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Getting Familiar with PRINCE2®

PRINCE2® is the abbreviation of Projects IN Controlled Environments and it is a de facto process-based process for effective project management. This is widely used by the United Kingdom government. It is hugely recognized and utilized in the private sector. The method of PRINCE2® lies in the public domain and it proposes non-proprietorial finest practice assistance on project management.Numerous people and organizations from different sectors prefer to use PRINCE2® because it is flexible, innovative, and practical. Irrespective of the project; whether it is developing software, constructing a flyover, or putting forward an advertising movement, the processes, themes, and principles of PRINCE2® will aid you in realizing them all. This process fits well to the public domain and it proposes a generic but the finest guidance to manage a project.Vital featuresChief features of PRINCE2® are:Project-based planning approach.Focuses on business justification.A well-organized organizational structure meant for the team of project management.The flexibility which can be used at a level suitable to the project.Stresses on dividing the project into controllable and manageable stages.History of PRINCEPRINCE2® was recognized by the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency or CCTA in the year 1989 and since then renamed the Office of Government Commerce (OGC). In June 2010, the OGC office Best Practice Management functions moved into the Cabinet Office.Originally, PRINCE2® was based on PROMPT which was a project management process developed in 1975 by Simpact Systems Ltd. Later in 1979, it was adopted by CCTA in the form of a standard for being used in all the Government information system projects.At the time when PRINCE2® was launched in the year 1989, it superseded PROMPT effectively within government project. However, PRINCE2® continues to remain in the public domain and has bagged copyright by the Crown. In the year 1996, PRINCE2® was published and it is being donated to a group of nearly 150 European organizations.Remarkable benefits of PRINCE2® for peopleWhen you decide to use PRINCE2® then you will have stronger control of resources besides the capability to manage project and business risks. This will benefit you in the following manner:People looking for leading project management skills and higher employment prospects.Executives or directors of projects as well as organizationsProject managers.For people, the certification of PRINCE2® turns into a precious asset to their career as this escalates the prospects of employment and it aids people in doing their job more effectually. According to a survey done on people in project management as well as other roles, like senior management, IT and operations, it has been discovered that candidates found that PRINCE2® is highly appreciated in their career.How does PRINCE2® benefit an organization?For an organization, the formal recognition of responsibilities of PRINCE2® inside a project along with its concentration on what a project needs to deliver proposes an organization’s projects with the following:An organized and controlled start, middle, and finishing.Regular reviews regarding development against the plan.A consistent and common approach.Assurance that a project continues to possess a business justification.According to a 2007 survey done by PricewaterhouseCoopers, higher-performing projects are more likely to be operated with specialized project managers. Amongst all the certificates which empower higher-performing projects, the PRINCE2® named “Arras People’s 2011 survey” is the most well-known.Another report on PRINCE2® found that the adoption of PRINCE2® irrespective of the size of the organization is useful, particularly because of its characteristic of being compatible and adaptable with agile.The methods of PRINCE2®The method of PRINCE2® includes four united compounds of principles, themes, processes, and finally, the project environment.PrinciplesPrinciples are considered the guiding needs and excellent practices that determine whether or not the project is really being managed to utilize PRINCE2®. In fact, there are seven principles and when they all aren’t applied, then it can’t be viewed as a PRINCE2® project.These are the supervisory requirements and decent practices which determine whether the project is genuinely being managed using PRINCE2®. There are seven principles and it is highly required to apply all of them, else it won’t turn out as a PRINCE2® project.The seven principles of PRINCE2® are:Non-stop business justification – It is extremely important to have an acceptable reason for running and handling the project. When it doesn’t happen that way, then it is better to close the project.Learning from experience –The project teams of PRINCE2® ought to continually seek and draw on lessons that are learned from earlier work.Distinct roles and responsibilities – The project team of PRINCE2® ought to have a distinct organizational structure and it comprises the right individuals in the right jobs.Manage by stages – It is extremely important for the PRINCE2® projects to have proper planning, monitoring, and controlling on a stage-by-stage basis.Succeed by exception – Individuals who have been working in the project must be provided with the appropriate amount of authority so that they can work within the setting effectively.Concentrate on products – The projects of PRINCE2® do focus on the product definition, distribution, and quality needs.Tailor for suiting the project environment – It is highly important that PRINCE2® is tailored for suiting the environment, importance, size, risk, capability, and complexity of the project.ThemesThemes describe aspects of project management which ought to be addressed in parallel all through the project. There are seven themes of PRINCE2® and they explain the particular treatment which is needed for different project management disciplines. The themes also explain why they are important.PRINCE2® is important as it aids people in applying the themes by mentioning the minimum requirement which is needed for the themes and it also provides particular guidance on the process of tailoring to particular settings.The seven themes of PRINCE2® are:Business case – It creates and maintains a record of business justification for the project.Quality – It defines the quality requirements and