The 7 principles, themes and processes of PRINCE2

Are you Agile or Prince?

Many today are supporters of agile project management methods such as Scrum or Kanban. PRINCE2 is more a representative of classic project planning - but there are also voices that follow the hybrid system: PRINCE2 for the clear structure and framework, Scrum for sprints within the project stages. So it makes sense to look at PRINCE2 (Projects in Controlled Environments) and its principles - here the overview of the 7 principles, the 7 topics and the 7 processes.

The 7 Principles - from Good Practice to Best Practice

The seven basic principles of PRINCE2 are the backbone of a project. They are used again and again. You can also ignore parts of it - but if you remove too many vertebrae from the backbone, the project can collapse.

- Ongoing justification. A project has to pay off. Invest, expenditure of time and resources must be constantly justified.

- Valuable experience. Project teams should learn from previous projects. Therefore, project journals should be available.

- Defined roles. Everyone needs to know what the other one is doing. It has to be clear who the decision maker is.

- Defined phases. Difficult tasks are better divided into manageable sections or project phases.

- Defined exceptions. In a well-running project hardly intervene. The project management is only informed if there is a problem or if it becomes apparent.

- Focused product. The result is a product and it should be well defined. The product properties determine the work, not the other way around.

- Customized project environment. PRINCE2 can be scaled and customized. Projects that adapt PRINCE2 to their needs are more successful than dogmatic PRINCE2 projects.

The 7 topics - from clue to certainty

The seven topics are something like the working dimensions of a project. For example, in each project, the organization wants to be defined, the quality or risk to be weighed. While perhaps the principles from above are still informal or self-evident in a project, at the latest the themes of a project should be transcribed. The topics can also be dealt with W-questions.

- Business Case. Compare with the ongoing justification. It's about turning an idea into a worthwhile business case.

- Organization. Compare with the defined roles. Here, the project manager defines all the roles and responsibilities of the participants.

- quality. Compare with the focused product. It is also about quality. To make sure that this is not too abstract, it is important to define and stick to it at the beginning of a project.

- Plans. With a plan you get to the destination. Plans focus on products, timeframes, costs, quality and benefits.

- Risks. This topic serves to anticipate, identify, evaluate and control events during a project. These are recorded in a risk log. Negative risks are referred to as threats and positive as opportunities.

- Changes. This topic is about editing change requests and issues that occur during the project. The idea is not to prevent changes, but to subject them to a standardized procedure.

- progress. The project progress must be constantly checked. The project manager checks where the team is relative to the plan. Escalations to the end of the project are part of the project progress.

The 7 processes - from planning to action

PRINCE2 is a process-oriented method. Anyone who has been scanning these lines with restless eyes and wondering: when will the action finally come - are now in their element! This is about the division of a project into process sections, and here the action is brought into a structured sequence. The project manager closely monitors the project phases and leads the team to a goal. In addition, the English terminology is mentioned here because the processes are occasionally provided with the specified project abbreviations.

- Prepare / Start Up (SU). Create a project mandate that answers logistical questions about the project. It explains the purpose of the project, who does it and how it is done. The project briefing results from the mandate, existing project diaries and discussions with the persons involved in the project. This phase should also discuss feasibility and gather all information for the next process.

- Initiate / Initiate a Project (IP). This phase is about recognizing what needs to be done to complete the project successfully. The project manager describes the project dimensions that need to be controlled, such as time, cost, quality, scope, benefit, or risk.

- Steering / Directing a Project (DP). This project dimension applies to the entire project. The five core activities are initiation, phase demarcation, ad hoc alignment / consulting, project completion.

- Controlling a Phase / Controlling a Stage (CS). Here the tasks of project manager and team manager are described. The project manager authorizes work packages that break down the project into manageable activities. He assigns these to the teams and their leaders and monitors progress and progress if necessary. At the same time, team leaders have these tasks: Coordinating the daily work and communication between the team members and the project manager.

- Managing the product / Managing Product Delivery (MP). Here the communication between team leader and project manager is controlled. The product delivery is divided into three sections: Accepting a work package, executing a work package and handing over a work package.

- Managing the phase transition / Managing Stage Boundaries (SB). The project manager and a steering committee review each phase. The panel decides whether the project should continue. The project manager meets with the team to record the learnings for the next phase. The main activities are: planning the next phase, updating the project plan and the business case, reporting the end of the phase or creating a change or exception.

- Closing / Closing a Project (CP). When is a project over? This banal question is not so easy to answer at the end of complex projects. This makes it all the more important to adhere to these guidelines: declare the project over, identify follow-up actions, complete the project diary and hand over the product.

This overview describes the framework conditions under which projects should take place. As always, a project is only as successful as the motivation and discipline of those involved. At the same time PRINCE2 offers enough flexibility - up to the use of agile methods - to lead projects to success. PRINCE2 brings the discipline to the project. It depends on the project manager to apply rules creatively.