Contents summary

This manual provides the definitive explanation of PRINCE2. AXELOS examinations relating to PRINCE2 are based on this manual.

Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 comprises:

•Chapter 1 Introduction Introduces the structure of the method, its applicability and the structure of the guide. It describes what makes a project a PRINCE2 project and what PRINCE2 does not provide.

•Chapter 2 Project management with PRINCE2 Explains the key concepts of project, project management and project managers, and introduces some sample project contexts.

•Chapter 3 Principles The principles that any project must follow to be a PRINCE2 project.

•Chapter 4 Tailoring and adopting PRINCE2 How to use the inherent flexibility of PRINCE2 to tailor it for any project and build an organizational PRINCE2-based project management method. This includes common situations that the project manager may encounter.

•Chapter 5 Introduction to PRINCE2 themes Identifies and describes those aspects of project management that need to be addressed throughout the life of a project: the themes.

•Chapter 6 Business case Describes how a business case supports the continued business justification for a project and the PRINCE2 requirements for the business case theme. It provides guidance for effective business case management.

•Chapter 7 Organization How to choose the right roles to make an effective project management team and to work with other stakeholders. It describes what PRINCE2 requires for the organization theme and provides guidance for effective project organizations: there are no mandated techniques.

•Chapter 8 Quality Defines the role and importance of quality and quality management in PRINCE2, which is a product-focused project management method. It includes what PRINCE2 requires for the quality theme and guidance for effective quality management.

•Chapter 9 Plans Describes the value of planning for effective project management and the types of plan used in PRINCE2. It describes what PRINCE2 requires for the plans theme and provides guidance for effective planning.

•Chapter 10 Risk Proposes an approach to managing the inevitable uncertainties that affect projects, both in terms of the threats they can pose and the opportunities they may bring. It includes the PRINCE2 requirements for the risk theme and guidance for effective risk management.

•Chapter 11 Change Provides guidance for managing the different types of change that inevitably occur during the life of a project. The PRINCE2 approach to the change theme is described along with guidance for effective change control.

•Chapter 12 Progress Explains the importance of measuring progress to the achievement of a project’s objectives and provides guidance for effective progress management. It includes the PRINCE2 requirements for managing progress and guidance for effective progress management.

•Chapter 13 Introduction to processes Provides an outline of a PRINCE2 project lifecycle described both in project stages and by using the PRINCE2 process model.

•Chapter 14 Starting up a project Describes the first activities for starting a project: check the justification; create the project management team; define the project management approach; and plan project initiation, including capturing previous lessons. Guidelines are included for tailoring the process.

•Chapter 15 Directing a project Covers the activities that the project board undertakes for decision-making throughout the project lifecycle to remain accountable for the success of the project. Also includes tailoring guidelines for directing a project.

•Chapter 16 Initiating a project How to get ready to start work on the project: agree the project management approaches and controls; confirm the plan; prepare the benefits management approach; and assemble the project initiation documentation. It includes tailoring guidelines for the initiating a project process.

•Chapter 17 Controlling a stage Describes how to set up work for a stage, monitor progress, manage change (including taking corrective action), and deal with any issues that may impact the stage plan. Also includes tailoring guidelines for the controlling a stage process.

•Chapter 18 Managing product delivery Explains how product delivery is controlled by the project and team managers, setting criteria for the execution, delivery and acceptance of work packages. It includes tailoring guidelines for the managing product delivery process.

•Chapter 19 Managing a stage boundary Provides the project board with the information it needs to review the current stage and updated business case, and approve the plan for the next stage. Guidelines are provided for tailoring the managing a stage boundary process.

•Chapter 20 Closing a project Describes how to close a project on delivery of its products (or agreed variations to them) or prematurely because there is no longer a business justification to continue. It includes tailoring guidelines for the closing a project process.

•Chapter 21 Considerations for organizational adoption Provides more detailed guidance for organizations that want to create and embed their own PRINCE2-based project management method. Examples are provided of how organizations have tailored PRINCE2.

•Appendices and glossary The appendices provide further supporting information, including role and product descriptions, an example of product-based planning, and a health check. The glossary gives a list of the definitions of specialized terms used in the guide.

Conventions used in this manual

Processes, activities, themes, principles and management documents will always be referred to using the same key words or phrases, and are not otherwise distinguished, as they should be evident from their context.

The term ‘corporate, programme management or the customer’ is used throughout to refer to the organization that commissions a project. This organization can either be corporate management, programme management or the customer, but we have used this shortened form to aid readability.

Examples are highlighted in tinted boxes.

Abbreviations and acronyms have largely been avoided, and the few that are used are given in full at their first mention and listed below:

APM: Association for Project Management

KPI: key performance indicator

PID: project initiation documentation

PMI®: Project Management Institute