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 project closure

Summary

PRINCE2® requires that Project Board members undertake the following responsibilities collectively for authorizing project closure.

Confirm handover and acceptance:

• Verify that the handover of the project product was in accordance with the Configuration Management Strategy and in particular that records of all required user acceptance and operational/maintenance acceptance exist
• Ensure that, where appropriate, the resulting changes in the business are supported and sustainable
• Ensure that any customer quality expectations that cannot be validated until after the project closes (e.g. performance levels regarding reliability) are included in the Benefits Review Plan as a post-project check

Approve the End Project Report:

• The version of the Project Initiation Documentation which was approved at project initiation should be used as the baseline to assess how the project has deviated from its initial basis, and to provide information against which the success of the project can be judged
• Ensure follow-on action recommendations have been recorded correctly in the End Project Report and that the appropriate groups have been made aware of their responsibility for taking them forward
• Approve the End Project Report for distribution to stakeholders, for example corporate or programme management
• Review the Lessons Report and agree who should receive it. Ensure that the appropriate groups (for example corporate or programme management, or a centre of excellence) have been made aware of their responsibility for taking any recommendations forward

Confirm the Business Case:

• Confirm the updated Business Case by comparing actual and forecast benefits, costs and risks against the Business Case approved with the Project Initiation Documentation (it may not be possible to validate all the benefits as some will not be realized until after the project is closed)

Approve the Benefits Review Plan:

• Review and gain approval for the updated Benefits Review Plan, ensuring that it addresses the expected benefits that cannot yet be validated
• As the Benefits Review Plan includes resources beyond the life of the project, responsibility for this plan needs to transfer to corporate or programme management

Issue the project closure notification:

• Review and issue a project closure notification in accordance with the Communication Management Strategy
• Advise those who have provided the support infrastructure and resources for the project that these can now be withdrawn
• Release the resources provided to the project
• Provide a closing date for costs being charged to the project

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.