done.  The outcome of all quality actions in the stage will go into the quality register.

Do not forget that the quality review (QR) is just a type of test; the QR outcome goes in the register just like the outcome of any other test.

The PRINCE2 quality review

The quality review (QR) is often misunderstood, but the concept is actually straightforward.

A QR is simply a test, and as an example the type of test that you might apply to a printed product such as an off his design, or specification or even to management products such as the project plan.

The QR is a formal meeting which is a structured walkthrough of a product, a section at a time, so that people can say whether it is okay.  In fact, although the method claims QR as a PRINCE2 technique, it was around long before PRINCE2 was thought of and is sometimes still known as a quality walkthrough.

It is important to take on board that not every product is suitable for QR. QR is usually for paper based products.  If you want to test that a new microwave oven meets its functional specification, then you would want to load the oven with appropriate items to be heated and to carry out the appropriate settings – rather than hold a meeting to talk about it.

Roles and responsibilities during a quality review

There are four quality review roles, the chair, presenter, reviewer, and administrator.  The project manager as part of stage planning for specialist products, creates the quality review plan for specialist team products.

The chair and administrator both have responsibility for the administrative arrangements for the review such as booking the room.

The presenter is responsible before the review meeting, for circulating the product to be reviewed, together with its product description.

The chair is responsible before calling the review, to check that the product is in fact ready for the review itself.

During the meeting itself, the administrator records details of any errors found in the product.

As you might imagine, the chair is the role who chairs the quality review!

The presenter is responsible for introducing the product at the start of the review.

The administrator is responsible at the end of the review, to read back any required actions in order to confirm them and also confirm who is responsible for taking each of those actions.

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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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