Prince2® Practitioner
Maureen Quartaro
PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is a structured project management method[1] and practitioner certification programme. PRINCE2 emphasises dividing projects into manageable and controllable stages.
PRINCE2 was developed as a UK government standard for information systems projects. In July 2013, ownership of the rights to PRINCE2 were transferred from HM Cabinet Office to AXELOS Ltd, a joint venture by the Cabinet Office and Capita, with 49% and 51% stakes respectively.[4]
PRINCE was derived from an earlier method called PROMPT II (Project Resource Organisation Management Planning Techniques). In 1989 the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) adopted a version of PROMPT II as a UK Government standard for information systems (IT) project management. They gave it the name 'PRINCE', which originally stood for "PROMPT II IN the CCTA Environment". PRINCE was renamed in a civil service competition as an acronym for "PRojects IN Controlled Environments". PRINCE2 is the second edition of the earlier PRINCE method which was initially announced and developed in 1989 by the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA), a UK government support agency.[6] PRINCE2 was released in 1996 as a generic project management method.[7]
There have been three major revisions of PRINCE2 since its launch in 1996: "PRINCE2:2009 Refresh" in 2009, and "PRINCE2 2017 Update" in 2017. The justification for the 2017 update was the evolution in practical business practices and feedback from PRINCE2 practitioners in the actual project environment.[9] More recently, in 2023 AXELOS launched PRINCE2 7 - the 7th edition - which is described below.
These aspects are also called tolerances or performance goals. Tolerances define the delegated levels of authority which are set by a higher level of management to a lower level. The management level responsible must manage within the tolerances provided only as long as they are not forecast to be exceeded. Otherwise they are deemed to be an exception which requires escalating to the management level which delegated them. This way of managing is known as 'management by exception' and is one of the principles of PRINCE2. By managing in this way, it saves the time of senior management. In some organisations tolerances can be key performance indicators (KPIs). In the following table project level tolerances are summarised:[10]
PRINCE2 is based on seven principles and these cannot be tailored. The PRINCE2 principles can be described as a mindset that keeps the project aligned with the PRINCE2 methodology. If a project does not adhere to these principles, it is not being managed using PRINCE2.
The 7th edition of PRINCE2 introduced a major new aspect to the method - the role of people. The purpose of a project is to deliver change, which will affect the people who perform business as usual (BAU) activities. How well the project delivers the change, depends on the capabilities of the project team, the strength of the relationships between them, and the people impacted by the change. For these reasons, PRINCE2 recommends that projects must incorporate change management to be able to successfully implement the change into the organization.
The management products described by PRINCE2 are only used for the "high-level" management of the project. Within its tasks, task managers must still decide on their own project management framework. Some suggestions given in the PRINCE2 manual are product based planning, change control, quality review technique, Kanban boards, Gantt charts, PERT charts and critical path analysis.
The quality review technique ensures a project's products are of the required standard (i.e. meet defined quality criteria). This takes place in a quality review meeting, which identifies errors in the product. The quality review meeting will not attempt to solve the problems it identifies. The meeting brings together people who have an interest in the project's outputs (or products) and people on the project team able to address issues identified.
Below is a list of all the editions of PRINCE2. As of 1 January 2020, "PRINCE2 2017" was renamed "PRINCE2 6th Edition". Also, the previous edition, "PRINCE2 2009" was renamed "PRINCE2 5th Edition". There were no other changes except the name of the brand. The reason for the name change was to "ensure the format of the name is aligned with that used by other frameworks within the project management industry".[13] As list of all versions of PRINCE2 are printed in the cover of the PRINCE2 manual:
Some of the advertised benefits of PRINCE2 are: increased quality of the finished products, efficient control of resources, avoidance of either "heroic" (under-regulated) or "mechanistic" (over-regulated) working, and increased confidence among the project team.