also the measures and additionally, it explains how the project is likely to deliver them.Organization – It defines the individual roles and duties of the entire project team.Plans – These are the steps that are needed for developing the plans and the techniques of PRINCE2® which ought to be used.Change – It is how the project manager would evaluate and perform on alterations to the project.Risk – It identifies risks and opportunities effectively which could influence the project.Progress – It is considered the ongoing practicability and the plans’ performance and how and whether or not the project ought to proceed.ProcessesProcesses describe the project lifecycle’s steps, from the early idea to the project closure. Every process proposes checklists of suggested activities, linked responsibilities and of course, guidance regarding how to tailor to a particular setting.The seven processes of PRINCE2® are the following:Beginning a projectDirecting a projectCommencing a projectControlling a stageHanding product deliveryHandling state boundariesThe finishing of a projectThe management products of PRINCE2®The manual of PRINCE2® comprises twenty-six recommended templates meant for documentation which are linked with the project and are termed “management products.” They are divided into records, baselines, and reports. Some instances of management products are the following:Business Management Approach – Earlier, in the year 2009, it was known as the Benefits Review Plan. It defines the process and time of the measurement of the project’s benefits that can be made.Business case – It is used for capturing financial justification meant for the project. This is viewed as a principle of PRINCE2® that a project ought to have for non-stop business justification. When the Business Case doesn’t make sense, it is suggested to alter or halt the project.Checkpoint Report – It is recognized as a progress report which is developed by the Team Manager before being sent to the Project Manager regularly for reporting the Work Package status.Communications Management Approach – In the 2009 Edition, it was viewed as Communications Management Strategy – It is an account of the processes and occurrence of communication to the stakeholders which covers the flow of information to both directions; to the stakeholders and from the stakeholders. However, information is needed to be supplied from the project and the information is needed to be supplied to the project.Change Control Approach – In the Edition of 2009, it was named Configuration Management Strategy – It is used for recognizing how the products of the projects will get acknowledged, controlled, and shielded. This document is developed by the Project Manager during the initiation of a Project process.Configuration Item Record – It proposes a record that consists of the Product History, Version, Status, Details, and Variant of relationships between products/items, and Product copyholders or Product Owner.End Project Report – It reviews the performance of the project against the actual PID (Project Initiation Documentation).Daily Log – It is used for recording informal issues.Lessons Log – It is a set of notes of lessons that are learned, and they turn vital to future projects.Issues Register – It is an issue log containing notes regarding change requests, complaints, and problems that are sent by all the project members.Quality Register – It comprises details of every planned quality control activity, date, and personnel involved.Project Brief – It is utilized by the Project Board for authorizing the Initiation stage. During the initiating of a project process, the compounds of the Project Brief get extended and refined. The Project Brief grows for forming the PID (Project Initiation Documentation).Risk Register – It is a record of recognized risks, such as opportunities and threats related to the project.How PRINCE2® is different from PMP®PMP® or Project Management Professional might be observed as PRINCE2® 's competitor. Generally, Europe, Australia, and the UK opt for PRINCE2®, whereas the American countries and the US prefer PMP®. Again, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia do not possess any strong fondness for either PRINCE2® or PMP®. However, the vital thing is PMP® can be utilized along with PRINCE2®. Actually, PMP® and PRINCE2® both acknowledge the existence of each other in the advertising material and they try to place themselves in the form of complementary compounds; PRINCE2® in the form of a methodology and PMP® in the form of a standard that can be utilized alongside each other. Practically, practitioners and companies select one system or both based on the environment of the project, costs, and geographical location.The certificationsThe certifications of PRINCE2® which is being awarded by AXELOS need the users to undergo a training course with an ATO (Accredited Training Organization). This is followed by an examination. However, the training and the exam can be conducted in person or online. AXELOS needs that an organization that is proposing certified PRINCE2® training ought to go through an accreditation method for validating the course’s quality content and delivery. When sanctioned, the organization can make use of the title “ATO”. A trainer ought to be re-accredited every three years and experience a surveillance check every year.The four levels of certifications needed for PRINCE2® are:PRINCE2® 2017 Foundation – It confirms that the holder has got enough understanding and knowledge regarding the methods of PRINCE2® and is capable of working in a project management team that is working with this process.PRINCE2® 2017 Practitioner – It confirms that the holder has got ample understanding of the process of applying PRINCE2® in a situation and will be able to begin applying the methods to the real projects.PRINCE2® Agile Foundation – It confirms that the holder has got adequate understanding and knowledge about PRINCE2® methods and responsive way of working. It also explains how agile can get combined with PRINCE2®.PRINCE2® Agile Practitioner – It approves that the holder can apply the project management values of PRINCE2® while combining the concepts of Agile, like Kanban and Scrum.After the completion of the above-mentioned certifications, AXELOS publishes a successful candidate register that can be checked on the web.
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Getting Familiar with PRINCE2®

