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PRINCE2 2009 - Controlling a stage part 10

Activities

Capture and examine issues and risks

In the course of managing the project, various issues will occur and risks may be identified.
They will arrive in an ad hoc manner and will need to be captured in a consistent and reliable way.
Any member of the project, corporate or programme management, or other stakeholders may raise an issue or risk.

Before making a decision on a course of action, each issue or risk should be registered and then assessed for its impact.

For more details on risk management, see the section covering ‘Risk’.

For more details on issue and change control procedures, see the section covering ‘Change’.

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

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Diagram 1

PRINCE2® recommends the following actions:

  • If an issue can be dealt with by the Project Manager informally, then this should be done, and a note made in the Daily Log (see the section covering ‘Change’ for more information)
  • For issues that need to be managed formally (see the section covering ‘Change’ for more information):
    • Check the requirements of the issue and change control procedure in the Configuration Management Strategy
    • Enter the issue in the Issue Register as soon as it is captured
    • Categorize the issue (is it a request for change, an off-specification or a problem/concern?)
    • Assess the severity of the issue
    • Assess the priority of the issue (for requests for change and off-specifications)
    • Assess the impact of the issue on the Stage Plan, Project Plan and Business Case
    • Document the issue by creating an Issue Report
    • Report the status of the issue in accordance with the Configuration Management Strategy and check the Communication Management Strategy to see whether there are any external parties that need to be informed of the issue
  • For risks (see the section covering ‘Risk’ for more information):
    • Check the requirements of the risk management procedure in the Risk Management Strategy
    • Enter the risk in the Risk Register as soon as it is captured
    • Identify the risk event and describe its cause and effect
    • Assess the risk against the Stage Plan, Project Plan and Business Case and plan the selected risk response
    • Report the status of the risk in accordance with the Risk Management [see ‘The Complete Risk Management package’] Strategy and check the Communication Management Strategy to see whether there are any external parties that need to be informed of the risk
  • If it is necessary either to take corrective action, seek advice from the Project Board, or to escalate an issue or risk, then review the stage status first so that a full picture can be considered (see the section covering ‘Review the stage status’)

Diagram 2 shows the responsibilities for this activity.

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Diagram 2

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Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 - 2005 edition
Managing successful Projects with PRINCE2 – 2009 edition
Directing Projects with PRINCE2.
plus:
The Complete Project Management package.

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