PRINCE2 & Projects
Background | Who's Who | Definition | Process | Things to Know
Background
What is PRINCE2? It is a process driven project management methodology that arose in the United Kingdom civil service in the mid-1990s.
PRINCE2 was originally developed as PRINCE, or PRojects IN Controlled Environments, in 1989 by the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) of the UK Government as a standard for information technology project management. It was later enhanced and the revised version became known as PRINCE2 and was released in 1996 as a generic project management method. It has become a very popular methodology and is the de facto standard for project management in the UK. Use of PRINCE2 is rapidly spreading throughout the world The current custodian and owner of the PRINCE2 methodology is the UK's Office of Government Commerce (OGC). The name "PRINCE2" is a Registered Trade Mark of the OGC, and they have the Official PRINCE2 site.
This methodology has influenced my own thinking about project control in significant ways. Many people view this as an overly formal and bureaucratic methodology, generally they do not take into account the need for tailoring it to the current project environment.
Who's Who in the PRINCE2 Zoo?
There are a large number of pre-defined roles in PRINCE2, and a good summary of these can be found at Crazy Colour.
There are two levels of PRINCE2 certifications: (1) Foundation - an introductory level of training; and (2) Practitioner - a higher level of training. There is a register of successful candidates for both levels of certification.
Process Overview
There is an excellent overview of the PRINCE2 process at ILX's website. Also Wikipedia has a good overview.
Key elements of PRINCE2 include:
- Business case
- Project organisation, including roles and responsibilities
- Formalised plans for tasks and activities
- Project controls
- Formal risk management
- Quality targets and plans
- Configuration management to track and manage project artifacts
- Change control to manage scope and specifications
Important Things to Know About PRINCE2
- The Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom is the origin of PRINCE2 and it remains the best starting point for exploration
- PRINCE2 requires discipline and commitment from management
- Not all projects fit properly into the PRINCE2 world, but the discipline can still be useful
- It is important to tailor the PRINCE2 methodology to your own situation, it is not meant to be used without tailoring.
- PRINCE2 also links into other methodologies such as ITIL and M_o_R
- There is a marvelous map of the PRINCE2 process based on London tube maps by Mike Spain
- AFA's PRINCE2 Resource and downloads page
