S1 Course overview Flashcards
What is the main purpose of Session 1 of the PRINCE2 course?
To provide a basic appreciation of what PRINCE2 is and its relevance
This session sets the stage for the entire training programme.
What will you be able to do by the end of Session 1?
State the objectives of the course, recall the benefits of using PRINCE2, state the five ‘integrated elements’ of PRINCE2, and list the main roles involved in a PRINCE2 project.
What is a prerequisite for sitting the Practitioner examination?
A pass at the Foundation level.
What is one major advantage of PRINCE2?
Universally recognised set of examination standards independent of training providers.
What is the importance of the PRINCE2 Manual in the course?
It is essential for understanding PRINCE2 and is provided as an eBook with the Foundation exam voucher.
Who is ultimately accountable for the project in PRINCE2?
Project Executive
What are the five integrated elements of PRINCE2?
- PRINCE2 principles
- People
- PRINCE2 practices
- PRINCE2 processes
- The project context
What do the seven principles in PRINCE2 represent?
Guiding obligations that determine whether the project is managed using PRINCE2.
- ensure business justification
- learn from experience
- define roles, responsibilities
- manage by stages
- magage by exception
- focus on products
- tailer to suit the project
What is the focus of PRINCE2 in terms of project management?
What needs to be done to manage the project rather than how work is done.
Fill in the blank: PRINCE2 is designed to be adaptable so it can be applied to any project, separating the management of project work from the _______ development aspects.
Specialist
What does the project context in PRINCE2 include?
- Organizational context
- Commercial context
- Delivery method
- Scale of the project
- Sustainability objectives
True or False: You are allowed to take the eBook or physical manual into the Foundation examination.
False
Which role is responsible for ensuring required products are produced to the required standard?
Project Manager
Identify two of the common contexts of the fifth integrated element of PRINCE2, ‘project context’.
- Commercial
- Delivery method
What is the role of Team Managers in a PRINCE2 project?
Responsible for delivering the products.
What is a recommended document to download for monitoring progress during the course?
Foundation Syllabus
What does PRINCE2 achieve by separating the management of project work from specialist development activities?
Allows specialist activities to be integrated into a controlled environment for the project.
Definition project
A temporary organization that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business products according to an agreed business case
Definition project management
project management is the application of methods, tools, techniques and competencies to enable the project to meet its objectives
5 integrated elelements of PRINCE2
The five integrated elements of the PRINCE2 method are designed to work together. The practices ensure that the principles are continually applied during the processes in a way that is specific to the project context and consider the relationships and requirements of people within the project team and those outside the project team.
PRINCE2 principles
he principles are the guiding obligations that determine whether the project is genuinely being managed using PRINCE2.
There are seven principles, and unless all of them are applied, it is not a PRINCE2 project.
people
projects need people, mainly those working on the project and those affected by the project.
An understanding of the needs, capabilities, and motivations of the people involved and the relationships between them is crucial to how the project is established and managed.
PRINCE2 practices
The practices describe essential aspects of project management that must be applied consistently and throughout the project lifecycle. The seven practices explain the specific treatment required of that aspect of project management for the PRINCE2 processes to be effective and why they are necessary.
* business case
* organizing
* plans
* quality
* risk
* issues
* progress
PRINCE2 processes
the seven processes describe the entire project lifecycle, from activities before getting started, through the stages of project delivery, and to the final act of project closure. Each process has checklists of recommended activities and related responsibilities. The PRINCE2 processes are provided in Chapters 12 to 19.
the project context
the principles, practices, and processes are applied by the people involved to ensure that the method is fit for the project context. How PRINCE2 can be applied to common contexts is outlined in section 1.5.
Definition: project
A temporary organization that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business products according to an agreed business case.
There are five characteristics of a project that distinguish it from business as usual:
● change: projects are the means by which we introduce change.
● temporary: projects are temporary in nature. When the desired change has been implemented, business as usual resumes (in its new form), and the need for the project is removed. As projects are temporary, they should therefore have a defined start and a defined end.