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Getting Familiar with PRINCE2®

PRINCE2® is the abbreviation of Projects IN Controlled Environments and it is a de facto process-based process for effective project management. This is widely used by the United Kingdom government. It is hugely recognized and utilized in the private sector. The method of PRINCE2® lies in the public domain and it proposes non-proprietorial finest practice assistance on project management.

Numerous people and organizations from different sectors prefer to use PRINCE2® because it is flexible, innovative, and practical. Irrespective of the project; whether it is developing software, constructing a flyover, or putting forward an advertising movement, the processes, themes, and principles of PRINCE2® will aid you in realizing them all. This process fits well to the public domain and it proposes a generic but the finest guidance to manage a project.

Vital featuresKey features

Chief features of PRINCE2® are:

  • Project-based planning approach.
  • Focuses on business justification.
  • A well-organized organizational structure meant for the team of project management.
  • The flexibility which can be used at a level suitable to the project.
  • Stresses on dividing the project into controllable and manageable stages.

History of PRINCEHistory of PRINCE2

PRINCE2® was recognized by the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency or CCTA in the year 1989 and since then renamed the Office of Government Commerce (OGC). In June 2010, the OGC office Best Practice Management functions moved into the Cabinet Office.

Originally, PRINCE2® was based on PROMPT which was a project management process developed in 1975 by Simpact Systems Ltd. Later in 1979, it was adopted by CCTA in the form of a standard for being used in all the Government information system projects.

At the time when PRINCE2® was launched in the year 1989, it superseded PROMPT effectively within government project. However, PRINCE2® continues to remain in the public domain and has bagged copyright by the Crown. In the year 1996, PRINCE2® was published and it is being donated to a group of nearly 150 European organizations.

Remarkable benefits of PRINCE2® for people

When you decide to use PRINCE2® then you will have stronger control of resources besides the capability to manage project and business risks. This will benefit you in the following manner:

  • People looking for leading project management skills and higher employment prospects.
  • Executives or directors of projects as well as organizations
  • Project managers.

For people, the certification of PRINCE2® turns into a precious asset to their career as this escalates the prospects of employment and it aids people in doing their job more effectually. According to a survey done on people in project management as well as other roles, like senior management, IT and operations, it has been discovered that candidates found that PRINCE2® is highly appreciated in their career.

How does PRINCE2® benefit an organization?

For an organization, the formal recognition of responsibilities of PRINCE2® inside a project along with its concentration on what a project needs to deliver proposes an organization’s projects with the following:

  • An organized and controlled start, middle, and finishing.
  • Regular reviews regarding development against the plan.
  • A consistent and common approach.
  • Assurance that a project continues to possess a business justification.

According to a 2007 survey done by PricewaterhouseCoopers, higher-performing projects are more likely to be operated with specialized project managers. Amongst all the certificates which empower higher-performing projects, the PRINCE2® named “Arras People’s 2011 survey” is the most well-known.

Another report on PRINCE2® found that the adoption of PRINCE2® irrespective of the size of the organization is useful, particularly because of its characteristic of being compatible and adaptable with agile.

The methods of PRINCE2®

The method of PRINCE2® includes four united compounds of principles, themes, processes, and finally, the project environment.

Principles

Principles are considered the guiding needs and excellent practices that determine whether or not the project is really being managed to utilize PRINCE2®. In fact, there are seven principles and when they all aren’t applied, then it can’t be viewed as a PRINCE2® project.

These are the supervisory requirements and decent practices which determine whether the project is genuinely being managed using PRINCE2®. There are seven principles and it is highly required to apply all of them, else it won’t turn out as a PRINCE2® project.

The seven principles of PRINCE2® are:

Seven principles of PRINCE2

  1. Non-stop business justification – It is extremely important to have an acceptable reason for running and handling the project. When it doesn’t happen that way, then it is better to close the project.
  2. Learning from experience –The project teams of PRINCE2® ought to continually seek and draw on lessons that are learned from earlier work.
  3. Distinct roles and responsibilities – The project team of PRINCE2® ought to have a distinct organizational structure and it comprises the right individuals in the right jobs.
  4. Manage by stages – It is extremely important for the PRINCE2® projects to have proper planning, monitoring, and controlling on a stage-by-stage basis.
  5. Succeed by exception – Individuals who have been working in the project must be provided with the appropriate amount of authority so that they can work within the setting effectively.
  6. Concentrate on products – The projects of PRINCE2® do focus on the product definition, distribution, and quality needs.
  7. Tailor for suiting the project environment – It is highly important that PRINCE2® is tailored for suiting the environment, importance, size, risk, capability, and complexity of the project.

Themes

Themes describe aspects of project management which ought to be addressed in parallel all through the project. There are seven themes of PRINCE2® and they explain the particular treatment which is needed for different project management disciplines. The themes also explain why they are important.

PRINCE2® is important as it aids people in applying the themes by mentioning the minimum requirement which is needed for the themes and it also provides particular guidance on the process of tailoring to particular settings.

