10/27/12 The 7 PRINCE2 Principles: A Closer Look Perspectiv es on Project Management & Training f rom L

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The 7 PRINCE2 Principles: A Closer Look
Published April 3, 2010 PRINCE2 , project management 1 Comment
Tags: PRINCE2 principles, project management methodology, project management standard, project success

7 Votes
In my opinion, PRINCE2 (Projects in a Controlled Environments) is the best project management road
map around for getting a project through a successful and controlled start, middle and end. It is a
structured, non-proprietary project management method focusing on controlling project costs, timescales,
quality, scope, risk and benefits. PRINCE2 uses an integrated framework of elements for successful
project management: principles, themes, processes and tailoring the method to the project environment.
Lets take a more detailed look at one part of this integrated framework: the set of seven common-
sense principles that guide the project manager and the project team during the PRINCE2 project life
cycle. I think of these principles as a short-list of strategic things that good project managers use to target
project success. Remember, if you say that you are working on a PRINCE2 project, all seven principles
must be applied in that project.
Continued Business Justification
A PRINCE2 project has continued business justification. This means that there is a justifiable reason to
start a project, this reason remains valid throughout the life of the project and the justification is
documented and approved. In PRINCE2, this justification is documented in the Business Case, driving
decision-making and ensuring the project stays aligned to business objectives and benefits.
Learn from Experience
PRINCE2 project teams are expected to learn from previous experience. Lessons learned are sought,
recorded and acted upon throughout the project life cycle. Lessons are also applied from previous
projects in order to learn from others and improve the way projects are done. In PRINCE2, these
lessons are documented in the Lessons Log and become the contents of the Lessons Report created by
the Project Manager at the end of each stage and at the end of the overall project.
Defined Roles and Responsibilities
PRINCE2 projects have defined and agreed-upon roles and responsibilities that engage all aspects of the
involved internal or external organizations: business, user and supplier. All three stakeholder interests
must be represented on the project management team in order to be successful. The project management
team structure and roles must be defined to answer the question for everyone: What is expected of me?
Manage by Stages
PRINCE2 projects are planned in management stages that create control points throughout the project.
This approach allows projects to be monitored and controlled on a stage-by-stage basis. At the end of
each management stage, the project is reviewed to see if it will still deliver its Business Case. This is done
using two levels of plans and a rolling wave approach to planning using an overall Project Plan and a
detailed Stage Plan for the current stage where work is being performed.
Manage by Exception
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PRINCE2 projects define tolerances for time, cost, quality, scope, risk and benefits to establish limits of
delegated authority across the levels of management. This allows clearly defined accountability and
decision-making and implements the concept of management by exception. If these tolerances are
exceeded or forecast to be exceeded, they must be escalated to the next level of management for a
decision on how to proceed.
Focus on Products
PRINCE2 focuses on defining and delivering products that meet their stated quality criteria. This includes
the final product of the project as well as other significant management and specialist products produced
across the project life cycle. This output oriented approach to projects results in defining a set of
agreed-upon products and then planning the work to accomplish them. This is achieved by using
product-based planning techniques and Product Descriptions.
Tailored to Suit the Project Environment
PRINCE2 should be tailored to work for the projects environment, size, complexity, importance,
capabilities and risks. When tailoring the PRINCE2 method, it is important not to omit any elements
since they are designed as a web of interlinked parts. The goal is to adapt the method for your
organization and environment and avoid creating a template-driven project management method where
everything is done fully without question. Remember that PRINCE2 focuses on the information and
decisions rather than on documents and meetings.
Tailoring PRINCE2 ensures that planning, control, governance and use of themes and processes are
done correctly on a project. This contrasts with the term embedding, which refers to an organization
adopting PRINCE2 for their projects. Tailoring is done by the project management team to adapt the
method to their specific projects, focusing on adapting the themes through the strategies and controls,
incorporating specific terms and language, revising the management products and project role
descriptions and adjusting the processes to match the tailoring that was done.
A copy of the PRINCE2 method is required reference material in any project managers bookshelf! The
method is documented in the OGC publication Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 which is
officially published by TSO. Serious project managers seeking to enhance their knowledge, skills and
professional credibility target should consider PRINCE2 certification. Learning Tree offers certification
courses for folks interested in becoming a Certified Practitioner of PRINCE2. Learning Tree UK offers
additional PRINCE2 courses for those of you who are in the UK.
Susan Weese
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