Starting up a project

• Purpose
• Objective
• Context
• Activities
  • Overview
  • Appoint the Executive and the Project Manager
  • Capture previous lessons
  • Design and appoint the project management team
  • Prepare the outline Business Case
  • Select the project approach and assemble the Project Brief
  • Plan the initiation stage

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

Activities

Capture previous lessons

A number of lessons may have been learned by other projects, corporate or programme management, and external organizations about weaknesses or strengths of the processes, procedures, techniques and tools used, when they were used, how they were used, and by whom.

The design of the project management team, outline Business Case, the contents of the Project Brief, and the Stage Plan for the initiation stage can be influenced by lessons learned from previous projects.

It may be useful to hold a workshop as a means to capture relevant lessons.
Attendees could include any interested parties and people who have worked on previous similar projects.
If the organization has not done this type of project before, it may be helpful to include people external to the organization who have the relevant experience.

When moving from the general view in Starting up a Project to the detailed view in Initiating a Project and updated view in Managing a Stage Boundary, it may be necessary to look beyond the Lessons Log, by repeating this activity, to capture any further relevant external lessons.

Diagram 1 shows the inputs to, and outputs from, this activity.

© Crown copyright 2005 Reproduced under licence from OGC

Diagram 1

PRINCE2® recommends the following actions:

• Create the Lessons Log
• Review related Lessons Reports from similar previous projects to identify lessons that can be applied to this project. This may include, for example, the results of audits and project reviews
• Review any lessons from corporate management, programme management and external organizations
• Consult with individuals or teams with previous experience of similar projects
• If appropriate, record any lessons identified in the Lessons Log

Diagram 2 shows the responsibilities for this activity.

© Crown copyright 2005 Reproduced under licence from OGC

Diagram 2

PRINCE2® is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other countries.