The seven themes of PRINCE2® are:

  1. Business case – It creates and maintains a record of business justification for the project.
  2. Quality – It defines the quality requirements and also the measures and additionally, it explains how the project is likely to deliver them.
  3. Organization – It defines the individual roles and duties of the entire project team.
  4. Plans – These are the steps that are needed for developing the plans and the techniques of PRINCE2® which ought to be used.
  5. Change – It is how the project manager would evaluate and perform on alterations to the project.
  6. Risk – It identifies risks and opportunities effectively which could influence the project.
  7. Progress – It is considered the ongoing practicability and the plans’ performance and how and whether or not the project ought to proceed.

Processes

Seven Processes of PRINCE2

Processes describe the project lifecycle’s steps, from the early idea to the project closure. Every process proposes checklists of suggested activities, linked responsibilities and of course, guidance regarding how to tailor to a particular setting.

The seven processes of PRINCE2® are the following:

  1. Beginning a project
  2. Directing a project
  3. Commencing a project
  4. Controlling a stage
  5. Handing product delivery
  6. Handling state boundaries
  7. The finishing of a project

The management products of PRINCE2®

The manual of PRINCE2® comprises twenty-six recommended templates meant for documentation which are linked with the project and are termed “management products.” They are divided into records, baselines, and reports. Some instances of management products are the following:

  • Business Management Approach – Earlier, in the year 2009, it was known as the Benefits Review Plan. It defines the process and time of the measurement of the project’s benefits that can be made.
  • Business case – It is used for capturing financial justification meant for the project. This is viewed as a principle of PRINCE2® that a project ought to have for non-stop business justification. When the Business Case doesn’t make sense, it is suggested to alter or halt the project.
  • Checkpoint Report – It is recognized as a progress report which is developed by the Team Manager before being sent to the Project Manager regularly for reporting the Work Package status.
  • Communications Management Approach – In the 2009 Edition, it was viewed as Communications Management Strategy – It is an account of the processes and occurrence of communication to the stakeholders which covers the flow of information to both directions; to the stakeholders and from the stakeholders. However, information is needed to be supplied from the project and the information is needed to be supplied to the project.
  • Change Control Approach – In the Edition of 2009, it was named Configuration Management Strategy – It is used for recognizing how the products of the projects will get acknowledged, controlled, and shielded. This document is developed by the Project Manager during the initiation of a Project process.
  • Configuration Item Record – It proposes a record that consists of the Product History, Version, Status, Details, and Variant of relationships between products/items, and Product copyholders or Product Owner.
  • End Project Report – It reviews the performance of the project against the actual PID (Project Initiation Documentation).
  • Daily Log – It is used for recording informal issues.
  • Lessons Log – It is a set of notes of lessons that are learned, and they turn vital to future projects.
  • Issues Register – It is an issue log containing notes regarding change requests, complaints, and problems that are sent by all the project members.
  • Quality Register – It comprises details of every planned quality control activity, date, and personnel involved.
  • Project Brief – It is utilized by the Project Board for authorizing the Initiation stage. During the initiating of a project process, the compounds of the Project Brief get extended and refined. The Project Brief grows for forming the PID (Project Initiation Documentation).
  • Risk Register – It is a record of recognized risks, such as opportunities and threats related to the project.

How PRINCE2® is different from PMP®PRINCE2 VS PMP

PMP® or Project Management Professional might be observed as PRINCE2® 's competitor. Generally, Europe, Australia, and the UK opt for PRINCE2®, whereas the American countries and the US prefer PMP®. Again, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia do not possess any strong fondness for either PRINCE2® or PMP®. However, the vital thing is PMP® can be utilized along with PRINCE2®. Actually, PMP® and PRINCE2® both acknowledge the existence of each other in the advertising material and they try to place themselves in the form of complementary compounds; PRINCE2® in the form of a methodology and PMP® in the form of a standard that can be utilized alongside each other. Practically, practitioners and companies select one system or both based on the environment of the project, costs, and geographical location.

The certifications

The certifications of PRINCE2® which is being awarded by AXELOS need the users to undergo a training course with an ATO (Accredited Training Organization). This is followed by an examination. However, the training and the exam can be conducted in person or online. AXELOS needs that an organization that is proposing certified PRINCE2® training ought to go through an accreditation method for validating the course’s quality content and delivery. When sanctioned, the organization can make use of the title “ATO”. A trainer ought to be re-accredited every three years and experience a surveillance check every year.

Four levels of certification for PRINCE2

The four levels of certifications needed for PRINCE2® are:

  • PRINCE2® 2017 Foundation – It confirms that the holder has got enough understanding and knowledge regarding the methods of PRINCE2® and is capable of working in a project management team that is working with this process.
  • PRINCE2® 2017 Practitioner – It confirms that the holder has got ample understanding of the process of applying PRINCE2® in a situation and will be able to begin applying the methods to the real projects.
  • PRINCE2® Agile Foundation – It confirms that the holder has got adequate understanding and knowledge about PRINCE2® methods and responsive way of working. It also explains how agile can get combined with PRINCE2®.
  • PRINCE2® Agile Practitioner – It approves that the holder can apply the project management values of PRINCE2® while combining the concepts of Agile, like Kanban and Scrum.

