Review the PRINCE2 Work Package Status

 

The ‘Review Work Package Status’ activity

 

The job of the project manager is the first plan the work then to give it out to the team.  This is done via the PRINCE2 work package. Once the team have accepted the Work Package they will then start creating the specialist products (executing a work package), and as a result of that, give regular progress reports to the project manager in the form of a Checkpoint Report.  

 

This ensures that the project manager receives a regular assessment of the status of the work packages. 

 Of particular importance, is the progress being made in the creation of the specialist products.  There are broadly three steps to this: first the product is created, and this would result in its draft status, then the quality check or quality review is carried - out independently from those who created the product, and finally approval is given by the appropriate person.

 

How often the Checkpoint Reports are created will be stated in the work package, and this also includes how formal such activities are to take place.  For example it may be a simple e-mail sent perhaps once a week or it may be a meeting.  The formality and regularity of the checkpoint reports will depend upon the level of risk, complexity, and experience and knowledge of the specialist team creating the products.

 

The project manager will want to gather progress information contained within the checkpoint reports in order to determine the progress being made.

 

The project manager will also want to assess the estimated time and effort used thus far, and also the estimated time and effort remaining for any unfinished work.  This unfinished work may include current tasks or tasks yet to be started.

 

As part of accepting the work package, the Team Manager, or the team members themselves may have created a Team Plan.  This Team Plan may have been passed in full detail to the project manager. 

 

But if commercial circumstances and questions of confidentiality are considered, the project manager may only receive a milestone extract from the Team Plan..  The project manager will use this information to determine whether the work is being completed on time and to budget. 

 

In addition, the Project Manager will ensure that the specialist products are meeting their quality criteria as laid out in their Product Descriptions, and that issues and risks are being managed appropriately.

 

The project manager will review entries in the quality register to determine the actual current status of all quality management activities that have been undertaken, and liaise with the configuration management people (Project Support), to confirm that the Configuration Item Records for every products matches its current real-world status.

 

The project manager will also review the risk and issue registers and if required update them with the latest status.

 

Throughout the stage the project manager will use the stage plan as the baseline reference points against which to manage monitor and control the stage.  Therefore the stage plan should be updated at regular points with the latest status, current forecasts, and any adjustments needed to reflect future progress.

 

There is another activity, called a review of the stage status which I shall be discussing in another article.  However it is important that you understand that this activity, review the work package status, will now be used to review the stage status to ensure that the stage is continuing on plan and within tolerances.

 

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