PRINCE2 for Dummies

PRINCE2 is quite an extensive Project Management method. The flexibility of PRINCE2 makes it quite difficult to master in the beginning. Do you think a 400 page PRINCE2 Manual is a bit much to relate to? Do you want a short-short version of PRINCE2? Here you go, PRINCE2 in a peanut shell:

1. An executive triggers a project process (Mandate)
2. Starting Up: Project Manager aligns common understanding of key stake holders' roles, what the project is about, and the business idea. Summarizes this in Project Brief/Outline Business Case. This should not take long – typically days, not weeks.
3. Initiate: Project Manager runs workshops and/or dialogues to build a project team, identify all products to be delivered, build a high level plan (together with team managers) and agree on project rules.
4. Design stages: Project Manager organizes x number of stages where concept is developed through iterations of proof of concept, prototypes and detailed requirement specifications. All deliverables/documents are defined as products with a description and up-front agreement of how the quality will be checked. 
5. Build stages: Project Manager organizes x number of stages building the end product. All deliverables/documents are defined as products with a description and up-front agreement of how the quality will be checked. 
6. Closing: The last execution stage includes project closing activities.

You do the above while:
1. Managing your risks in a risk register

2. Noting lessons learned in your lessons log

3. Tracking completed work in your quality register
4. Tracking changes in your issue register.

In PRINCE2 there is formally no such thing as "Design Stages" and "Build Stages" - just "Management Stages", but most organizations have a need to split their project life cycle up like this.

Related articles:
A Brief PRINCE2 Project Brief Template

All the PRINCE2 logs and registers - can it be simplified?

PRINCE2 Key to Success: It is not about  Documents and Processes

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