What are the 7 Processes of Prince2

Prince 2 is the project management certification offered by Axelos. PRINCE is the abbreviation for Projects IN Controlled Environment. This is a highly preferred certification for Project Managers who want to manage large and complex projects. Prince2 has 7 stages which are also called processes. It was exclusively developed for project management for the UK government.

However, in 2017 the rights for the certification were transferred to Axelos. Axelos is the certifying body that organizes the certification examination of Prince2 processes. There is 2 division in Prince2, 1 is a Prince2 foundation exam and another is Prince2 practitioner examination.

Also Read: Portfolio Vision

The Prince2 foundation consists of the following key benefits

Acquiring knowledge on the general principles
Be a team player in the team
Acquiring knowledge on the key phrases and terms
Have general competency on the Project management

The Prince2 Practitioner consists of the following key benefits

Acquire principles needed for the projects
Manage the projects by applying the project management principles
Get practical knowledge on managing the projects
Lead the project team.

Enroll in the PMP Certification Course in Mumbai to gain hands-on experience with the 49 key processes from the PMBOK Guide-7th edition. This 35-hour live-virtual training equips you with leadership skills and provides lifetime access to class materials.

The prince2 processes consist of the following 7 stages and its key areas.

1) Starting up a process

This is the first step in the Prince2 processes of Project Management. The following are the steps to achieve success in the first process.

Selection of project and executive manager for the projects
Make up the project management team
Prepare and get the previous lessons
Make the use case and business case for the current project
Develop the project methodology and capture the project details
Plan for the initiation of the project

2) Directing the project

In this step prepare for the direction for the project by getting the authority and authorization to proceed further without interruption. The steps in this process are as follows,

Prepare project board
Authorize the initiation of the project
Authorize and prepare direction for the project
Prepare and authorize the stage or the execution plan
If needed provide the ad-hoc direction
Authorize the closure of the project

Also Read: Milestone Project Management

3) Initiation of the Project

This is the most important step as this is towards the project manager. The plans are made and they directly impact the rest of the projects. Here the maximum work is done. These steps are critical for the success of the project. The following are the steps in the project.

Tailor the needs of the project
Prepare and agree on the risk management methodology
Prepare and agree on the change control methodology
Prepare and agree on the quality management methodology
Prepare and agree on the communication management methodology
Prepare and set the project controls
Creation of project plan
Make the profitability management methodology
Prepare the Project Initiation Documentation (PID)

In this process, we need to outline the project manager's responsibility for the goals of the project. The project manager's responsibilities are outlined in the Project Initiation Document or the PID. The following are the steps the project manager has to do,

Initiation of the project
Prepare the project definition
Prepare the project methodology
Prepare the use case and the business case for the project
Define and make the team structure
Define the roles and its responsibilities
Prepare the change management methodology
Prepare the quality management methodology
Prepare the risk management methodology
Prepare the communication management methodology
Make the project plan
Make the project controls

4) Controlling a stage

In this stage, the steps from authorization to providing direction and the responsibilities of the project manager are outlined. This is a controlling process where any preventive or corrective actions are performed, improvements are suggested, and root cause analysis along with the improvement plans and feedback plans are made.

Authorization of the statement of work (SOW)
Review methods and status of SOW are decided
Get all the requirements of the statement of works
Review of the management stage status
Reporting the highlights and importance of the projects
Evaluating and catching issues and risks
Escalation of the issues and risks
Taking corrective action
Do root cause analysis
Do the necessary improvements
Provide feedback to the various stages.

5) Managing product delivery

This is an important step where the work is executed and the delivery of the product is done. The project manager needs to ensure that the project goes as per the plans and directions provided earlier. The project manager has to manage the project in such a way that the project does not fail and take steps to maneuver the project continuously in the right way. The project manager must manage with a lot of care, and ensure risks are mitigated, the issues and problems are solved. There are few steps done by the Project Manager in this process and they are as follows,

Collecting the work package for the delivery
Execution of the project
Mitigate the risks
Solve any bottlenecks, issues, and problems
Steer in the right direction
Manage the team and resources
Manage the project
Produce the desired output

Also Read: What is a Work Package in Project Management?

6) Managing the state boundaries

In this step, the Project Manager must understand where exactly the project is and what the current stage is and what the future output is. The project current stage is known and succeeding steps are approved. Also, the necessary changes to the Project Initiation Document that is necessary for the future case study as well as to know the corrective action, feedback, the RCA, and the learnings to the project are done. Ensure the failed steps are not repeated in the future and success steps are taken for future use cases. The learnings may be addressing the risks, managing the resources, managing the budget, solutions to the problems, managing the team, etc. The few steps in this process are as follows,

Evaluating the current stage
Approving the succeeding stage
The project plan is updated
The business case is approved and executed to closure
Reporting the project details to the management
Updating the Project Initiation Document that is the PID
Create the exception protocols and plans

7) Closing a Project

In this step, the project manager has important responsibilities. The project closure is communicated to the top management. Then the customer sign off for the successful project is obtained, if the project is failed then the project is abandoned and the study is completed. The reason for the failure is observed, communicated, and documented. The alternate methods and direction are studied and a new use case is made. The same is communicated to the management and customer. Perhaps, the new Proof of Concept is made and the existing POC is closed with lessons learned. The following steps are done at this stage, they are as follows,

Prepare for the planned closure
Prepare for the premature closure
Prepare for the failed closure
Hand over the products
Study the use case and document thoroughly
Communicate to the management and customer
For the successful projects obtain the customer sign off

Recommend the project closure
Suggest improvement at the POC stage and the project planning stage.

In this blog, the Prince2 processes are explained in detail and a detailed study has been made to make you understand the 7 Prince2 processes and how each one is important in the Project Management Life Cycle. This article will help you with the Prince2 Foundation and Prince2 practitioner examinations.

However, we suggest that you enroll for the Prince2 Certification Training at StarAgile for further and thorough enhancement of the knowledge. Keep Learning!!!

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