After the completion of the above-mentioned certifications, AXELOS publishes a successful candidate register that can be checked on the web.

KnowledgeHut

KnowledgeHut

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KnowledgeHut is a fast growing Management Consulting and Training firm that is a source of Intelligent Information support for businesses and professionals across the globe.


Website : http://www.knowledgehut.com/

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The 7 Principles of PRINCE2®

There is a wide range of project management methodologies available in the market, but PRINCE2® is one of the most widely used project management methods that has been used by the enterprises and businesses in more than 150 countries. One of the sheer benefits of the PRINCE2® method is that it can be applied to different projects, irrespective of their sizes and business verticals. It is noticeable that the PRINCE2® project management method can be used in IT as well as non-IT projects too. It is a comprehensive project management method that can be applied to any project irrespective of their geographical location, industry sector and project size.  The PRINCE2® course covers basic four elements: themes, processes, principles and project management. There are some impeccable benefits of a PRINCE2® certification for candidates. There are two major types of certification available in the PRINCE2® project method: PRINCE2® Foundation qualification PRINCE2® Practitioner qualification The foundation program is a basic course that covers basic principles and themes for supporting individuals who work in a project environment supported by PRINCE2®. Candidates who belong to engineering and technology can go for this Foundation qualification course.  The PRINCE2® Practitioner qualification course is an advanced course that covers all the aspects of the PRINCE2® method including themes, processes, principles and project management. You will get a comprehensive introduction to the PRINCE2® project management method. There are some institutes that also train candidates for PRINCE2® management roles that are essential when the project is very big and complex. Here, the managers will be able to complete the project by assigning roles and responsibilities to the team members effectively and will be able to complete the project in a coordinated, consistent and superior manner. These courses are designed by experienced trainers who have years of experience and expertise in the domain and have a proven track record in the PRINCE2® project management. All you need to do is hire the best institute that offers the best PRINCE2® course and also helps in the placement activities too. There are businesses and enterprises that ask for candidates with a PRINCE2® certification; either foundation or practitioner certification. If you have this credential in your resume, it will improve your chance to get a job. All you need to do is to search for the right institute on the internet or your local business directory and that is all.  What is PRINCE2® and why it is so popular amongst businesses? Projects in Controlled Environments, PRINCE2® is a high-quality project management method that has carved a niche for itself by offering superior project management processes, no matter how big or small your project is. It adds streamlined, controlled project management principles and themes that help managers to manage and control projects easily and effectively.  You might still wonder whether PRINCE2® is the right tool for project management. What are the benefits of it? Why should you implement it on your current project management tools? To make things easier, we will discuss 7 principles of PRINCE2® method in details here. It is a process-based method that helps businesses to manage the project from start to finish. As we all know, before starting a project, it is important to plan it to avoid last-minute hurdles and hindrances. With the help of the PRINCE2® method, all the stages of the project are clearly described, roles and responsibilities are assigned to the teams and control and management of the project are easier to track. 7 principles of the PRINCE2® 1. Continued business justification: No matter which project you are working on, your project must have a clear justification including a clear requirement, a defined customer, feasible and scalable benefits and a complete cost assessment. This is the primary principle of the PRINCE2®. It helps you to stay focused on the project and you will be able to drive all your efforts to the common goal of the project- the desired goals and outcomes. 2. Learn from experience: Also, it is important that all the experiences are recorded for the future course of actions. Furthermore, it will help teams to learn from their mistakes and they will be able to finish projects with more dedication and expertise as they have learned lessons. All the stages and their outcomes are recorded in the PRINCE2® environment to make consistent and reliable learning.  3. Defined roles and responsibilities: When the team members have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities, it becomes easy for them to work with dedication and it also improves their productivity and performance too. With a PRINCE2® management method implementation, you would be able to define the roles and responsibilities of each team member to work more efficiently and effectively with unparalleled outcomes. 4. Manage by stages: Also, projects are completely broken in different sections and stages to manage them more effectively and accurately. Once the stage is over, it is reviewed by the superiors and learning will be recorded for the future course. This further helps management to ensure that the project is on its track and there are no loopholes involved in it. 5. Manage by exception: Board members are senior executives who have major roles and responsibilities in the organization and they cannot allocate time for the project on a daily basis. What they will be able to do is to define baseline requirements and assign them to the project manager. Some of the measurable elements of the project are time, cost, risk assessment, scopes, and others. If there are any issues such as project running late or is not on the track or goes out of budget, the project manager will take appropriate actions. However, there are some issues that might impact the establishment. Such issues are exceptions and here, board members intervene and make decisions. 