An Overview Of Prince 2 Flashcards
List characteristics of using Prince2 for Projects in Controlled Environments
• Describes a control framework for the managed release of product
• Project Manager centric
• Product focussed
• Process based
• No license fee
• Aleady enable for use with Agile
What does the Prince2 framework consist of?
• 7 Principles
• 7 Themes
• 7 Processes
Describe how a project is partitioned in its life cycle.
• Project plan divided into management stages
• Representing go/no go decision points
What considerations will the project board have in regards to a project’s management stages?
• They should continue and if so, in what way
• “ bring it to a premature end
• What will be done in the next stage and resources required by them for the PM
If a project is no longer viable, what theme/phrase does the project no longer have?
CBJ - Continued Business Justification
What is the term/process for a management stage go/no go decision point?
Stage Boundary
How are management stages set by the Project Board?
- Set just before key decision points
- More stage boundaries can be set for riskier projects for more review (reducing the planning horizon)
How can a PM provide a plan for the next stage to the PB
• Provide a document towards the end of the current stage to the PB for their End Stage Assessment. This consists of:
- A review of current stage
- Plan for next stage
Outline the 7 Prince2 Principles
- CONTINUED BUSINESS JUSTIFICATION (Viable, achievable & Desirable)
- LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE (Lessons sought, recorded and acted on)
- DEFINED ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (to engage business’s users, suppliers and stakeholders interests)
- MANAGE BY STAGES (planned, monitored & controlled on a stage by stage basis. PB delegates daily control of management stage to PM)
- MANAGE BY EXCEPTION (defined tolerances for objectives to establish limits of delegated authority: Project Level, Stage Level & Work Package Level)
- FOCUS ON PRODUCTS (Focus on definition & delivery of products, especially quality requirements)
- TAILOR TO SUIT THE PROJECT (establish environ, size, complexity, importance, team capability & risk)
What key stakeholders are there in Prince2 projects?
• Business Executive
• Senior User
• Senior Supplier
What type of report can a Team Manager submit to a Project Manager for a tolerance change?
Issue
What type of report could a Project Manager submit to the Project Board for a tolerance change?
Exception
Outline the 7 Prince2 Themes
- BUSINESS CASE (Creates/maintains bus justfn, ensures outcomes & benefits)
- ORGANISATION (structure & roles, communication & engagement with stkhlds)
- QUALITY (Quality Man approach)
- PLANS (Recommends different levels of plan for communication & control from different perspectives)
- RISK (Risk management approach, risk ident, assessment & control)
- CHANGE (Change control approach, ensuring issues captured assessed & controlled)
- PROGRESS (project progress measurement and for performance target comparison. Enabling a forecast for continuing project viability)
What does MVP stand for?
Minimum Viable Product
Provide some examples of the Prince2 principle “Learn From Experience”
• Shortening feedback look to the customer
• Continual customer involvement
• Inspect & Adapt
• Retrospectives
• Kaizen
What Prince2 principle provides empowerment and self organisation within appropriate levels of governance?
Manage by Exception
(Project level, Stage Level & Work Package Level)
What are the Prince2 Agile behaviours?
• Transparency
• Collaboration
• Rich communication
• Self-organisation
• Exploration
What is the definition of “spiking”?
A temporary piece of work used to understand a given situation. Eg. Prototype/research to reduce uncertainty from a technical/customer viewpoint.
What are Prince2 principles?
A framework of good practice for people involved in a project developed from lessons of successful/failed projects.
What are Prince2 Themes?
Describe aspects of project management that must be addressed continually as the project progresses through its life cycle.
Give examples of Prince2 management products
• Business Case
• Quality Management Approach
• Risk Management Approach
• Change Control Approach
Outline the relationship between the Prince2 Principles and Themes
Theme - Principle
- Businss. Case > Contin Bus Justif
- Organisation > Def Roles & Respon
- Quality > Focus on products
- Plans > Manage by stages
- Risk > All Principles
- Change > All Principles
- Progress > Manage by Exception
Learn from experience & tailor to suit project also for all themes
What are the 7 Prince2 Processes?
- Starting up a project (SU)
- Directing a project (DP)
- Initiating a project (IP)
- Controlling a stage (CS)
- Managing Product Delivery (MPD)
- Managing Stage Boundary (MSB)
- Closing a Project (CP)
What are the 3 general project management stages?
- Pre-project stage
- Initiation Stage
- Management Stages - Project Delivery Stages
What is a project madate?
An instruction given to the executive to start the project.
What people are involved in starting up a project?
• Executive
• Project Manager (if deciding to go ahead with project)
Define a project brief.
• Enables PB to make a decision within the Pre-project stage
• Contains info such as: APPROACH, PLAN, OUTLINE BUSINESS CASE
What would the Executive & Project Manager submit to the Project Board before entering the project into the initiation stage?
Stage Boundary (MSB) including the Project Brief
Next Stage Plan
What are the components of the “Initiating a Project” management stage?
- Product Initiation Document - PID (Consists of Management Products)
- Next Stage Plan
What are the key Management Products which support Prince2?
• Project Product Description
• Project Approach
• Business Case
• Checkpoint Report
• Highlight Report
• Project Brief
• Project Initiation Document
• Work Package
What is the purpose of the Prince2 Management Product “Business Case”?
