Approaching PRINCE2 Management Approaches

Stakeholders can get annoyed if we are hitting them with text heavy project methods without creating sufficient value. A PRINCE2 template lends itself to abuse, tempting the author to document where no documentation is needed or to generalize where specifics are needed.

A particularly difficult and vulnerable area is the PRINCE2 Management Approaches where you easily end up generalizing or stating the obvious.

Making a Difference

As a project manager, you are advising the project board on what needs to be done to make sure the project succeeds. A good advice is an advice that is actionable and makes a difference. All sentences, paragraphs or chapters in the management approaches should fulfill or support the following criteria:

What is the Issue?

What is really the issue? Your project is in trouble, you have a concern or a change request is coming your way. It can be tempting to describe a PRINCE2 Issue by the consequences it causes. Sometimes issues are named Project Delay, Extend Stage, Extension of Project, Higher Cost or similar. These are typically the consequence or a recommended decision of the issue, not the issue itself. 

When looking at an issue we should ask ourselves "Why?" -