Introduction

• Forewood
• Introduction
  • Introduction part 1
  • Introduction part 2a
  • Introduction part 2b
  • Introduction part 2c
  • Introduction part 3
• Principles
  • Principles
  • Continued business justification
  • Learn from experience
  • Defined roles and responsibilities
  • Manage by stages
  • Manage by exception
  • Focus on products
  • Tailor to suit the project environment
• Themes
  • What are the themes?
  • Applying 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

Introducing PRINCE2

© Crown copyright 2005 Reproduced under licence from OGC

The structure of PRINCE2

The PRINCE2® method addresses project management with four integrated elements of principles, themes, processes and the project environment (see the above diagram).

The principles (see later)

These are the guiding obligations and good practices which determine whether the project is genuinely being managed using PRINCE2.
There are seven principles and unless all of them are applied, it is not a PRINCE2 project.

These are covered in the following sections:

1. Continued business justification
2. Learn from experience
3. Defined roles and responsibilities
4. Manage by stages
5. Manage by exception
6. Focus on products
7. Tailor to suit the project environment

The themes (see later)

These describe aspects of project management that must be addressed continually and in parallel throughout the project.
The seven themes explain the specific treatment required by PRINCE2 for various project management disciplines and why they are necessary.

These are covered in the following sections:

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

The processes (see later)

These describe a step-wise progression through the project lifecycle, from getting started to project closure.

Each process provides checklists of recommended activities, products and related responsibilities.

These are introduced in the section ‘Introduction to processes’.

These are then covered in detail in the following sections:

1. Starting up a project
2. Directing a project
3. Initiating a project
4. Controlling a stage
5. Managing Product Delivery
6. Managing a Stage Boundary
7. Closing a Project

Tailoring PRINCE2 to the project environment (see later)

This section addresses the need to tailor PRINCE2 to the specific context of the project.
PRINCE2 is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution; it is a flexible framework that can readily be tailored to any type or size of project.

There is a companion guide, ‘Directing Successful Projects with PRINCE2’, which addresses the PRINCE2 method from the viewpoint of senior personnel, specifically Project Board members.