PRINCE2 - PRojects IN Controlled Environments is a process-based method for effective project management.
What is PRINCE2?
The method describes how a project can be divided into manageable stages enabling efficient control of resources and timely progress monitoring. The various roles and responsibilities for managing a project are fully described and are adaptable to suit the project's size, complexity and the skills within the organisation. Project planning using PRINCE2 is product-based which means the project plans are focused on delivering results and are not simply about planning when the various activities for the project will be done.
Driving any PRINCE2 project is the business case, which describes the organisation's justification, commitment and rationale for the deliverables or outcome. The Business Case is reviewed regularly during the project so as to ensure the business objectives, which may change during the lifecycle of the project, are still being met
The functions of PRINCE2 are:
- Its product-based planning approach
- A defined organisation structure for the project management team
- Its flexibility to be applied at a level appropriate to the project.
- Its emphasis on dividing the project into manageable and controllable stages
- Its focus on business justification
The history of PRINCE2
PRINCE2 is derived from the earlier PRINCE technique, which was initially developed in 1989 by the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency as a UK Government standard for information systems project management; however, it soon became regularly applied outside the purely IT environment.
PRINCE2 was released in 1996 as a generic project management method. PRINCE2 has become increasingly popular and is now the de facto standard for project management in the UK. Its use has now spread beyond the UK to more than 50 other countries.