We all have projects in our lives: building
a kitchen, running a conference, refurbishing an oil rig. We also have our
methods for managing them: using our instinct, writing on the back of an
envelope, or employing project management. PRINCE2 ®
is a method of project management that anyone can use at anytime and anywhere
successfully.
To
understand how it works, we need to understand what constitutes a project. A
project, if you consider the examples above, is a unique and temporary activity
that you undertake to change what exists now, that will end with a specific
result. Imagine you’re building a new
kitchen: it will have a beginning; it will be a unique event; there will be a
change; you’ll have a new kitchen; the project will end. Project management is the
method you can use to ensure that your kitchen build is effective and efficient
throughout each of these phases. One of the most popular and respected methods of
said project management is PRINCE2 ®, which stands for Projects IN Controlled Environments.
The
PRINCE2 ® structure is designed to enable you to tackle any
project. Its seven Principles provide guidance and good practices that must be
followed in order to run a successful project. The Themes tell you what needs
to addressed throughout the project. The Processes take you through the
lifecycle from starting up to closing the project. Tailoring is essential in
PRINCE2 ® for it to be applied to a specific size and type of
project.
When
you launch PRINCE2 ®
to run your project, it tells you if your project is worth starting and later,
if it’s worth finishing. Then it helps you allocate the right people and put
them in the right roles. It enables you to plan, monitor and manage the project
and crucially make sure that you control things like cost and time and that the
end product is as envisaged. At the same time, PRINCE2 ® helps you execute
plans, spot risks, deal with changes, keep everything on track and finally
close the project. The result will be that you will get a kitchen, a conference
or an oil rig that is fit for purpose.