6. Focus on the product: Also, teams are there to ensure that the deliverables are measured accurately and precisely and meet the project objectives. Superior quality control is the main thing that is always checked and compared with the requirements. 7. Tailor to suit the project: Different projects have different tailored requirements and with the PRINCE2® environment, tailored approach for each project is possible. The PRINCE2® method will be able to cater to your custom needs by adjusting different aspects of the method such as a number of team members, the amount of oversight and stage planning. Why PRINCE2®? What 2 stands for? There are chances that you might wonder what 2 stands for the PRINCE2® method. Well, the original PRINCE version was developed and introduced in the late 1980s specifically to manage IT projects. However, in 1996, the approach was reviewed and updated as per the latest issues and hindrances faced by the project management teams across the globe. A team of experienced project management specialists of more than 150 public and private organisations worked and updated the version and developed a new version that is more effective, efficient and accurate. The latest version is more improved and precise that addresses almost all the issues in a very defining manner. This latest version is called PRINCE2®. The number of roles in PRINCE2® PRINCE2® There are a total of three core roles: the project board, the project manager and the team. However, there are additional supplemental roles defined to make the project management more streamlined and linear.  We will discuss the total of 7 roles in PRINCE2® The customer The customer is the one who owns the project and is paying the organization for the project to be completed.  The user The user is one who will use the deliverables of the project or one who will be impacted by the outcome of the project. Sometimes, the user and the customer are the same people. The supplier A supplier is a person who possesses the expertise to complete the project and is responsible for delivering the best outcomes decided by the customer. He offers the knowledge and skills to complete the project. The project manager A project manager is a person who will monitor and control the complete project. The project manager is a very special person who is responsible for completing the project successfully. From planning, organising and controlling the work, everything will be done by the project manager. Also, the project manager will be responsible for forming the team and assigning roles and responsibilities to the team members and overseeing the work assigned to them. The project manager will also ensure that the project gets completed in the required timeframe and the outcomes are measurable and accurate as per the customer’s requirements. The project team and team managers The project teams are the ones who will perform the duties and tasks assigned to them effectively and efficiently. There might be one team or multiple teams to perform various tasks and actions. Teams might have a separate team leader who is responsible to ensure that the given tasks are completed in time. The administrator If the project size is small, the project manager will take responsibility of the administrator. However, in big and complex projects, the administrator is required. The administrator will be responsible for the setting up of meetings, tracking of the daily deliverables, updating everyone involved with the projects about important instructions and specifications about the project. A separate project support office is established to ensure that the project runs smoothly and completes in a given timeframe. The project board includes multiple people such as the customer, the end user and the supplier. There are three perspectives that are checked by the project board: The viability of the project is defined and checked by the customer to ensure that the project is important and should continue. The user ensures that all the needs are being met to complete the project on time. The supplier has a major responsibility. They will ensure that the project is running in the right direction and is offering a practical solution to the issue. The 7 phase process for the PRINCE2® project management method. Here, we will break the complete project management process in 7 parts to understand it more clearly.  1.Starting up a project Here, a customer submits a project requirement called the project mandate. It is a brief introduction to the needs and objectives of the project. The organization will access the project requirements and will make sure whether the company is able to complete the project or not. Once the project is approved, the customer will give a more detailed brief including actions, resources and other crucial information to complete the project.  2. Project direction Now the organization managers will check out the viability and justification of the project by reviewing and evaluating the project brief. They will assign a project manager and other necessities to complete the project. 3. Project initiation The project initiation document will be prepared by the project manager. The document will cover a comprehensive plan and six different factors including cost, quality, scope, time, risk and advantages.  The documents will be sent to the project board for approval and once the board approves the plan, the project will start.  4. Stage controlling The whole project will be broken into different stages and to complete these, teams will be formed and assigned responsibilities.  The project manager will map the process for each project stage and will take actions when any hindrances and loopholes arise.  5. Product delivery management The main responsibility of the project manager is to compare the deliverables and expectations from the project board. They will ensure that the deliverables meet the expectations.  Once the project is completed, the board will review it and ask for revisions and changes if needed.  6. Stage boundaries management The manager and the board will evaluate and review the deliverables at each project stage to ensure that the project is going in the right direction. 7. Project closing Once the project is completed, the project manager will close threads such as documentation, outcomes and reporting. The PRINCE2® is a very effective and superior project management method as it offers impeccable opportunities to the project board and the project manager to track the success of the project at each stage of the project.
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The 7 Principles of PRINCE2®
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Risk vs Issues [ Based on Various Factors ]

