Chapter 1: Introduction

Question 1

What does PRINCE2 stand for?

Answer 1

PRojects IN Controlled Environments

Question 2

What is PRINCE2 designed to be?

Answer 2

Generic so that it can be applied to any project regardless of project scale, type, organization, geography or culture.

Question 3

How does PRINCE2 achieve its aim to be generic?

Answer 3

1. Separating the management of project work from the specialist contributions (e.g. design/construction).
2. Focusing on describing what needs to be done - rather than prescribing how it’s done.

Question 4

What is PRINCE2 based on?

Answer 4

Established and proven best practice and governance for PM.

Question 5

How can PRINCE2 be tailored?

Answer 5

1. To meet specific organisation needs.

2. Scaled to size and complexity of different projects.

Question 6

Where can PRINCE2 be applied?

Answer 6

Any type of project.

Easily implemented alongside specialist, industry-specific models (e.g. engineering models or development lifecycles).

Question 7

Why is PRINCE2’s wide recognition and understanding an benefit?

Answer 7

1. Provides common vocab for all project participants.
2. Promotes consistency.
3. Ability to reuse project assets.
4. Facilitates staff mobility.
5. Reduces impact of personnel changes/handovers.

Question 8

What does PRINCE2 focus participants on?

Answer 8

1. Viability of the project in relation to its business case objectives (vs project completion being an end in itself).
2. Ensures stakeholders properly represented in planning and decision making.

Question 9

What does PRINCE2 promote?

Answer 9

Learning from project experience and continual improvement in organisations.

Question 10

What support is there for PRINCE2?

Answer 10

Worldwide network of exam institutes, accredited training, consultancy orgs, etc.

Question 11

What is maturity?

Answer 11

Measure of:
1. Reliability
2. Efficiency
3. Effectiveness
of a process/function/organisation/etc.

Question 12

Why is maturity important?

Answer 12

Most mature processes/functions are formally aligned with business objectives and strategy.
Supported by framework of continual improvement.

Question 13

What does the structure contain?

Answer 13

Four integrated elements of principles, themes, processes and project environment.

Question 14

What are principles?

Answer 14

1. The guiding obligations and good practices.
2. There are 7.
3. Unless all are applied, it’s not a PRINCE2 project.

Question 15

What are themes?

Answer 15

1. They explain the specific treatment required for disciplines and why they’re necessary.
2. Aspects of PM that must be addressed continually and in parallel throughout the project.
3. There are 7.

Question 16

What are processes?

Answer 16

1. Describes the progression from pre-project activity through the stages of the project lifecyle to the closure.
2. Each process has checklists of recommended activities, products and related responsibilities.

Question 17

What is a project environment?

Answer 17

Organisations what consistent approach to PM and tailor PRINCE2 to create their own PM method.

Question 18

What are the 3 topics PRINCE2 doesn’t cover?

Answer 18

1. Specialist aspects.
2. Detailed techniques.
3. Leadership capability.

Question 19

Why doesn’t PRINCE2 cover specialist aspects?

Answer 19

Because it’s generic and intended to work alongside them.

Specialist products need to be identified and included within project scope and plans.

Question 20

Why doesn’t PRINCE2 cover detailed techniques?

Answer 20

Techniques are only described in detail where PRINCE2 specifically recommends them or it’s unique to PRINCE2 (e.g. quality review).

Alternative equivalent techniques can be used instead.

Question 21

Why doesn’t PRINCE2 cover leadership capability?

Answer 21

Leadership styles vary considerably.
What works in one situation might be inappropriate in another.
Successful leaders often adopt different styles.

Question 22

What makes a project a PRINCE2 project?

Answer 22

1. Applying PRINCE2 principles.
2. Meeting minimum requirements set out in PRINCE2 themes.
3. Project processes that satisfy purpose and objectives of PRINCE2 processes.
4. Using recommended techniques or alternative, equivalent techniques.