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 a Stage or Exception Plan

Purpose

Once the project has been authorized (and the Project Initiation Documentation approved), the project progresses as a series of one or more delivery stages, during which the products of the project are created.

Authorizing a Stage or Exception Plan is the activity performed by the Project Board at each ‘stage boundary’.
This activity is also performed by the Project Board in the event of an exception that results in an Exception Plan being produced and submitted for approval.
An exception is a condition occurring during a stage which requires escalation to the Project Board, because it prevents the Project Manager from completing the stage within agreed tolerances.

The purpose of authorizing a Stage or Exception Plan is to provide the Project Board with an opportunity to review progress, reaffirm the business viability of the project and give the Project Manager approval to proceed based on an agreed plan (i.e. either the next Stage Plan or an Exception Plan for the current stage).

When authorizing a Stage (or Exception) Plan, Project Board members should expect the Project Manager to provide an End Stage Report (or Exception Report) describing current project progress (notably the status of the products, the budget, any benefits and/or risks and, in the case of an exception, the planning options considered for recovery).

Project Board members should additionally be confident that the project’s plans and records are being properly maintained.
The Project Manager should submit a suitably detailed Stage Plan for the next stage (or an Exception Plan, if applicable).

If the Stage Plan is for the final stage, Project Board members should ensure that the PRINCE2® project closure activities are incorporated into the Stage Plan.

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.