● cross-functional: a project involves a team of people with different skills working together on a temporary basis to introduce a change that will impact others outside the team. Projects often work across the usual functional divisions within an organization and sometimes span different organizations. This frequently causes stresses and strains both within and between organizations (for example, between customers and suppliers). Each has a different perspective and motivation for getting involved in the project.
● unique: every project is unique. An organization may undertake many similar projects and establish a familiar, proven pattern of project activity, but each one will differ in a certain way. This can mean a different team, customer, supplier, product, location, or timeframe. All these factors combine to make every project unique.
● uncertainty: the characteristics already listed will introduce threats and opportunities over and above those typically encountered within business as usual. Projects are riskier than any operational aspects of an organization.
Definition: project management
Project management is the application of methods, tools, techniques, and competencies to enable the project to meet its objectives.
What does the sustainability management approach scope describe?
What sustainability targets
It outlines the specific sustainability goals that need to be achieved.
What does the measurement aspect of the sustainability management approach describe?
How to measure achievement of sustainability targets
This involves the methods and metrics used to evaluate progress towards sustainability goals.
What are the key components of the sustainability management approach?
- Responsibilities
- Resources for sustainability management activities
- Supporting tools and techniques
- Standards
- References for associated documents or products
These components help organize and implement sustainability initiatives effectively.
What is the purpose of the benefits management approach?
To define the benefits management actions and benefits reviews
This ensures that project outcomes are achieved and that benefits are realized.
What does the business case executive summary highlight?
The key points
It provides a concise overview of the project’s main aspects.
What does the reasons section of the business case define?
The reasons for undertaking the project
This outlines the justification for initiating the project.
What is included in the business options section of the business case?
Analysis and reasoned recommendation
It evaluates different options and suggests the best course of action.
What are expected benefits and dis-benefits in a business case?
Benefits and dis-benefits of the project
This section assesses the positive and negative impacts of the project.
What does the sustainability targets section of the business case refer to?
The sustainability targets for the project
This specifies the environmental goals the project aims to achieve.
What does the time section in the business case indicate?
The period over which the project will run
This defines the timeline for project implementation.
What is summarized in the costs section of the business case?
A summary of the project costs
This provides an overview of the financial requirements of the project.
What is included in the investment appraisal of the business case?
Assessment of the project’s financial viability
This evaluates whether the project’s benefits justify the costs.
What does the major risks section of the business case summarize?
The key threats and opportunities
This identifies potential challenges and advantages related to the project.
What are the high-level contents of a project brief?
- Project definition
- Outline business case
- Project product description
- Project approach
- Project management
- References for associated documents or products
These elements provide a comprehensive overview of the project.
Defining and analyzing products, what sub steps?
Write a project product description
Create a product breakdown structure
Write product descriptions
Create a product flow diagram
Ref 7.3.2 Defining and analyzing the products.
Sustainability Plans can address sustainability in at least three different ways:
Product sustainability
Delivery sustainability
Benefits sustainability
Delivery sustainability
Projects often face choices in planning work packages and stages that can affect the climate impacts of the delivery activities. Agreeing to sustainability tolerances is an effective way in which the project manager and project board can keep things like fuel consumption and production wastes aligned with the organizational strategy.
Quality management focuses on three elements: quality planning, quality control, and quality assurance. Quality planning involves:
- identifying the major products of the project and documenting them
- eliciting user requirements
- developing the quality management approach
- obtaining the project board’s approval
Definition: User’s quality expectations
A statement about the quality expected from the project product, captured in the project product description.
All project stakeholders have expectations of how the project will be performed and of the products it will deliver.
The purpose of the quality practice is:
The purpose of the quality practice is to document the user’s requirements of the project products and to establish the means by which they will be met.
The quality practice addresses the quality concepts, guidance, techniques, management products, and responsibilities for the project products.
10.2.4 Delegating authority for changes
The project board is the ultimate authority for reviewing and approving requests for change and offspecifications. However, the project board may delegate authority to approve changes.
Delegating authority for effective change control is a matter of balancing efficiency and control. If there is too little delegation, the project board is likely to slow the progress or be asked to review changes that others are better able to decide.
