15 : Controlling a Stage

Question 1

What is the purpose of the Controlling a Stage process?

Answer 1

The purpose of the Controlling a Stage process is for the Project Manager to assign the work to be done, monitor such work, deal with issues, report progress to the Project Board and take corrective action to ensure that the management stage remains in tolerance.

Question 2

What happens during the CS process?

Answer 2

Three main activities types occur. They include:

1. Authorising work to be done
2. Signing off completed work packages
3. Reviewing the situation

Question 3

What are the objectives of the CS process?

Answer 3

The objectives of the Controlling a Stage process is to:

• Focus attention on the delivery of the products
  
  • And that movement away from the direction agreed at the start of the stage is monitored
• Keep Risks and Issues under control
• Keep the Business Case under review
• Deliver the products for the stage to the agreed quality, within agreed cost and time & achieve the defined benefits
• That the project management team is focussed on delivery within the tolerances

Question 4

How many times does the Project Manager carry out each activity in the Controlling a Stage process?

Answer 4

There is no one answer to this as it depends on the amount of tasks to be done, tolerance level, quality requirements, risk, complexity etc… Normally the Project Manager will carry out each activity multiple times.

Question 5

What is a work package?

Answer 5

The Project Manager uses a Work Package to group tasks together and assign to the Team Manager.

Question 6

Who creates the Team Plan?

Answer 6

The Team Plan is created by the Team Manager. It is usually created after the Project Manager discusses the Work Package with the Team Manager. The Team Plan can be reviewed by the Project Manager.

Question 7

What is the check point report?

Answer 7

The Check Point report is created by the Team Manager and talks to the progress of the team against the work package.

Question 8

What is the name of the report produced by the Team Manager and given to the Project Manager?

Answer 8

This is the Check Point report and is created by the Team Manager. The Project Manager compares the Check Point Report to the Team Plan and the Quality Register.

Question 9

What is the Configuration Items Record?

Answer 9

The Configuration Items Record (CIR) is updated by the PM for each product when the product changes status, e.g., developed, passed quality testing, delivered & accepted?

It is usually a one page document and provides a record for each product, e.g., identifier, owner, location, status, version number, history, relation products, short description, etc…

The Project Manager also updates the Stage Plan.

Question 10

Can products be changed after they’ve been approved?

Answer 10

PRINCE2 recommends that products cannot be changed without using the change control process. This helps to manage change and ensure quality.

Question 11

Where is the freqency of the Highlight Report defined?

Answer 11

The Communication Strategy document will dictate how often the Project Manager must create and send a Highlight report to the Project Board. This is decided during the Initiation Stage of the project.

This is a time-based progress report.

Question 12

Who can raise an issue or risk?

Answer 12

Any stakeholder in the project can raise a risk or an issue. They inform the project manager. The next step is for the Project Manager to examine this risk or issue.

Question 13

Where is the process for how risks and issues are handled documented?

Answer 13

Issue management falls under change control and this is documented in the Change control approach document.

This also includes how to report issues and the Risk Management Strategy document describes how Risk should be handled.

Question 14

What are the steps to capture and manage issues?

Answer 14

The steps to capture and examine issues are:

1. Enter the issue in the Issue Register and daily log as soon as it is captured
2. Categorize it: Is it a Change, Off Specification, Problem or Concern?
3. Assess the Severity and Priority of the issue
4. Assess the Impact of the issue on the Stage plan, Project plan & Business Case
5. Create Issue Report – See Issue Report product description for more information
6. Report the issue in accordance to the Configuration Management strategy and the Communication Management Strategy documents

Question 15

What happens during the Capture and examine issues and risks activity in the CS process?

Answer 15

Issues and risks are captured and examined.

This could trigger the Escalate issues and risks activity (via an exception report being created for the Project board), or the Take corrective action activity.

Question 16

What are the steps for handling capturing and examining risks?

Answer 16

The steps to capture and examine risks are:

1. Enter the Risk in the Risk Register as soon as its captured
2. Identify the Risk and describe it – cause and effect information
3. Assess the Risk against the Stage Plan, Project Plan and Business Case
4. Report in accordance with the Risk Management Strategy and Communication Strategy documents

Question 17

What options does the PM have after capturing and assessing a risk or issue?

Answer 17

The 3 options that the Project Manager has are:

1. Take Corrective Action – so the Project Manager creates a Work Package to address this and keeps the stage within tolerance
2. Seek advice from the Project Board
3. Escalate to Project Board using the next Activity “Escalate issues and risks”

Question 18

What is the connection between Tolerance and Escalating Issues & Risk?

Answer 18

The Project Manager will escalate an issue or risk if the risk or issue is likely to take the stage out of tolerance. So when the issue or risk does not take the stage out of tolerance, the Project Manager can take corrective action to solve this and doesn’t need to escalate this to the Project Board.

Question 19

How does a PM notify the project board of an escalation or issue outside of tolerances?

Answer 19

The name of the report is the “Exception Report”. As it can take some time to investigate and gather the required information the Project Manager can first send an Early Notification to the Project Board which will then be followed by the Exception Report.

Question 20

What are the 5 ways the Project Board can respond to an Exception Report?

Answer 20

The Project Board can respond to a number of ways to an Exception Report such as:

1. They may ask for more information, so the Project Manager may update the Exception Report.
2. Choose the option recommended by the Project Manager or another option.
3. Raise the tolerances, so the stage can proceed and Project Manager can complete the stage.
4. Instruct the Project Manager to create a Exception Plan, this will be used to complete the stage.
5. Advice the Project Manager to close the project prematurely.

Question 21

What 8 activities are undertaken during the CS process?

Answer 21

1. Authorise a work package
2. Review work package status
3. Receive completed work packages
4. Review stage status
5. Report highlights
6. Capture and examine issues and risks
7. Escalate issues and risks
8. Take corrective action

Question 22

What does the PM do in the Review the Management Stage status activity in CS?

Answer 22

Reviewing what actually is happening in the stage, with the stage plan.

Particular attention is paid to any risks and issues that might exist, and corrective action is taken if needed.

Question 23

What happens in the Report highlights activity in the CS process?

Answer 23

The PM creates and delivers the highlight report to the project board.

Question 24

What happens during the Take corrective action activity in the CS process?

Answer 24

Work packages are updated as needed.