PRINCE2 Basics

Question 1

What is a project and what are the five characteristics of a project?

Answer 1

A project is a temporary, flexible organisation that introduces change. It can be independent or within a larger programme of work. A business has to balance new projects with BAU operations. A project has five characteristics:

1. Temporary
2. Handles uncertainty
3. Implements change
4. Cross-functional
5. Unique

Question 2

What are the four integrated elements of PRINCE2?

Answer 2

Environment, process, themes, principles.

Principles guide best practice. The themes are the areas the principles can be practised. The processes are a stepwise flow of actions, and the environment is the context in which the project exists in.

Question 3

What are the four management levels in a PRINCE2 project and the roles of each?

Answer 3

1. Corporate / programme (CP) management
   
   1. Provides the project mandate, control project finances and have final say in all decisions
2. Project Board (PB)
   
   1. Consists of primary stakeholders
      
      1. Senior user - represents anyone that will use, operate or maintain the final product and will realise its benefits
      2. Senior Supplier - represents the people providing the skills or resources to build the product
      3. Project / Business Executive - represents that business that is financing and managing the project
   2. Responsible for:
      
      1. Delivering the project on-time, on budget and to be expected quality
      2. Can approve major plans, stage transitions, resource allocation and major deviations within the tolerances set by CP
      3. Handles change requests that fall out of tolerances of the PM
      4. Project Assurance
      5. NOT responsible for the day-to-day running of the project
3. Project Manager (PM)
   
   1. The PM can come from the Business, Supplier or the User party.
   2. Responsible for:
      
      1. Day-to-day management of the project
      2. Managing the Team Manager, Team Members and Project Support roles
      3. Managing small change requests and issues that fall within the tolerances set by the PB
4. Team Manager
   
   1. The Team Manager can come from any party - may lead to conflict of interest which need to be managed.
   2. The PM can take on the responsibility of the TM, dependent on project scope, cost, geography and timescales.
   3. Responsible for delivering the product or product sections on-time and within the expected quality as outlined by the PM.
   4. Acts within tolerances set up PM.
5. Team Members

Question 4

What should a good PB have?

Answer 4

Authority, credibility, capacity, ability to delegate

Question 5

What are the three PM support roles and what are their responsibilities?

Answer 5

Project Assurance - role appointed by the PB (who are responsible for PA) and sits outside of the PM team. Responsible fo ensuring processes are implemented properly, quality f product, and each role is performed properly. Reports directly back to the PB.

Change Authority - Individual(s) appointed b the PB to authorisae changes to the timeline and scope of the project (they are the delegated authority). CA responsibility can be absorbed by any PM team role including the PM.

Project Support - administrative support for the PM team

Question 6

What is PRINCE2?

Answer 6

PRINCE2 (Projects In Controlled Environments) is a structured framework for project delivery that can be used in many industries regardless of specialisation. A project is only PRINCE2 compliant if it follows PRINCE2 processes and considers the PRINCE2 themes.

PRINCE2 aims to make the right information available to the right people at the right time.

PRINCE2 can be brought into most companies as it will most likely satisfy any existing PM requirements.

A PRINCE2 metholody stays the same with BAU aspects to make it Agile.

Question 7

How can the PM team structure be shown?

Answer 7

The structure of the PM team can be mapped into a governance structure.

Question 8

What is a theme?

Answer 8

An area the PM should focus on throughout the project and practise the PRINCE2 principles.

Question 9

What are the seven themes in PRINCE2?

Answer 9

1. Business Case: Ensures the project remains desirable, viable, and achievable, supporting decision-making.
2. Organisation: Defines and establishes the project’s structure of accountability, clarifying roles and responsibilities.
3. Quality: Helps ensure that the users’ requirements and expectations are met.
4. Risk: Identifies, assesses, and controls uncertain events during a project.
5. Change: Addresses issues and controls changes to the project’s baseline.
6. Planning: Defines the who, what, when, where, how, and for how much of a project.
7. Progress: Monitors and controls the project’s progress, ensuring it stays on track.

Question 10

What approach does PRINCE2 suggest?

Answer 10

PRINCE2 recommends a flexible and delegated approached to PM