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Definitions
Prince2 - Diagrams of Components and Processes
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Prince
(Projects IN Controlled Environments)
is a project management (link)
methodology; it was born in the UK to solve the problems which troubled
Information Technology projects. Its success was such, that
Prince2, studied from the very beginning as a
universal methodology (not restricted to the IT world), was
created |
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success has led to its being considered the the
most effective project management
methodology in the world;
even China has recently imported Prince2, and thousands of firms are
embracing it worldwide
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Prince2 differs from other methodologies in being practical, with an
operational manual; Prince2 stresses the
project
operational management of projects, leaving to the
project team the tool choice (pen and paper, advanced software, and so on) |
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Prince2 has a controlled beginning, life and end.
Above all, Prince2 projects have an end; under special circumstances, a
project will be closed anyway (not to let it creep forever) in order to
start another (or more than one) project specifically aimed at possible
problems which may have arisen |
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Prince2 is “property” of the British government (OGC -Office of Government
Commerce) but is free to be used. To become
(Prince2 Practitioner) certified project
manager, one has to take two “governmental” exams. |
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Operations in
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Zurich), Milan (Prince2
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Some of Prince2’s more interesting
features are:
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1.
Product-based
The
product is the fulcrum of everything: once defined the final product, the
PBS (Product Breakdown Structure), where all the sub-products till the
necessary detail level appear, is drawn.
By means
of the PBS, the PFD (Product Flow Diagram), where all the activities
necessary to realize the product and its sub-products appear, is drawn.
Together
with the customer, the product is defined in all its aspects (features,
quality, acceptance, and so on); each
modification of what has been agreed and
approved has to be approved by the Project Board (see bullet 2)
– Change Control
is one of Prince2’s eight Components.
A table
obtained from Product Descriptions, with all the deadlines, can be used
instead of Gantt diagrams.
As
it can be
seen, one starts from the product, not from
activities; all that is not needed for the final product is not
even taken into consideration
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2.
Project
Board
The
Project Manager is responsible towards the Project Board (i.e., the
Executive because the Proj.
Board is
not a democracy), which has final responsibility for the project.
Inside the
Proj.
Board, three interests are represented: Business (in the person of the
Executive), Supplier (Senior Supplier/s), User (Senior User/s).
All
important decisions have to be approved by the Proj.
Board; the Executive must be a high-ranking person in the organization and
he/she has to be able to draw from financial resources.
The Project Board “manages by exception”:
it takes the foreseen decisions (especially at the start and at the end of
each stage during the project) and receives regular reports from the
Proj. Manager but, if everything is proceeding within (foreseen)
tolerances and there are no important news, the PB does not intervene;
this allows PB’s members to go on with their usual activities (usually,
they are high-ranking and very busy people).
Final responsibility stays with the person who has authority and
financial availability;
all stakeholders are represented in the Proj.
Board, but the Executive has the final word
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3.
Business
Case
The
Business Case contains the reasons why the project is to be realized; the
Executive is the BC’s “owner”.
The BC is
improved (or created) and reconsidered during the Starting Up a project
process (see bullet 4); then, it is constantly considered in view of the
situation. If the BC becomes valid no more (e.g., due to changes in the
law or skyrocketing costs), the Proj. Board decides what to do after
considering Proj.
Manager’s recommendations and on the basis of whatever
is known to the PB itself: changes, a new project, project killing, and so
on.
If there are no valid reasons to go on with the project, decisions
(they could be drastic ones) are taken: the Business Case is continuously
considered,
especially in critical moments
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4.
Starting
Up a project
(SU)
One of
Prince2’s eight processes, it constitutes the first practical step in the
methodology but is not part of the Project itself.
The
process starts after receiving the Project Mandate which is a document
written by the management; the Project Mandate constitutes the basis of
the Business Case.
The
process includes choosing the Executive and the Proj.
Manager, improving (or creating) the Business Case, choosing Project Board
and staff members, identifying initial risks and so on.
Besides,
Product Description, Customer’s Quality Expectations and Acceptance
Criteria are defined.
At SU’s
end, the Proj. Board meets and decides whether to go on or not with the
project; if the PB decides to go on, it authorizes the first project
stage, i.e., IP (Initiating a Project).
The project does not start before an organization has been set, the
Business Case is sufficiently developed, risks have been considered, SU
has shown that it is the case to start the project
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Continues ...
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