Directing a project

• Purpose
• Objective
• Context
• Activities
  • Overview
  • Authorize initiation
  • Authorize the project
  • Authorize a Stage or Exception Plan
  • Give ad hoc direction
  • Authorize project closure

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

Authorize the project

This activity will be triggered by a request from the Project Manager for authorization to deliver the project, and should be performed in parallel with authorizing a Stage or Exception Plan (see the section covering ‘Authorize a Stage or Exception Plan’).

The objective of authorizing the project is to decide whether to proceed with the rest of the project.
The Project Board has to confirm that:

• An adequate and suitable Business Case exists and that it shows a viable project
• The Project Plan is adequate to deliver the Business Case
• The project’s strategies and controls support delivery of the Project Plan
• The mechanisms for measuring and reviewing the projected benefits are established and planned

If the project is not authorized by the Project Board, then it should be prematurely closed (see the section covering ‘Closing a Project’).

The Project Board may appoint Project Assurance to undertake some of the reviewing and assessing actions (e.g. inspecting the Communication Management Strategy to confirm all stakeholders are covered).

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:

• Review and approve the Project Initiation Documentation:
• Confirm that the project definition is accurate and complete and that the project approach is achievable
• Confirm that lessons from previous similar projects have been reviewed and incorporated
• Confirm that the Quality Management Strategy is sufficient to ensure that the quality expectations will be met, and approve it
• Confirm that the procedures defined in the Risk Management [see ‘The Complete Risk Management package’] Strategy are sufficient to keep the risks under control, and approve it. Confirm that there has been a review of the risks, and that risk responses for both threats and opportunities are appropriate and planned
• Confirm that the Configuration Management Strategy will adequately control the status (versions and variants) of the project’s products, and approve it
• Ensure that the stakeholder information needs and timing of communications, as defined in the Communication Management
Strategy, are adequate, and approve it
• Confirm that all members of the project management team have agreed their roles and agree any delegations of, and limits to, Project Board authority (for example, to a Change Authority)
• Ensure that the project controls are adequate for the nature of the project
• Confirm the validity and achievability of the Project Plan (including any key milestones and proposed stage structure), and approve it
• Review and approve the Product Description(s)
• Review the tolerances for the project provided by corporate or programme management to ensure they are appropriate and realistic
• Obtain or commit the resources needed by the project (these will be released to the Project Manager on a stage-by-stage basis)
• Confirm the proposals to tailor the corporate (or programme) project management method and any tailoring of PRINCE2
• Verify that the Business Case demonstrates a viable project, and approve it
• Review and approve the Benefits Review Plan. Confirm it addresses all the expected benefits and meets the needs of corporate or programme management
• Notify corporate or programme management and other interested parties that the project has been authorized
• Authorize the Project Manager to deliver the project or instruct the Project Manager to close the project prematurely if it is decided not to proceed

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.