Chapter 6 - Organising

Question 1

What is the purpose of the organising practice?

Answer 1

To define and establish the project’s structure of accountability and responsibilities

Question 2

What are the three principal categories of project stakeholders?

Answer 2

Business, user and supplier

Question 3

What are the four organisational layers?

Answer 3

Business layer (commissioning), Project board (directing), Project manager (managing), Team managers (delivering)

Question 4

What is the role of the business layer organisational level?

Answer 4

The commissioning party within the business is responsible for providing the project mandate, identifying the executive, defining the project level tolerances within which the project board will work, and determining whether to authorise any potential breach of a project level tolerance

Question 5

What is the role of the project board organisational level?

Answer 5

The project board has representations from the business, user, and supplier communities and is accountable for the success of the project. It is also responsible for the overall direction and management of the project within the constraints establish by the business layer. The project board authorises the start and completion of each stage, including setting stage tolerances. They are also responsible for determining whether to authorise any deviation that breaches or is forecast to breach the agreed stage tolerances and for communicating with the business and other impacted stakeholders as agreed in the communication management approach

Question 6

What is the role of the project manager organisational level?

Answer 6

The project manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of the project within the constraints established by the project board. The project manager’s primary responsibility is to manage the relationships within the project to ensure that the project produces the products in accordance with the strategic objectives and the agreed requirements (such as quality, sustainability, time, cost, scope, benefits, and risk performance goals)

Question 7

What is the role of the team manager organisational level?

Answer 7

Team managers and team members are responsible for the day-to-day management and decision making for their element of the project within the constraints established by the project manager, co creating where required with other team members from across the project ecosystem

Question 8

Define the project management team structure

Answer 8

The project management team structure is composed of the project board, project managers, team managers, and project assurance and project support roles

Question 9

Define the work breakdown structure

Answer 9

A hierarchy of all work to be done during a project that forms a link between the product breakdown structure and the work packages

Question 10

Describe the PRINCE2 technique for organisational design and development

Answer 10

(1) Understand organisational ecosystem (2) design project ecosystem (3) develop project ecosystem (4) manage changes to project ecosystem (5) transition project into organisational ecosystem

Question 11

Project organisational design describes how to organise work and people to achieve the project’s objectives. This includes:

Answer 11

Determining the effective structure of the team; determining the people and the resources needed; implementing integrated working practices; developing the project behaviours and culture

Question 12

What two factors inform the design of the project organisation?

Answer 12

Work breakdown structure and the commercial management approach

Question 13

Who is responsible for the project organisational design?

Answer 13

The project executive, supported by the project manager

Question 14

Where should the project organisational design be documented?

Answer 14

In the PID

Question 15

What are some examples of development activities when developing the project ecosystem?

Answer 15

Onboarding people to the project; skills and capability assessments; training for the project team; team building; establishing and maintaining a specific project culture; succession planning; offboarding to capture lessons

Question 16

When transitioning the project into the organisational ecosystem, what three key aspects must the project board consider as part of the transition?

Answer 16

Products; people; learning

Question 17

Define delivery model

Answer 17

The organisational and commercial arrangements to be deployed to meet the project objectives given the project constraints and capabilities of the user, business, and supplier organisations. It is described in the commercial management approach and reflected in the project management team structure

Question 18

What does RACI stand for?

Answer 18

Responsible (one or more people who perform the task); Accountable (the single person who ‘owns’ the task); Consulted (the people whose input is required for the task); Informed (the people who are informed of progress or completion of the task)

Question 19

What are some of the benefits of a RACI matrix?

Answer 19

Clarity of ownership; clear responsibility for delivery; stronger teamwork; visual format that reduces confusion and ensures there are no gaps

Question 20

What is the purpose of the commercial management approach?

Answer 20

The purpose of the commercial management approach is to describe the procedures, techniques, and standards to be applied and the responsibilities for effective commercial management. This covers the approach to secure, service, and maintain all commercial agreements required for the project to be a success. This may include activities such as market engagement, procurement, and contract management.

Question 21

What high-level content is associated with the commercial management approach?

Answer 21

Scope (description of the commercial relationships required; for example, if any user agreements are needed, what supplier contracts are needed); delivery model (description of delivery model for the project work); resources (for market engagement, procurement, and contract management activities; responsibilities (defines the responsibilities for market engagement, procurement, and contract management activities); supporting tools and techniques (tender systems or contract management systems to be used); standards (any standards that apply to market engagement, procurement, or contract management); references (for any associated documents or products)

Question 22

What is the purpose of the project management team structure?

Answer 22

The purpose of the project management team structure is to define who is involved in the project, their relationships, and how they will work together. It may also include a description of relevant key personnel outside the project team.

Question 23

What high-level content is associated with the project management team structure?

Answer 23

Project structure (a chart showing the structure of the team and their reporting lines); summary of authority and responsibilities (governance arrangements, possibly in matrix form, showing levels of management, the decisions they are authorised to make, who holds them accountable, and who assures them. Working practices arrangements for co-location or arrangements for remote teams); supporting information (other key personnel, relationships)

Question 24

What is the purpose of role descriptions?

