Introduction

If you’ve picked up this book, it’s a fair bet that you’ve heard of PRINCE2™. Maybe you’ve recently attended a training course or bought the official manual, and are pondering ‘what next?’ Perhaps you’re just wondering what all the fuss is about.

You certainly find yourself in good company. The PRINCE2 authors say that it’s used in more than 20,000 organisations across 150 countries. Many regard it as the world’s leading project management method. Certainly, its popularity demands a closer look by anyone involved in commissioning or running projects.

Any constructive advice is undoubtedly worth considering. Experience shows that an on-target delivery can’t be taken for granted. In fact, some surveys put the project failure rate as high as 70%. In particular, organisations spending public money seem prone to spectacular disasters. Relative perceptions might be corrected though if the private sector had to open its doors too!

PRINCE2 – the name originates from PRojects IN a Controlled Environment – is a UK government response to the challenge of successful project delivery. It’s built on the belief that a systematic approach is vital, and that this must incorporate real-world lessons on what brings the right results.

What’s a project?

Projects are used to bring about a change that’s intended to benefit the sponsoring organisation. Here’s the definition provided by the PRINCE2 manual:

(As a bonus, the above introduces the name that PRINCE2 uses for a deliverable: a product.)

In contrast with business-as-usual activities, a temporary nature is an important feature. A project is set up with a specific purpose in mind and then disbanded once its objective has been met. PRINCE2 emphasises the importance of a clearly defined beginning and end. This ensures the right preparations are made at the outset, and there’s a clean hand-over at the conclusion.

What makes a project a project helps to explain why events don’t always run smoothly. A couple of other defining characteristics bring their own risks:

• Uniqueness. Whilst projects have similarities, no two are the same. So there’s always an element of journeying into the unknown. Therefore, the outcome can’t be predicted with 100% certainty.
• Cross-functional teams. To achieve the right blend of skills and knowledge, resources are drawn from across the organisation – and perhaps from outside of it too. Securing the right people can be problematic, and there’s an art to moulding an effective team from individuals working with each other for the first time.

However, these problems aren’t insurmountable. Many projects are a success, and their winning formula can be bottled up, shared and repeated.

What does PRINCE2 bring to the party?

PRINCE2 equips its clientele with a structured approach to setting up and running projects. Its method is built upon project management best practice. The following are included as part of the package:

• a standard lifecycle to take a project from start to finish;
• a set of processes that narrate the activities undertaken at each stage;
• descriptions of the products that are needed if work is to be properly planned and managed;
• an organisational structure, with a definition of the roles and responsibilities involved.

There are also practical techniques for developing business cases, planning and controlling work, and monitoring progress. The components that make up the PRINCE2 framework are described in detail in the next chapter.

Projects vary enormously in the core content of their work. For example, the specialist tasks and outputs for a marketing campaign have little in common with the technicalities of an IT development, or the nuts and bolts of a house build. However, PRINCE2 restricts its focus to management controls. Since these are universally applicable, the method can be adopted for any kind of project. So whilst PRINCE2 originated in the public sector, it has been taken up by all kinds of organisations and has a large following in the commercial world.

What’s in this book?

This book is a practical guide to PRINCE2. It describes all of the important aspects of the method; including the processes, products and people involved. There’s plenty of handy advice too on how to apply the theory in the real world.

The book’s structure follows the PRINCE2 lifecycle, so the journey can be traced from beginning to end. Nonetheless, chapters are clearly aligned with PRINCE2 topics, so these can also be dipped into as required. The PRINCE2 subjects covered in each chapter are advertised as it begins.

On first introduction, the PRINCE2 jigsaw might appear complex. However, all of its pieces fit together beautifully. The ‘PRINCE2 on a page’ figure on page 202 is the picture you’d hope to find on the puzzle’s box. You might like to fold down the corner of that page, for easy reference.

Finally, a word on PRINCE2 terminology. Some of its terms are in common use, but have a precise meaning in the PRINCE2 context, such as Project Manager and product. Others are unique, like Project Board and Managing a Stage Boundary. In the interests of clarity, all the jargon is highlighted using this font.

This book is for you if you’re:

• Looking for a quick and accessible introduction to PRINCE2.
• Wanting to put the theory into practice.
• Studying for a PRINCE2 qualification and in search of a friendly companion to the official text.
• Looking for a guide that’s a little less formal – and more lightweight – than the manual.

To get to grips with PRINCE2, the best place to start is with an appreciation of its various components and how they work together. This is the subject of the next chapter.