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

Starting up a Project

Context

© Crown copyright 2005 Reproduced under licence from OGC

The aim of the Starting up a Project process (see the diagram) is to assemble enough information (in a Project Brief) to plan the effort required to initiate the project (in an Initiation Stage Plan) and to evaluate whether it is worthwhile initiating (in an outline Business Case).
These activities are regarded as pre-project.

The Starting up a Project process is triggered by corporate and/or programme management issuing a project mandate.

PRINCE2® prescribes that:

• The reasons for undertaking the project are understood - see the section covering ‘Confirm the understanding of the project mandate’
• Someone is appointed to be accountable for the success of the project and to provide ongoing direction (the Executive) - see the section covering ‘Appoint the Executive and Project Manager’
• Someone is appointed to be responsible for the day-to-day management of the project (the Project Manager) – see the section covering ‘Appoint the Executive and Project Manager’
• Lessons from previous similar projects are incorporated – see the section covering ‘Capture previous lessons’
• The rest of the project management team is designed and appointed - see the section covering ‘Design and appoint the project management team’
• The outline Business Case is prepared - see the section covering ‘Prepare the outline Business Case’
• The project’s purpose is clarified and agreed in sufficient detail to enable the project to be initiated - see the section covering ‘Prepare the Project Brief’
• The activities to initiate the project are planned and approved before any significant expense is incurred - see the section covering ‘Prepare the Initiation Stage Plan’

Where the project is part of a programme, the Starting up a Project process can usually be streamlined.
The outline Business Case and the Project Brief may be created at the programme level and the programme will usually appoint some, if not all, members of the Project Board.

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.