About PRINCE2

Complete an Overview of PRINCE2 online (20 minutes).  Click here  

PRINCE2® is a project management framework which has now become the de facto standard in most countries, including Australia. While the intellectual property of PRINCE2 belongs to the British Crown, the methodology is in the public domain.

Projects in Controlled Environments explains the name and the operative word is "controlled". The business remains in control of its projects and everything in the method can trace back to this fundamental principle.

The "2" reflects the fact that the method is constantly reviewed and maintained by its owners to ensure it keeps pace with developments in best practice approaches and the changing world in which we live. However, the name PRINCE2 has now become so entrenched that it will remain despite a major refresh of the method in 2009.

See below for a table of changes in PRINCE2: 2009.  Click here to open a window to view an APMG video on the PRINCE2 Refresh

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PRINCE2 Basics

PRINCE2 is a process driven methodology. There are 7 processes from Start-Up to Close and these processes encompass the 7 principles and incorporate the 7 themes.

The 7 principles which are considered universal and self-validating must exist in every project run according to PRINCE2.  They  are:

1. Continued business justification
2. Learn from Experience
3. Defined Roles and Responsibilities
4. Manage by Stages
5. Management by Exception
6. Focus on products
7. Tailor to suit the project environment.

The PRINCE2 guidance provided in Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 lists the activities required in each of 7 processes covering consideration of a project, its commencement through to its controlled conclusion. The processes are represented in the following diagram indicating where they occur in the project lifedcycle and the level of management responsible.

 

Underlying these processes are the themes presented in the methodology and these amount to best practice in a project environment.  They answer questions about what, why, who, when, how, how much and provide clarity. The Themes are:

1. Business Case
2. Organization
3. Quality
4. Plans
5. Risk
6. Change
7. Progress 

PRINCE2 Latest Refresh

The new PRINCE2 manual has incorporated feedback from the global project management community, improvements in best practice approaches, and consistency with other methodologies owned by the OGC. The following table gives a brief summary of the differences between the 2005 and 2009 editions of PRINCE2.

PRINCE2 2005		PRINCE2 2009
Principles were implicit.		7 principles have been explicitly stated.
8 Components		7 Themes. The former 8 components have been reduced by including Configuration Management as part of the Change Theme.
8 Processes		7 Processes.  The former Planning process is dealt with as part of the Plans Theme.
Scalability sections scattered throughout book.		Tailoring PRINCE2 to the environment has been included as new chapter.
Audience for book included senior management and program managers		Project Board members and Program Managers are advised to read Directing Successful Projects with PRINCE2, a smaller book focused on the needs of project sponsors.
Post-project Review Plan completed as part of Closing a Project		Benefits Review Plan created as part of Initiating a Project and updated at end of each stage.  Benefits Reviews may occur at the end of stages as well as after closure.  Concept of dis-benefits introduced.  Senior User role is held to account for the realisation of benefits.
36 outlines of PRINCE2 management products in Appendix A		26 outlines of PRINCE2 management products in Appendix A with clearer explanations. Some names have changed (eg Project Quality Plan is now the Quality Management Strategy)
Project Management Team Structure		Change Authority has been included in diagram.  The Configuration Librarian role has been removed.
Risk Management		Chapter rewritten to align with other guidance. Response types cover opportunities as well as threats. Risk Management Strategy introduced.

 

PRINCE2 Certification

There are two levels of certification for PRINCE2.

The Foundation Certificate is indicative of having attended a course and being able to recall facts. It is a qualification that may be useful to project office staff, people working in project teams or new project managers.

The Practitioner Certification is based on a longer scenario-based exam and tests the ability to apply the PRINCE2 method to particlar situations. It is intended for experienced project managers or those with significant experience of project environments.

PRINCE2 Foundation Exam 1 hour allowed There are 75 multiple choice questions. 5 questions are trial ones and not counted in scores 35 marks required (out of 70 available) to pass – 50% 5 of the 70 questions will be select style 5 of the 70 questions will be negative style 5 of the 70 questions will be missing word style You will not know which are the trial questions.

PRINCE2 Practitioner Exam 2.5 hours allowed (no reading time) Objective testing examination 9 questions per paper with 12 marks available per question – 108 marks Open book exam (manual only) The pass mark is 55%. Candidates will need to achieve at least 59 out of 108 to pass the examination.