Prince2 header
products page

PRINCE2 - Managing Stage Boundaries (SB) part 6

Reporting Stage End (SB5)

Fundamental principles

The results of a stage should be reported back to those who provided the resources and approved its execution so that progress is clearly visible to the project management team.

Context

This sub-process involves a review of the impact of the stage on the Project Plan, the Business Case and the identified risks.
If follows the earlier Managing Stage Boundaries (SB) sub-processes and consolidates their information in a report that is assess by the Project Board in the sub-process Authorising a Stage or Exception Plan (DP3).

Process description

This sub-process should happen as close as possible to the actual end of a stage.
The results of the stage are presented in the End Stage Report.

The report compares the actual results of the stage in terms of costs, target dated achieved and products produced with the original Stage Plan.

A statement is made comparing the results with the agreed tolerances for the stage.
The Project Manager gives a view on the continuing ability of the project to meet the Project Plan and Business Case, and assesses the overall risk situation.
Feedback is given of the quality control activities undertaken and the results of that work.

A summary is given of all Project Issues received during the stage and what has happened to them.

A configuration audit is performed to check the information in the Configuration Item Records against the actual status of all products and to rectify any discrepancies.

The report is modified if an Exception Plan has triggered it, but it s still needed.
Such a report would describe the results to date of the current stage, the tolerance and Project Issue situation and then summarise the Exception Report and discussions that led to the Exception Plan.

The next Stage Plan and the revised Project Plan (if there is a revision) accompany the End Stage Report.
The report identifies any variations from the previous versions of these plans and assesses any changes to the risk situation.
If the project is still viable in the Project Manager’s view, a request to proceed to the next stage will accompany the End Stage Report.

Any lessons learned during the stage are added to the Lessons Learned Log.
Any lessons from the current stage are summarised in the End Stage Report.

The Communication Plan is examined and information created and sent as required.

Responsibilities

The Project Manager is responsible for this sub-process, assisted by Project Support.

Informal agreement to the report’s data and conclusions should be obtained from those responsible for Project Assurance.
The Configuration Librarian will assist Project Assurance in performing the configuration audit.

Information needs
Management informationUsageExplanation
Current Stage PlanInputContains information about the products, cost and dates of the current stage.
Business CaseInputUsed to review the contribution of the current stage towards achievement of the benefits.
Issue LogInputIdentifies the Project Issues raised during the stage and reports on how they were dealt with.
Risk LogInputSource of information about the status of current risks.
Quality LogInputSource of information about the quality checking activities and results from those who reviewed products for quality.
Communication PlanUpdateMay contain a requirement to send information to an external interested party at this time. May need updating for new interested parties, for example new suppliers or new Project Assurance.
New Stage Plan or Exception PlanInput / OutputFuture impact on the project for the End Stage Report.
Lessons Learned LogUpdateUpdated with any new lessons learned during this stage.
Configuration Item RecordsUpdateChecked to establish that all products are complete and approved. Also checked to ensure details such as version number are correct. Updated where the information in the records does not match the real state of the products.
Request for authorisation to proceedOutputThis may be formal or informal according to the project’s situation.
End Stage ReportOutputPerformance of the stage against plan.

These are given in tabular form in the file ‘SB5 reporting stage end.doc’ in the product package.

Key criteria

  • Have all products identified in the Stage Plan been produced?
  • Have they all been checked for quality?
  • Has the customer accepted them all?
  • What was the actual resource usage and cost in the stage?
  • How many changes were approved and implemented, in part or completely, during the stage and what was their impact on the Stage Plan?
  • Have any changes been carried over into the next stage?
  • Does the project still look viable?
  • Is the Project Plan still forecast to stay within tolerance margins?
  • Did the management of risk correctly identify and handle the risks on the project during this stage?
  • Are there any strengths, weaknesses or omissions in the standards and practices used that should be noted for corporate quality management?
  • Can any useful measurements be noted from the stage that would benefit the planning of future stages or other projects?
  • Were there any discrepancies found when performing the configuration audit? Have the implications of these been addressed and any appropriate entries made in the Lessons Learned Log?

The Project Manager should keep the Project Board aware of what the End Stage Report will say, so that there are no surprises.
If possible, problems should be resolved before the report is presented.

The level of formality of the presentation will depend on the project size and the will of the Project Board.

If the project is part of a programme the Project Support Office should examine the End Stage Report, the next Stage Plan and the updated Project Plan to ensure that the project stays in line with the programme.

This product contains EVERYTHING in the publications:

Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 - 2005 edition
Managing successful Projects with PRINCE2 – 2009 edition
Directing Projects with PRINCE2.
plus:
The Complete Project Management package.

And much more besides - at a fantastic price.