Controlling a stage

Question 1

What is the purpose of the stage control process in PRINCE2?

Answer 1

To assign the work to be done, monitor it, manage issues, report progress to the project board, and take corrective actions to ensure that the stage stays within tolerances.

Question 2

What are the objectives of the stage control process?

Answer 2

To ensure a focus on delivering the products of the management stage, keep risks and issues under control, review the business case, and ensure the delivery of products in accordance with agreed quality, cost, and time standards.

Question 2

When is the stage control process used?

Answer 2

The process is used for the day-to-day management of each delivery stage of the project, starting after project authorization from the project board and potentially even during the initiation stage.

Question 3

What are the key activities in the stage control cycle?

Answer 3

The cycle includes authorizing the work, monitoring progress and quality, reviewing the situation, reporting highlights, managing issues and risks, and taking necessary corrective actions.

Question 4

How are work packages used in stage control?

Answer 4

Work packages are used to define and control the work to be done and set tolerances for team managers. If the project manager also serves as the team manager, work packages are used to define and control the work of individual team members.

Question 5

Which process is invoked towards the end of the last management stage?

Answer 5

Towards the end of the last management stage, the project closure process is invoked.

Question 6

What are the main activities in the “Stage Control” process in PRINCE2?

Answer 6

Activities include authorizing work packages, monitoring and reporting on the status of the management stage, managing issues and risks, and taking corrective actions.

Question 7

Why is the authorization of a work package important in PRINCE2?

Answer 7

To ensure that work starts and continues only with the consent of the project manager, avoiding chaos and ensuring awareness of broader issues.

Question 8

What should a work package in PRINCE2 cover?

Answer 8

It should include details such as the products to be produced, estimated costs and efforts, tolerances, project controls, quality standards, and methods of product delivery.

Question 9

What actions are involved in defining and authorizing a work package?

Answer 9

Review the stage plan, the PID, define work package details, agree with the team manager, update stage plans and configuration records, and consult with project assurance.

Question 10

What updates are necessary during the authorization of a work package?

Answer 10

Update configuration, quality, risk, and issue registers based on approvals and changes in work packages.

Question 11

What is the purpose of the work package status review in PRINCE2?

Answer 11

To regularly assess the progress of ongoing work packages, ensuring they are in line with the stage plan and meet quality and time requirements.

Question 11

What actions are taken during the review of the status of a work package?

Answer 11

Collect and evaluate progress information from checkpoint reports, review the team plan and entries in the quality register, and verify product configuration records.

Question 12

What updates are necessary after reviewing the status of work packages?

Answer 12

Update the stage plan with actual data, forecasts, and adjustments, and update risk and issue registers if needed.

Question 13

What is the process for receiving completed work packages in PRINCE2?

Answer 13

Confirm that the work defined in the package has been completed and approved, ensuring that all future changes to the products go through the change control process.

Question 14

What verifications are required to confirm the completion of a work package?

Answer 14

Verify that the quality register entries related to the products are complete and that each product in the package has received the necessary approvals according to its quality descriptions.

Question 15

What updates are required once a completed work package is received?

Answer 15

Update configuration records for each approved product and update the stage plan to reflect the completion of the work package.

Question 16

What is the purpose of the Stage Status Review process in PRINCE2?

Answer 16

To ensure an up-to-date and accurate picture of work progress and resource status for maintaining control over the project.

Question 17

What actions are included in the Stage Status Review?

Answer 17

Review checkpoint reports, current and forecasted stage plans, check product status, quality registers, risks, and issues, and assess resource usage.

Question 18

What decisions may emerge from the Stage Status Review?

Answer 18

Authorize work packages, report highlights, manage issues and risks, take corrective actions, seek advice from the project board, record lessons learned, and plan for the next stage.

Question 19

What updates are necessary after the Stage Status Review?

Answer 19

Update risk and issue registers and the stage plan based on the assessments made and updated forecasts.

Question 20

What preparations are required toward the end of the stage?

Answer 20

Prepare for the next stage or, if it’s the last stage, prepare for project closure.

Question 21

What is the purpose of providing highlight reports in the PRINCE2 process?

Answer 21

To provide the project board with summary information about the status of the management stage and the project and to distribute information to stakeholders as documented in the communication management approach.

Question 22

What sources of information are used to compile highlight reports in PRINCE2?

Answer 22

Highlight reports are compiled using information from checkpoint reports, risk, issue, and quality registers, the lessons log, product status accounts, and any significant updates to the stage plan.

Question 23

What steps are involved in preparing a highlight report in PRINCE2?

Answer 23

Preparing a highlight report includes collecting corrective actions taken during the reporting period, reviewing the previous highlight report, and producing a new report summarizing progress and key events in the current period.

Question 24

Who are highlight reports distributed to?

Answer 24

Distribute the highlight report to the project board and other recipients identified in the communication management approach.

Question 25

How are issues and risks captured in the PRINCE2 process?