Risk versus Threat
Risks can have a negative or positive impact on objectives if they occur. PRINCE2 uses the terms ‘threat’ for uncertain events that would have a negative impact on objectives and ‘opportunity’ for uncertain events that would have a positive impact on objectives.
Threats and opportunities can impact the project’s objective of delivering an agreed scope and benefits to an agreed time, cost, and quality, as well as within agreed sustainability targets.
Ref 9.1 Risk
Issue types are:
Problem,
Concern,
External event,
Business opportunity,
Request for change,
Off-specification
The purpose of the issue report is
The purpose of the issue report is to describe the issue’s impacts on the project baseline and identify ways to resolve the issue or address off-specification and recommend a decision.
Definition: Problem or concern
A problem is an issue with an immediate and negative impact.
A concern is an issue whose timeliness and impact need to be assessed
During the decide step, the project board can respond as follows to a request for change:
Approve
Reject
Ask for an exception plan
Request more information
The steps are: Capture, Assess, Recommend, Decide, and Implement. CARDI
a. End stage report: High-level content
Executive summary
Performance review Summary of follow-on action recommendations Key issues and risks Forecast
b. Issue Report High-level content
Unique identifier & Product identifier(s)
Date raised and Type of problem Type of issue Severity and priority, Description (a summary of the issue) Options to deal with the issue Recommendation Decision
c. Highlight Report: High-level content
Executive summary
Period the reporting period covered t Follow up the outstanding items from previous reports This reporting period Next reporting period forecast Stage and project tolerance status Key issues and risks
d. Checkpoint Report High-level content
Executive summary team manager’s report
Period the reporting period covered by the checkpoint report Follow up the outstanding items This reporting period Next reporting period Work package tolerance status Issues and risks
Work package level exceptions
After agreeing to work package tolerances with the team manager, the project manager should be informed of progress with regular checkpoint reports.
the purpose of the project log is
to capture the continually changing records of issues, lessons, products, quality, risk, and other formal/informal actions or events.
End stage report
An ‘end stage report’ is given by the project manager to the project board at the end of each stage.
This provides information about the project’s performance during the stage and the project status at the stage end
Team Plan
A team plan is used as the basis for organizing and controlling the work of a team when executing a work package.
Team plans are optional in PRINCE2 and are usually created by the Team Manager.
Sustainability management approach
This is one of the nine approach management products (documents) created in the “initiating a project” process by the project manager. As you can see, this adds a lot of documentation to a PRINCE2 project.
Stage plan (for initiation stage)
A stage plan is a detailed plan used as the basis for project management control throughout a management stage.
The purpose of the “business case” practice and not any of the seven processes
The purpose is to establish mechanisms to judge whether the project is (and remains) desirable, viable, and achievable, which will support decision-making regarding its continued investment.
Controlling a stage - purpose
The process’s purpose is to assign work, monitor such work, handle issues, report progress to the project board, and take corrective actions to ensure that the stage remains within the project board’s tolerances.
Initiating a project - purpose
To prepare the contract for the project to enable the project board to commit to delivery
Directing a project - purpose
This process allows the governing body to be accountable for the project’s success by making key decisions and exercising overall control while delegating day-to-day project management to the project manager.
Action: Increase the frequency of reports to report on the performance of the stage.
This action directly assesses the effectiveness of the project management process and the current status of the project stage.
If issues are left left unresolved, then the project is quickly going to get out of hand.
In which PRINCE2 process is the work to deliver a stage’s products assigned?
Controlling a stage
Keyword in question is assigned
16.1 Purpose
The purpose of ‘controlling a stage’ is to assign work, monitor such work, handle issues, report progress to the project board, and take corrective actions to ensure that the stage remains within the tolerances set by the project board.
16.3 Context
Work package descriptions are used to define, assign, and control the work to be done, as well as to set tolerances for the team managers.
What action should the Project Manager take to ensure effective progress management when a Team Manager lacks experience?
Increase the frequency of checkpoint reports.
When a Team Manager is inexperienced, increasing the frequency of checkpoint reports ensures that the Project Manager receives regular updates on progress. This allows for closer monitoring and early identification of any issues, helping to maintain effective progress management and providing the necessary support to the Team Manager.