Can you guess a reason behind project failure? Here’s a hint. A poor risk or issue management can lead to project failure. According to PMBOK, risk can be defined as an uncertain event or condition that results in a positive or negative effect on a project’s objectives. Whereas, an issue can be defined as an event or condition that has already happened and has impacted or currently impacting the project objectives. There are certain grounds on which we can differentiate issues from risks. Let’s take a look at the differences. Difference between Risk & Issues Before moving to the core differences, let’s take a look at the comparisons between examples of risk and issues through the following chart: Risks Issues A critical resource might leave the project A team member resigns Team members of the project might take vacations during the critical time of the project. No one can be confirmed when team members would take vacations. There may be unanticipated requirement changes. New functionality has been found that needs to be added to the scope of the project. Something new might come up after impact analysis that may push the project dates. Two new changes which are the outcome of Impact analysis resulted in pushing the project deadline by a week. First of all, let’s look at the high-level difference between “Issues” & Risks”: Now let’s see how risks & issues play an integral role in a project: In general, if a project manager identifies all the possible negative risks and their respective response plans within the project, then the possibility of issues can be drastically reduced.  (i.e. prevention is better than cure). However, certain unforeseen situations may still arise which turn out to be issues. They could be certain potential risks which were unidentified in the past. They could also be risks which have been already identified, where the risk response plans are inadequate- and those events turn into issues and impact the project. If a project manager pays inadequate attention to risk management, there is a greater possibility of his spending his valuable time & efforts later in managing the issues that arise! Now, when it comes to issue management the project manager will document the issues in the “issue register” and will perform an issue analysis to identify the possible “work-arounds” to fix the issue. For example: Let us suppose there is a FIRE in the room. If we consider this in the context of issue & work-around, we say that there has been an occurrence of a fire, and we need to put it off by using a fire extinguisher. Since issues are present focused, there is a very limited time available to identify the work-arounds required to fix the issue. Once the work-arounds are identified, it’s also equally important that such issues should not get repeated in the future. There should also not be any possibility of re-occurrences in a different form, in order to bring it to a permanent closure.  In case of a re-occurrence then such events will be treated as “risks” because risks are future focused. They will be documented in the “risk register” and then sufficient risk response plans should be identified to cover those possible future risks. What are the types of risks in Project Management? Risks in projects are inclusive of both internal risks that are associated with the successful completion of each project as well as the risks that are beyond the project team’s control. The following are a few of the most common project risks: Cost risk: This refers to the escalation of project costs as a result of poor cost estimating accuracy and scope creep. Schedule risk: This refers to the risk of activities taking longer than expected. Drifting away from the schedule typically increase costs which leads to a delay of receiving project benefits and possible loss of competitive advantage. Performance risk: This refers to the risk of failure to produce consistent results with project specifications. There are some other risks which result in cost, schedule, or performance problems and create other types of adverse consequences for the organisation. They are as follows: Governance risk: This risk relates to the board and management performance with regard to ethics, community stewardship, and company reputation. Strategic risks: These risks are the result of the errors in strategy like choosing a technology that can’t be made to work. Operational risk: These risks comprise of risks from poor implementation and process problems like production, procurement, and distribution. Market risks: These risks comprise of risks related to foreign exchange, competition, interest rate, and commodity markets. This also includes liquidity and credit risks. Legal risks: These risks arise because of legal and regulatory obligations which include contract risks and litigation brought against the organisation. External hazards risks: These risks are incurred due to storms, floods, and earthquakes. Other than these, vandalism, sabotage, terrorism, labor strikes, and civil unrest are responsible for such type of risks. What is the importance of risk identification? The most important step in risk management is identifying risks. It involves generating a comprehensive list of threats and opportunities which are based on events that might prevent, enhance, accelerate, degrade, or delay the achievement of your objectives. You can’t manage risk without identifying it. But how to identify risks? One of the key steps in a proactive risk management process is to identify risks. You must look at the following sources in order to identify your project risk: Sources Description Risk registers and risk reports Provide a foundation for the evaluation of existing risks and their potential risk to an objective. Issues log It comprises of the issues and the actions considered to resolve them. Analyze the issues that were formally identified as risks. Audit reports These are the independent view of adherence to regulatory guidelines which include a review of compliance preparations, access controls, security policies, and risk management. Business Impact Analysis (BIA) It is a detailed risk analysis that is done in order to examine the nature and extent of disruptions and the likelihood of resulting consequences. Internal & external reviews These reviews are undertaken in order to evaluate the adequacy, suitability, and effectiveness of the department’s systems, and to plan for the scope of improvement. Perspectives for Risk Management It is important to realise the perspectives for risk management and evaluate them during a program’s life continuously in order to anticipate risks at an early stage and tackle issues appropriately. Few of the risk management perspectives are as follows: Strategic level: The interdependencies of the program with other initiatives, its outcomes, and benefits realisation are affected by the strategic level changes. These changes are driven by: External factors like political, economic, social, legislative, environmental, and technical Internal political pressure Inter-program dependencies Working with third-party suppliers along with other cross-organisational initiatives can be grouped under this level. Program level: The focus of a program is to deliver benefits to an organisation that positively or negatively affects both internal and external stakeholders. Risk Management for a program must be designed to work across organisational boundaries to ensure effective engagement of stakeholders and accommodation of different interests. The principal areas of risk and issues within a program are driven by: Aggregating project threats Lack of direction from the group of leaders Lack of clarity about expected benefits and buy-in from stakeholders Complexity of outcomes You should also consider the compilations associated with working across the organisational boundaries as another factor Availability of resource Lack of certainty about funding This also includes unrealistic timelines that increase program delivery risks. Project level: Project outputs help in delivering the outcomes and benefits within a program. Focusing on the risk and issue management on project perspective is important Areas leading to the rise of project risks and issues, resource constraints, scheduling issues, and scope creep It may lead to issues and risks if the project is unsure of what it is delivering. Operational level: The transition of a project to new ways of working and new systems can lead to further sources of risk as projects deliver the outputs. The following areas can be included in the operational level perspectives: The quality of the benefit-enabling outputs from projects within program Cultural and organisational issues Output transfer to operations and the ability to cope with new ways of working The risks can further be identified in stakeholder support Industrial relations Availability of resources to support changes. Early warning indicators for risks in project management The early warning indicators for project management can be defined as follows: In order to anticipate potential problems, there needs to be proactive risk management. These indicators offer advance warning about trends or events that can affect the outcomes of the program adversely. The sensitive risks can be tracked with the help of these indicators. Few of the early warning indicators are delays in delivery of expected or planned benefits, requests to change key program information, increase in aggregated risks, changes to organisational services, structure, and processes. Further, these indicators should be able to measure valid indicators, reviewed on a regular basis, and they should use accurate information. This ensures the effective functioning of the early warning indicators. The other methods which can be deployed to evaluate risks are as follows: Record the weighted average of the anticipated impact through the calculation of estimated monetary value. Calculate the accepted discount rate through the net present value calculation. Aggregate the risks together using a simulation technique through risk model. To conclude An experienced and certified project manager knows that every project involves identifying and managing project risks and project issues. Further, they are aware of the fact these risks and issues can be responsible for knocking a project off its track and divert the focus of the team away from fulfilling their responsibilities and goal achievements. This blog will help you to differentiate between project risk and project issues along with the key steps for identifying the risks. You will also understand the importance of risk identification and the perspectives of risk management. The blog also throws light on the early warning indicators to realise the risks in project management. This information will surely help you to realise the upcoming risk and avoid it for a smooth continuation of your project.
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Risk vs Issues [ Based on Various Factors ]
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PMI-ACP® Agile Certification Requirements and Processes

