PRINCE2® is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other countries.
PRINCE2 is a project management method. It is a structured method integrating four essential elements
Continued business justification: the business justification for the project should remain valid throughout the life of the project
Learn from experience: PRINCE2 projects learn form past experience when starting a project, as the project progresses and at project closure
Defined roles and responsibilities: A PRINCE2 project has an explicit project management team structure consisting of
defined and agreed roles and responsibilities for the people involved in the project and
a means for effective communication between them
Manage by stages: Planning can only be done to a level of detail that is manageable and foreseeable. A PRINCE2 project has an outline plan for the long term and a detailed team plan for the short term
Manage by exception: In a PRINCE2 project accountability at each level is of the project organisation is established by delegating authority from one management level to the next by setting tolerances against six objectives for the respective level of plan:
Time, Cost. Quality, Scope, Risk, Benefit
Product Focus: A PRINCE2 project is output oriented not activity oriented. The set of agreed products defines the scope of a project and provides the basis for planning and control
Tailor to suit the project environment: PRINCE2 is a universal project management method that can be applied regardless of
project type,
organisation,
geography and
culture
Business Case: The project starts with an idea which is considered to have potential value for the organization concerned. This theme addresses how the idea is developed into a viable investment proposition for the organization and how project management maintains the focus on the organization’s objectives throughout the project
Organization: The organization sponsoring the project needs to allocate the work to managers who will be responsible for it and steer it through to completion. Projects are cross-functional so the normal line function structures are not suitable. This theme describes the roles and responsibilities in the temporary PRINCE2 project management team required to manage the project effectively
Quality: The initial idea will only be understood as a broad outline. This theme explains how the outline is developed so that all participants understand the quality attributes of the products to be delivered – and then how project management will ensure that these requirements are subsequently delivered.
Plans: PRINCE2 projects proceed on the basis of a series of approved plans. This theme complements the Quality theme by describing the steps required to develop plans and the PRINCE2 techniques that should be applied. In PRINCE2, the plans are matched to the needs of the personnel at the various levels of the organization. They are the focus for communication and control throughout the project
Risk: Projects typically entail more risk than stable operational activity. This theme addresses how project management manages the uncertainties in its plans and in the wider project environment
Change: This theme describes how project management assesses and acts upon issues which have a potential impact on any of the baseline aspects of the project (its plans and completed products). Issues may be unanticipated general problems, requests for change or instances of quality failure
Progress: This theme addresses the ongoing viability of the plans. The theme explains the decision-making process for approving plans, the monitoring of actual performance and the escalation process if events do not go according to plan. Ultimately, the Progress theme determines whether and how the project should
The PRINCE2 Process Model divides the activities required to plan and implement the project into seven distinct but linked processes. Each of these processes is made up of a collection of activities.
The Processes are:
PRINCE2 can be used whatever the project scale, complexity, geography or culture, or whether it is part of a programme or is being managed as a‘stand-alone’ project. Indeed, it is a principle that a PRINCE2 project tailors the method to suit such contexts. Tailoring refers to the appropriate use of PRINCE2 on any given project, ensuring that there is the correct amount of planning, control, governance and use of the processes and themes,