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PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is a structured method for effective project management. It is a de facto standard used extensively by the UK Government and is widely recognised and used in the private sector, both in the UK and internationally. PRINCE2, the method, is in the public domain, offering non-proprietorial best-practice guidance on project management. PRINCE2 is a registered trademark of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC).

We provide instructor-led training courses for the PRINCE2 Foundation and PRINCE2 Practitioner qualifications

What makes projects different?

A project is a temporary organisation that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business products according to an agreed Business Case.

There are a number of characteristics of project work that distinguish it from business as usual:

• Change
• Temporary
• Cross-functional
• Unique
• Uncertainty

There are six variables that project managers wish to control and manage effectively:

• Costs
• Timescales
• Quality
• Scope
• Risk
• Benefits

The key features of PRINCE2 are…

• Its focus on the existence of a justified business case
• A clear defined organisation structure for the project management team
• A product-based planning approach
• Its emphasis on manageable, controllable stages
• Scalability and flexibility to be applied at a level appropriate to the project.

Benefits of using PRINCE2

The benefits of using the PRINCE2 methodology are:

• PRINCE2 embodies established and proven best practice and governance for project management.
• It can be applied to any type of project – and can easily be implemented alongside specialist, industry-specific models (’engineering models’ or ’development lifecycles’).
• PRINCE2 is widely recognized and understood, and therefore provides a common vocabulary for all project participants – promoting effective communication.
• PRINCE2 provides for the explicit recognition of project responsibilities – so that participants understand each other’s roles and needs.
• Its product focus clarifies (for all parties) what a project will deliver, why, when, by whom and for whom.
• PRINCE2 plans are carefully designed to meet the needs of the different levels in the management team, improving communication and control.
• It is based on a ’management by exception’ framework, providing for the efficient and economic use of management time (whether at corporate, programme, Project Board or project management levels).
• PRINCE2 ensures that participants focus on the viability of the project in relation to its Business Case objectives – rather than simply seeing the completion of the project as an end in itself.
• It defines a thorough but economical structure of reports.
• It ensures that stakeholders (including sponsors and resource providers) are properly represented in planning and decision making.
• Adopting PRINCE2 promotes learning and continual improvement in organizations.
• PRINCE2 promotes consistency of project work and the ability to reuse project assets; it also facilitates staff mobility and reduces the impact of personnel changes/handovers.
• PRINCE2 is an invaluable diagnostic tool, facilitating the assurance and assessment of project work, troubleshooting and audits.
• There are scores of accredited training and consultancy organizations (ATOs and ACOs) operating worldwide, who can supply expert support for PRINCE2 projects or for organizations planning to adopt PRINCE2.

For senior management, PRINCE2 uses ‘management by exception’. The Project Board are kept fully informed of the project and stage status without having to attend regular, time-consuming meetings by way of planned controls, regular reports and exception situations which are brought to the Boards attention at appropriate points.

They are also able to delegate some duties to Project Assurance who will act on their behalf to verify and check at predetermined points in the project.

PRINCE2 may be used for any type of project in any type of environment; however it remains flexible enough to be applied to all sizes of projects and can be tailored to suit a project dependent on the circumstances.

PRINCE2 projects are focussed on delivering specified products to an agreed Business Case.

The Business Case is a key document which is reviewed constantly throughout the project and progress is measured against expected and achieved benefits.

Similar resources you may like

1. Download PRINCE2 Project Templates
2. Why should I study PRINCE2?
3. Benefits of PRINCE2
4. PRINCE2 2009 update
5. Brief Overview of PRINCE2

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Benefits of using PRINCE2, key features of PRINCE2, PRINCE2 Foundation, PRINCE2 Practitioner, Prince2 training, What is PRINCE2, What makes projects different

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This entry was posted by Alistair Wylie on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 3:48 pm and is filed under PRINCE2®. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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