Chapter 3: Principles

Question 1

List some PRINCE2 principles (there’s 7)

Answer 1

• Continued business justification
• Learn from experience
• Defined roles & responsibilities
• Manage by stages
• Manage by experience
• Focus on products
• Tailor to Suit the project

Question 2

What does prince2 require regarding justification

Answer 2

Requires:
- justifiable reason for starting project
- that justification is recorded and approved
- justification remains valid and is revalidated throughout the project

Question 3

What can lack of justification cause

Answer 3

• projects that have few real benefits

Projects driven by legislations/ regulations should be supported by a business justification to demonstrate that the chosen option represents the best value for money

Question 4

When should a project be stopped regarding justification

Why is it beneficial

Answer 4

If a project cannot be justified, it should be stopped

This is beneficial as an organisations funds and resources can be reinvested in more worthwhile projects

Question 5

When should we learn from experience

Answer 5

When staring a project:
- previous/ similar projects should be reviewed to see if lessons can be applied. Especially if the project is a first for the people in the organisation

As the project progresses:
- lessons should be included in relevant reports and reviews

As the project closes:
- The project should pass on lessons
- unless lessons provoke change, they’re only lessons identified, not learnt

Question 6

What primary stakeholders must every project have

Answer 6

• Business sponsor: endorse objectives/ ensures business investment provides value for money
• Users: Use the products to enable the organisation to gain the expected benefits
• Suppliers: Provide resources and expertise required by the project

Question 7

What is a management stage

Answer 7

The section of a project that the manager is magazine on behalf of the project at any one time, at the end of which the project board will wish to review progress to date and the state of the project plan

Question 8

What does the choice of management stage depend on

Answer 8

• Size and complexity of the project
• significant decisions and control points required during the projects life cycle
• organisational policies and standards

Question 9

What stages must every project have

Answer 9

• Initiation stage
• At least one further management stage - the more complex a project is, the motes stages required

Question 10

What do management stages Ensure

Answer 10

• Project is properly imitated before work starts on project
• Allows board to assess project viability at defined intervals
• Key decisions are made prior to the detailed work needed to implement them
• Allows clarification of what the impact will be if an identified external influence

Question 11

What happens at the end of each management stage (other than the last)

Answer 11

• PM reviews business case and project plan.
• update the document with results if the stage and create an end of stage report and stage plan to request authorisation to commence the next management stage
• project board will use end stage report and next management stage plan to conduct and end stage assessment and make decision as to whether to proceed

Question 12

Definition of product

Answer 12

An output/input whether tangible or intangible, that can be described in advance, created and tested

• PRINCE2 has 2 types of products (management products and specialist products

Question 13

What is an output orientated project

Answer 13

Agrees and defines the product prior to undertaking the activities required to produce it
- the set of agreed products defines the scope of a project and provides the basis for planning and control

Question 14

Why is focus on product important

Answer 14

• Ensures the project only carries out work that directly contributes to delivery of a product
• helps manage uncontrolled change (scope creep) by ensuring all changes are agreed in terms of how they’ll impact project products
• reduces risk of user dissatisfaction and acceptance disputes

Question 15

Why is tailoring PRINCE2 to the project important

Answer 15

Ensures:
- Project management method used is appropriate to the project
- Project controls are appropriate to projects scale, complexity, importance, team capability & risk

The PID should describe how PRINCE2 has been tailored to that particular project so that all those involved understand how PRINCE2 is to be used

Question 16

What can lack of tailoring of PRINCE2 lad to

Answer 16

• mechanistic project management (method is followed without question)
• heroic project management ( method isn’t followed at all)