Directing Projects with PRINCE2

• Introduction
• Overview of PRINCE2
  • Key definitions
  • Structure of PRINCE2
  • The role of senior management in PRINCE2
  • Overview of PRINCE2
• Project Board duties and behaviours
  • Overview
  • Be accountable for the project
  • Provide unified direction
  • Delegate effectively
  • Facilitate cross functional integration
  • Commit resources
  • Ensure effective decision making
  • Support the Project Manager
  • Ensure effective communication
• Starting up a Project
  • Purpose
  • Context
  • Confirm the understanding of the project mandate
  • Appoint the Executive and Project Manager
  • Capture previous lessons
  • Design and appoint the project management team
  • Prepare the outline Business Case
  • Prepare the Project Brief
  • Prepare the Initiation Stage Plan
  • Summary
• Authorize initiation
  • Purpose
  • Context
  • Approve the Project Brief
  • Approve the Initiation Stage Plan
  • Communication
  • Suggested Project Board agenda
  • Summary
• Authorize the project
  • Purpose
  • Context part 1
  • Context part 2
  • Context part 3
  • Communication
  • Review the End Stage Report for initiation
  • Approve the Project Initiation Documentation
  • Approve the next Stage Plan
  • Suggested Project Board agenda
  • Summary
• Authorize a Stage or Exception Plan
  • Purpose
  • Context part 1
  • Context part 2
  • Review End Stage Reports
  • Approve Stage or Exception Plans
  • Assess project viability
  • Suggested Project Board agenda
  • Summary
• Give ad hoc direction
  • Purpose
  • Context
  • Respond to requests
  • Respond to reports
  • Respond to external influences
  • Focus of individual board members
  • Communication
  • Summary
• Authorize project closure
  • Purpose
  • Context
  • Confirm handover and acceptance
  • Approve the End Project Report
  • Approve the Benefits Review Plan
  • Communication
  • Suggested Project Board agenda
  • Summary
• Reviewing benefits
  • Purpose
  • Context
  • Hold benefits reviews
  • Close the Business Case
  • Communication
  • Suggested agenda for benefit reviews
  • Summary
• Tailoring PRINCE2
  • Purpose
  • Introduction
  • Environmental factors
  • Project related factors
  • What does tailoring involve?Adapting the themes

Key sections

• Introduction
• Business case
• Organization
• Quality
• Plans
• Risk
• Change
• Progress
• Introduction to processes
• Starting up a projectDirecting a project
• Initiating a project
• Controlling a stage
• Managing Product Delivery
• Managing a Stage Boundary
• Closing a Project
• Tailoring PRINCE2 to the project environment
• Directing Projects with PRINCE2

Authorize initiation

Context

© Crown copyright 2005 Reproduced under licence from OGC

In the section covering ‘Starting up a Project’ we described how, in the Starting up a Project process, the project management team is appointed and the outline Business Case is developed; also, how the Project Brief and Initiation Stage Plan are developed by the Project Manager.

Authorizing initiation is the first activity in the Directing a Project process and covers the Project Board’s activities to review and approve the outline Business Case, Project Brief and Stage Plan.

The purpose of authorizing initiation is to check the viability, desirability and achievability of the project before committing funds and resources to initiate it.
Towards the end of Starting up a Project, the Project Manager will request authorization for the funds and resources required to initiate the project.
The Project Board members consider the authorization based on two documents, the Project Brief and the Initiation Stage Plan (see the diagram).

It is important to understand that, at this point, the Project Board is only authorizing the work of project initiation.
The project as a whole is not being authorized.
In practical financial terms, this may mean that the likelihood of the project, and a provisional budget, may have been agreed - but it is only the funding for the initiation stage that is being released to the Project Manager.

The purpose of the Project Brief is to make sure that there is a common understanding of the business purposes of the project, its scope, the risks involved, and its likely governance requirements before detailed project planning gets under way in the initiation stage.

Reviewing and approving/rejecting the Project Brief helps to counter the first of two major project management risks at this point - that the wrong project will be planned.

Also at this point, the Project Manager submits a Stage Plan for the initiation stage, a mandatory stage in PRINCE2®.
The Initiation Stage Plan not only communicates the necessary management and planning activities required during initiation, but also counters the second of the two major project management risks - that the planning activity during initiation may, itself, run out of control.

The project’s stakeholders (business, user and supplier interests) may still have markedly different views on the detailed approach to be adopted or the solution required.
This can lead to protracted debates, false starts, impasses and/or uncertain commitment.
The control framework included with the Initiation Stage Plan will ensure that any loss of momentum is highlighted and managed.

All references above are in Directing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 unless stated otherwise.

PRINCE2® is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other countries.