Answer 24

The purpose of role descriptions is to describe the roles of those in the project management team and their specific responsibilities

Question 25

What high-level content is associated with the role descriptions?

Answer 25

Role (name of role); authority (what the role has authority to approve); responsibilities (list of responsibilities assigned to the role); accountable (who the role reports to); supporting information (whether the role is part-time or full-time, whether the role is combined with any other role)

Question 26

What areas of focus are there for the business layer, associated with the organising practice?

Answer 26

Appoint the project executive and (possibly) the project manager; provide the communications standards required by the business; provide information to the project as defined in the communication management approach

Question 27

What areas of focus are there for the project executive, associated with the organising practice?

Answer 27

Appoint the project manager (if not done by the business); work with the project manager to confirm the organisational design for the project and approve the project management team structure; confirm appointments to the project management team; approve the commercial management approach, the communication management approach, and the change management approach; review and confirm the project approach and the choice of delivery model and ensure they are compatible with the business’ ESG objectives

Question 28

What areas of focus are there for the senior user, associated with the organising practice?

Answer 28

Ensure appropriate level of involvement of people from the user community; agree the commercial management approach, the communication management approach, and the change management approach; contribute to stakeholder analysis; advise on the people aspects of the user community, for example, who the key influencers are

Question 29

What areas of focus are there for the senior supplier, associated with the organising practice?

Answer 29

Ensure appropriate level of involvement of people from the supplier community; agree the commercial management approach, the communication management approach, and the change management approach; advise on the people aspects of the supplier teams

Question 30

What areas of focus are there for the project manager, associated with the organising practice?

Answer 30

Prepare and update the commercial management approach, the communication management approach, and the change management approach; design, review and update the project management team structure and work breakdown structure; prepare role descriptions; establish and maintain a healthy project ecosystem and ensure the wellbeing of the project management team

Question 31

What areas of focus are there for the team manager, associated with the organising practice?

Answer 31

Manage team members; ensure wellbeing of their team; advise on choice of team members for their part in the project; implement the communication management procedures, change management procedures and commercial management procedures agreed in their work package description

Question 32

What areas of focus are there for the project assurance, associated with the organising practice?

Answer 32

Advise the project manager on the selection of project team members; advise the project manager on the communication management approach, change management approach, and commercial management approach; confirm to the project board that the communication management approach, change management approach, and commercial management approach and compliant with business policies; assure the project board on the implementation of the communication management approach, change management approach, and commercial management approach

Question 33

What areas of focus are there for the project support, associated with the organising practice?

Answer 33

Provide assistance with onboarding and offboarding; provide assistance with stakeholder analysis; provide assistance with communication management activities; provide assistance with change management activities; provide assistance with commercial management activities

Question 34

How is the principle of ensure continued business justification achieved and what is the result?

Answer 34

Achieved by: assigning someone from the business to the project executive role who represents the business viewpoint and has sufficient authority and availability to fulfil the role and be accountable for the project. Resulting in: the project is able to adapt to changing business needs and appropriate decisions are made that align with the business case

Question 35

How is the principle of learn from experience achieved and what is the result?

Answer 35

Achieved by: using lessons to inform the project management team structure, work breakdown structure, and a healthy project ecosystem. Resulting in: the right people are in the right roles at the right time to deliver the project

Question 36

How is the principle of define roles, relationships and responsibilities achieved and what is the result?

Answer 36

Achieved by: developing an explicit project management team structure that ensures everyone involved is fully aware of their relationships and responsibilities. Resulting in: there is no duplication of or gap in responsibilities; there are positive relationships across the project ecosystem and between the project and those impacted by the project

Question 37

How is the principle of manage by stages achieved and what is the result?

Answer 37

Achieved by: assessing, and where necessary, adapting the project management team structure, role descriptions, commercial management approach, communication management approach, and change management approach at stage boundaries. Resulting in: the project can evolve with changing needs, and appropriate sets of skills and abilities are deployed at each stage of the project

Question 38

How is the principle of manage by exception achieved and what is the result?

Answer 38

Achieved by: empowering those best placed to make decisions to do so at the appropriate point. Resulting in: there is facilitation of effective and timely decision making, increased accountability, and ownership of actions and decisions

Question 39

How is the principle of focus on products achieved and what is the result?

Answer 39

Achieved by: ensuring those who will use the project product are represented on the project management team, and there is an understanding of the change management required for their successful deployment. Resulting in: products are more readily accepted by users and brought into operational use, delivering expected benefits

Question 40

How is the principle of tailor to suit the project achieved and what is the result?

Answer 40

Achieved by: creating a project management team that is appropriate to the needs of the project and the capability of the organisations and people involved. Resulting in: an effective team structure is created that is appropriately sized and has the necessary responsibilities, skills, and capabilities required to deliver the project