So. you want to get your PMI-ACP®  certification and are wondering what the PMI-ACP®  Certification course requirements and processes are! You are in the right place and this post will hopefully be beneficial in guiding you with regard to all the optional and mandatory steps required to apply for the certification. It’s obvious, whenever someone start a process (Certification Education) or anything new, the first question that comes to mind is, where should I start , and what are the requirements. The PMI-ACP® certification has been recently launched by PMI® . Here we have compiled a list of all the PMI-ACP® certification requirements and processes step by step in detail.   PMI-ACP® Certification Requirements and Processes There are basically seven steps required for PMI-ACP® certification; some are optional while others are mandatory. Step #1: User ID: This is optional. Go to PMI.org and create a User ID. This is not mandatory but there are benefits and I will mention a few of them: Free. You will be able to create a profile and your mode of payment, which makes later access easy. You will get up to date information from PMI®.   Step #2: Eligibility: This is the tricky part and most people get confused. (You can also go to PMI.org and perform the following steps to get updated information as PMI® may change their rules from time to time. Go to PMI.org —> select Certification —>select PMI-ACP. The eligibility is listed. Diploma: · High school. · One year of General Project Management experience with 2,000 hours of work with project teams. · Eight months of Agile Project Management experience with 1,500 hours of work with project teams using agile methodologies. · 21 hours of Agile Project Management Training.   If you think you are eligible, move to step 3. Step #3: Membership: This is optional and is different than your user id. PMI® has a membership service, which offers some benefits. There are several types of membership and the fee is different for each type. Please do check PMI® Membership and Types, PMI® Membership Fee and PMI® Membership Benefits. Also please visit PMI.org for updated information on membership, types, and benefits in details and check whether the membership suits your needs or not. We are mentioning a few benefits of membership here: Free access to PMI® library and a free copy of PMBOK Access to Local PMI® chapter, useful for getting PDUs and networking Waiver in PMI®-ACP fee and re-certification fee   Step #4: Application: Refer to Step #2, mentioning the education and project hours. Now you have to submit an application to PMI® showing proof of your education, the project hours and project management training that you have undergone. Previously, you had to do it online but now PMI® offers a downloadable pdf as well. You have to fill in the required details covering all processes and the hours you spend on each process. Step #5: Fee: When you submit your application, you will be contacted within a few working days and will be asked to deposit the fee for certification. Now as was mentioned previously, the fee is different for both members and non-members. Step #6: [one_half] A: Application accepted: You will be asked to proceed and schedule your exam at a Prometric center. B: Audit: PMI® randomly selects some applicants for an audit process.[/one_half] Step 6 has two parts as you can see; either your application will be accepted or put a hold for an audit. If you are one of the unlucky ones that are caught in the audit process then you have to show written confirmation from the bodies who authorize the education, experience and project management training. Step #7: Schedule exam: Once you are done with the above steps, the last step is to schedule your exam according to your convenience at prometric.com. However, before you schedule your exam, I would encourage you to read this article to familiarize yourself with the PMI®-ACP Exam Format.
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