Control – part 20 - Document control procedures
Identify those for control
The project management team must identify those documents requiring control.
These will be deliverables that support task completion but may be others as well, for example, simple progress reports.
Each document should have formats agreed where appropriate.
The format should:
- Specify author
- Date of issue
- List the names of the copy recipients
- Specify version numbering conventions
- Specify where the master copy will be held
- Detail procedures for raising changes
- Detail procedures for reviewing changes
There should be strict procedures for circulation, recall, raising and making changes.
There must be a regular review of procedural documents and a method of archiving originals for ease of access.
Each department should have the necessary methods of control of their own documentation, for example, approval of suppliers, analytical methods etc.
Particular documents (deliverables) must have central control and would be carried out by the Configuration Librarian under PRINCE2® 2005.
Under PRINCE2 2005 the Configuration Librarian will control the archiving, issuing, version number and recall of project documentation centrally.
This role or that of the project office may be under the control of programme management if the project is part of a wider activity.
This is described in more detail within the process Change Control Technique and the process 'Controlling a Stage (CS)'.
[see Change control – technique].
The Configuration Librarian does not exist in PRINCE2 2009.
As well as documentation, under PRINCE2 2009 the Configuration Management Strategy specifies and identifies all components of the project’s products (known as configuration items) at the required level of control.
[see Change - The PRINCE2 approach - Configuration management procedure and Change - Change defined - Configuration management]
In PRINCE2 2009 [see ‘The Complete Project Management plus PRINCE2’], the process Change Control Technique is named Change Control Procedure and exists as part of the Change theme.
It provides a common approach to dealing with requests for change, off-specifications and problems/concerns.
[see Change - The PRINCE2 approach - Issue and change control procedure]
PRINCE2® is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other countries.