PRINCE2 is sometimes considered inappropriate for small projects or where requirements are expected to change, due to the work required in creating and maintaining documents, logs and lists. The deliverable structure may also lead to focus on producing deliverables for their own sake, to "tick the boxes" rather than do more useful work.[citation needed]
The general response of PRINCE2's authors to criticism has been to point out that the methodology is scalable and can be tailored to suit the specific requirements and constraints of the project and the environment.[14] This strong emphasis on tailoring has led some users to complain that PRINCE2 is unfalsifiable, i.e. it is impossible to tell whether PRINCE2 "works" or constitutes "best practice" if any problems encountered with a project can be blamed on inappropriate application of PRINCE2 rather than on PRINCE2 itself.
The experiences of the Blair administration in the UK between 1997 and 2007 (and of subsequent UK governments) arguably undermine PRINCE2's claim to be "best practice", given the string of high-profile failed IT projects charged to the taxpayer during that time,[15][16][17] and the controversy surrounding the financial relationship between the Blair government and PRINCE2's co-owners Capita.[18][19] PRINCE2's training material addresses these failures, blaming them on inappropriate tailoring of PRINCE2 to the project environment, and advocating for more PRINCE2 training for government project managers to solve the problem.
Project Management Professional (PMP) from Project Management Institute may be seen as a competitor of PRINCE2. In general, the UK, Australia prefer PRINCE2, and the US and American countries prefer PMP. Asia, Africa and the Middle East area have no strong preference for PMP or PRINCE2.The important thing is that PMP (PMBOK) can be used with PRINCE2.
Fast-track your career with AXELOS-certified PRINCE2 Certification training, aligned with PRINCE2, 7th Edition. Master the PRINCE2 methodology, tailor it to projects, understand core components, and prepare for the exam to earn the esteemed PRINCE2 Practitioner credential, certifying your expertise in project management.
PRINCE2 practitioner and foundation is a world-recognized credential used in both the private and public sectors. PRINCE2 course increases your ability to execute projects in a business environment, validating your skills as a senior project manager.
Tim Jerome is an international project management expert with over 15 years of experience at companies like Intel and Digital Network Services. A former president of the PMI Rio Grande Chapter, Tim is also a PMP instructor with over 10 years of experience in addition to his consulting experience.
Jeff Allen is a highly regarded project management and Agile expert with more than 15 years of experience at large companies like Compaq and HP. As an Agile Coach, he has mentored over 5000 professionals globally.
PRINCE2 (an acronym for PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is a de facto process-based method for effective project management. PRINCE2 is widely recognized and used in the private and public sectors. The credential is offered by an international project management association called Axelos in collaboration with various training partners. The PRINCE2 method is in the public domain and offers non-proprietary best practice guidance on project management.
An extension of the methodologies of PRINCE2, the PRINCE2 Agile concerns agile practices and agile project delivery. PRINCE2 Agile follows the same controlled approach of project management as focused by PRINCE2, but the only addition is more flexibility and adaptability in agile practices.
Prince2 Certification is a highly recognized and reputed qualification. Being a certified project management associate not only gives you a strong skill set to add to your resume but also considerably increases your talent for managing successful projects in a corporate environment. The skills you gain are industry-agnostic, helpful in managing different project environments, and have global appeal.
No, there are no prerequisites; however, you must have cleared the PRINCE2 Foundation Exam. For detailed information on the application filing process, refer to the information on the PRINCE2 Certification Journey page.
The trainer is just amazing - brilliant, witty, has a vast knowledge of the subject as well as the industry. He gave practical and current examples and kept the session interactive. I liked the wa the training was conducted, the trainer's expertise, the course content, real-life examples and the way the course was facilitated.
The information provided was highly valuable and beneficial. The instructor incorporated numerous real-life examples throughout the sessions, greatly enhancing our comprehension and learning process. His enthusiastic approach made the training sessions engaging and enjoyable. We greatly appreciate it!
I strongly suggest Simplilearn for obtaining your Prince2 certification. The course materials are straightforward and beneficial for advancing your career. The team provides excellent support throughout the learning process.
c80f0f1006