Answer 25

Issues and risks are identified on an ad-hoc basis and must be recorded consistently and reliably by any member of the organization, program management, the customer, or other stakeholders.

Question 26

What steps are involved in assessing an issue or risk in PRINCE2?

Answer 26

Each issue or risk should be recorded and assessed for its impact. This includes following risk and change management procedures and reporting the status of the issue or risk.

Question 27

How are issues managed informally and formally in PRINCE2?

Answer 27

If an issue can be managed informally, it is recorded in the daily log. For issues requiring formal management, follow the procedures in the change control method and report the status as required.

Question 28

What are the fundamental steps in risk management in PRINCE2?

Answer 28

Identify risks, record them in the risk register, assess their impact and likelihood, and establish appropriate response actions following the project’s risk management approach.

Question 29

When and how are corrective actions taken or issues and risks escalated in PRINCE2?

Answer 29

If an issue or risk requires action outside established tolerances, seek advice from the project board or proceed with escalation, considering the overall impact on the stage’s status.

Question 30

When should a project manager escalate issues and risks in PRINCE2?

Answer 30

When internal corrective actions are insufficient to keep the stage or project within the tolerances set by the project board, especially if the issue or risk exceeds the agreed-upon tolerances.

Question 31

What are the preparatory steps for escalating an issue or risk?

Answer 31

Review the stage and project plans to define the extent of the deviation, determine recovery options, and assess the impact on the business case and stage plan.

Question 32

How is an escalation communicated to the project board?

Answer 32

Inform the project board in advance of a potential exception situation, followed by presenting an exception report detailing the situation, available options, and a recommendation for a course of action.

Question 33

What actions can the project board take in response to an escalation?

Answer 33

The project board can request further information, approve, defer, or reject change requests, grant concessions, change tolerances, request an exception plan, or instruct premature project closure.

Question 34

Why is the escalation of issues and risks considered a best practice in PRINCE2?

Answer 34

Escalating issues and risks in a timely manner allows more time to implement corrective actions and should not be seen as a failure but as an essential part of maintaining control over the project.

Question 35

What is the main purpose of corrective actions in PRINCE2?

Answer 35

To select and implement actions within the tolerances of the management stage and the project to address deviations from the plan.

Question 36

How are corrective actions identified and selected in PRINCE2?

Answer 36

Gather information about the deviation, identify potential solutions, and select the most appropriate option for managing the deviation.

Question 37

What steps are involved in implementing a corrective action?

Answer 37

Activate the corrective action by authorizing a work package, update the configuration records of the affected products, and update the issue and risk registers.

Question 38

Which records and documents are updated following a corrective action?

Answer 38

Update the issue report, issue and risk registers, and the stage plan to reflect changes resulting from the corrective action.

Question 39

How is the status of a corrective action monitored in PRINCE2?

Answer 39

Monitor the status of the corrective action through either the daily log or the issue register, depending on whether the action is being managed informally or formally.

Question 40

Why are work packages crucial in the “Controlling a Stage” process in PRINCE2?

Answer 40

Work packages are essential because they focus on products, a central element of the PRINCE2 principle of focusing on products.

Question 41

How can work packages be tailored in PRINCE2?

Answer 41

Work packages can take various forms depending on specialist disciplines and may vary whether the work is done internally or externally. The project manager needs to ensure that relevant content is included.

Question 42

How can highlight reports be tailored in the “Controlling a Stage” process?

Answer 42

The frequency of highlight reports can be adjusted based on risk profile and outcomes. They can include additional information such as KPIs and may be presented in the form of wall charts or Kanban boards.

Question 43

What are the guidelines for tailoring issue reports in PRINCE2?

Answer 43

An issue report can be a view of the issue register with additional information. If this information is included in the issue register, a separate report may not be necessary.

Question 44

How can exception reports be tailored in the “Controlling a Stage” process?

Answer 44

The format of the exception report can be adapted to the preferences of the project board as long as it includes all the information required by the project board.

Question 45

What is the project manager’s responsibility in tailoring roles in the “Controlling a Stage” process?

Answer 45

The project manager is responsible for creating all new management products in this process but can delegate to others while retaining accountability, especially when defining specialist products.

Question 46

How is tailoring managed in the “Controlling a Stage” in a simple project?

Answer 46

In a simple project, the project manager may also act as the team manager, using work packages as control for individual team members and personally taking on the project support role.

Question 47

What are the key considerations in tailoring “Controlling a Stage” using an agile approach?

Answer 47

In an agile approach, the project manager should empower teams to deliver in the best way possible, using effective visual communication channels and setting appropriate tolerances, especially in terms of scope and quality criteria.

Question 48

How is tailoring managed in “Controlling a Stage” from a supplier perspective?

Answer 48

For an external supplier, a customer’s work package may take the form of a binding contract, with the project manager ensuring they have sufficient information to control the work.

Question 49

How is tailoring managed in “Controlling a Stage” within a program or portfolio?

Answer 49

Consider how to maintain project records and logs and how to escalate at the program or portfolio level, with particular attention to risk management and escalation procedures.