Tailoring PRINCE2 Themes

 

When tailoring the PRINCE2 method, the seven principles must remain untouched.  This means that apart from documentation, the only parts of PRINCE2 that can be tailored are the Processes and the Themes.  I shall discuss tailoring the PRINCE2 Themes in this article.

 

Organization theme. Scaling the project management team is primarily about role and function consolidation. Roles can be combined but should not left out. As the Executive and Senior User roles are both from the customer environment, these can often be combined. 

The Project Manager will be working much closer to the Project Board than on larger projects, and the Project Board members are likely to carry out their own Project Assurance.

 

For small teams it may not be necessary to appoint Team Managers. The Project Manager of a small project can carry out those responsibilities, as well as undertaking the role of Project Support and be a team member. 

 

When considering the other themes, the minimum requirements for them would be:

 

Business Case Theme. As a minimum they would need to be some form of business justification even if this were not expressed in a formal Business Case.

 

Plans Theme. The minimum would be Product Descriptions for the key deliverables and a simple plan, in the form of a schedule of who is involved in producing, reviewing and approving products, together with key milestones. This is often referred to as a product checklist 

 

Quality Theme.  An simple understanding of the levels of quality required in the project, and of the project products

 

Risk Theme.  An analysis of the risks facing the project, actions that will be taken to implement risk responses, and communicating risk status via Checkpoint and Highlight Reports

 

Change Theme. A simple method of controlling changes to the project and managing the configuration of the products being delivered, for example, simple product identification and version control standards with secure arrangements for the storage of work products

 

Progress Theme.  Some form of agreed controls and reporting requirements (whether written or oral).

 

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