• Documents business justification for project. Costs vs Benefits (+ risks)
• Developed in the starting up a project process and refined in the Initiating a project process.
• Directing a project process covers the approval & reaffirmation of the Business Case
• Used by controlling a stage process when assessing impacts of issues and risks. Reviewed and updated at the end of each management stage by the managing a stage Boundary process and at closing the project.
What is the composition of the Prince2 management product “Business Case”
• EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (Benefits & Return)
• REASONS
• BUSINESS OPTIONS (Nothing/Minimum/Something)
• EXPECTED BENEFITS (Qualitative & Quantitative)
• EXPECTED DIS-BENEFITS (Has actually happened)
• TIMESCALE (run time & benefit time)
• COSTS (Ops & Maint costs & funding)
• INVESTMENT APPRAISAL (Benefits vs Dis-Benefits, Project Costs & ops/maint costs
• MAJOR RISKS
What is the purpose of the Prince2 management product “Product Description”?
• Understand product nature, purpose, function & appearance
• define user
• Identify product sources of info & supply
• “ product quality requirements
• Enable ident of activities to produce, review & approve product
• Define people/skills required to “
What is the composition of the Prince2 management product “Product Description”?
• Identifier (Unique key, project name, item name & version no.)
• Title
• Purpose
• Composition
• Derivation (Sources where derived)
• Format & Presentation
• Development Skills Required
• Quality Criteria
• “ Tolerance
• “ Method
• “ Skills Required
• “ Responsibilities
What is the purpose of the Prince2 management product “Project Product Description”?
• What the project must deliver
• Used to gain user agreement on scope and requirements
• Used to define customer’s quality expectations
• “ acceptance project criteria, method and responsibilities
What is the composition of the Prince2 management product “Project Product Description”?
• Title
• Purpose
• Composition
• Derivation
• Development Skills Required
• Customer Quality Expectations
• Acceptance Criteria
• Project-level quality tolerances
• Acceptance Method
• Acceptance Responsibilities
What is the purpose of the Prince2 management product “Work Package “?
• Set of information of 1+ required products collated by PM To pass responsibility for work/delivery to team manager
What is the composition of the Prince2 management product “Work Package”?
• Date
• Team Manager/Those Authorised
• Work Package Description
• Techniques, processes & procedures
• Development Interfaces
• Ops/Maint Interfaces (other special products the project product may need to interface with)
• Change Control Environments
• Joint Agreements
• Tolerances
• Contraints
• Reporting Arrangements
• Problem Handling & Escalation
• Extracts/References
• Product Descriptions
• Approval Method
List 3 types of Agile Ways of Working
• Scrum
• Kanban
• Lean Start-Up
Where does Agile fit in the Prince2 project management process?
• Within Managing Product Delivery of Management Stages
Name the 9 roles within Prince2
• Project Board
• Executive
• Senior User
• Senior Supplier
• Project Manager
• Team Manager
• Project Assurance
• Change Authority
• Project Support
Define the responsibilities of the Project Board
• Accountable to corporate, programme management & customer
• Can direct the project as set by the mandate
• Responsible for communications between PM team & external stakeholders
• Can delegate project assurance responsibilities
Define the responsibilities of the Executive
• Ultimatley accountable
• Supported by SU & SS
• To ensure project focus
• To ensure VFM and balancing business demands/SU & SS
• Responsible for the business case
• Ultimate decision maker
Define the responsibilities of the Senior User
• Specifying needs of product users
• User liaison with PM team
• Ensure minimum quality, functionality and ease of use
• 1 or more person
• Demonstrate realisation of benefits to corporate, programme management and customer
Define the responsibilities of the Senior Supplier
• Represents interests of creators
• Accountable for quality and technical integrity
• 1 or more people
• May appoint independent person for assurance on product
Define the responsibilities of the Project Manager
• Accountable to PB and Executive
• Daily running of the Project
• Ensure required product creation within tolerances
• Responsible for the product capability of benefits defined in the business case
Define the responsibilities of the Team Manager
• Ensure production of defined products set by PM of sufficient quality, within time at reasonable cost
• Accountable to PM
Define the responsibilities of the Project Assurance Team
• Covers primary stakeholder interests (BUS)
• Independent of PM
Define the responsibilities of the Change Authority
• Approves requests to change or off-specifications
• Although PM can be assigned some change authority if within management stage tolerances
Define the responsibilities of the Project Support
• Optional
• Undertaken by PM if not otherwise assigned
• Provided by a project office or special resources
What management product within Prince2 defines internal communications?
• Communications Management Approach
What two roles within the project board cannot be undertaken by one person?
• Senior Supplier & Senior User
What are the 4 management levels in Prince2?
• Corporate/Programme (External to Project Management Team)
• Project Board
• Project Manager
•Team Manager
Who does the Project Manager liaise with inside a project?
• Project Assurance
What is the boundary line called separating the project board and the rest of the project team?
• Gandalf Line
What must a Project Manager submit to the Change Authority for a tolerance change?
• An Issue
(Not an exception as it’s not to the Project Board)
Who sends Highlight & Checkpoint reports and to whom?
Highlight Report: Project Manager to PB
Checkpoint Report: Team Manager to PM
