As the pace of change (technology, business, social, regulatory etc.) accelerates, and the penalties of failing to adapt to change become more evident, the focus of management attention is inevitably moving to achieve a balance between business as usual and business change. Projects are the means by which we introduce change - and, while many of the skills required are the same, there are some crucial differences between managing business as usual and managing project work. PRINCE2 is the recognised de facto standard project management method, being used extensively both in the UK and internationally. PRINCE2 Practitioners have demonstrated knowledge and ability in applying PRINCE2. This course of PRINCE2 project management training provides those who will be using PRINCE2 with the necessary skills to apply the method to a range of project types in different business contexts. This PRINCE2 training course is based on the 2009 edition of the PRINCE2 manual: Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2. This is an intensive five day course which includes the opportunity to sit the APM Group Ltd (APMG) administered PRINCE2 Foundation and new format Practitioner exams. The course incorporates a blend of lectures, practical activities, a case study and sample papers including numerous question/answer sessions.
Who will the course benefit?
Entry-level project management personnel wishing to learn about project management generally and the PRINCE2 method in particular. Experienced Project Managers and personnel who wish to learn about the PRINCE2 method. This course is also suitable for those who wish to undertake the examinations in PRINCE2 administered by the APMGroup. The course is useful both as a detailed reference source for PRINCE2 practitioners, and as a source of information on PRINCE2 for managers considering whether to adopt the method.
Course Objectives
The course will provide participants with: the ability to organise, plan and control projects using the PRINCE2 method; demonstrate the benefits of using the PRINCE2 method to control projects productively; be able to tailor PRINCE2 to different project environments to optimise the flexibility of the method; prepare participants for the PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner examinations administered on behalf of OGC by the APM Group.
Skills Gained
- Understand the necessity for projects and project management and how PRINCE2 meets that requirement
- Implement the PRINCE2 process model in a variety of environments
- Prepare the appropriate level of plans using the Product Based Planning technique
- Undertake Risk analysis and management in a project environment
- Apply Change Control and Configuration Management within a project
- Manage and control a project throughout its life-cycle
- Be able to participate as an informed member within a project management team
Pre-Requisites
There are no prerequisites other than a basic awareness of project work in the delegates own business environment.
Introduction to PRINCE2
This session looks at the terminology used in PRINCE2 to provide a common language that can be used throughout a project. It also includes an introduction to Project Management. Your tutor will provide an overview of PRINCE2 and the Principles, Themes, the Process Model as well as a brief introduction to tailoring PRINCE2 to your project environment.
Business Case
This session explores the life-cycle of the Business Case from the trigger to the project, the Project Mandate through to its role in Closing a Project and writing a Benefits Review Plan. Your tutor will demonstrate how to write and update the Business Case during the project and why the Business Case is the key to a successful project.
Pre-project activities - Starting up a Project and Organisation
This section covers the organisational structure; Project Management Team, which is recommended by PRINCE2 and the Project Mandate that triggers a progect and how it needs to be expanded and then assembled into a Project Brief. Your tutor explains how the Project Mandate can be provided in many forms by Corporate or Programme management and why it needs validating before being turned into a project
Initiating a Project
This session describes the various activities that can commence once you have justified the start of a PRINCE2 project. Initiating a Project explains the various strategies (Risk, Quality, Configuration Management and Communications) that you need to create, developing a detailed Business Case and how to set up the Project Plan. Your tutor will illustrate how all of these ingredients are assembled into the Project Initiation Documentation (PID)
Risk Management
The session looks at how to manage risks, explains how to create a Risk Management Strategy and how to apply the Risk procedure to any uncertainty within your project whether it is a negative threat or a positive opportunity.
Quality
The session explains the importance of quality to PRINCE2®. It outlines the role quality in product acceptance the importance of describing quality in measurable terms so that the suppliers can create products. Your tutor will guide you through the steps involved in order to create the Quality Management Strategy and explain how to describe your products in the correct format so that they can be controlled through their development cycle.
Planning
This session outlines the importance of planning in helping you to stay in control, regardless of its size. Your tutor will describe the Plans theme and show you how to create a PRINCE2 plan. A key feature of PRINCE2 is Product-Based Planning and your tutor will demonstrate how to create the appropriate diagrams to support this technique.
Change control and Configuration Management
The session examines why change is inevitable in most projects. You will be shown how to follow the change process and manage your products using the Configuration Management Strategy and associated products and the importance of using a change control process. Your tutor will demonstrate how products need to be signed off when they match their product description known as a baseline; and will explain why, throughout their development, they will need to be identified, tracked and protected.
Communications Management
The session explains why you need to complete a Communications Strategy before you can assemble the Project Initiation Documentation and how it will help you to manage communications with your stakeholders.
Subsequent stages
This session describes both the Controlling a Stage and the Managing Product Delivery processes and their associated activities. It also explains how to review product quality under PRINCE2. On large projects the work will be divided across multiple stages and your tutor will describe what activities the Project Manager carries out in Managing a Stage Boundary and what the Project Board reviews in an end stage assessment.
Closing a Project
All projects are temporary and irrespective of whether they complete normally or prematurely they will have to be properly controlled and disbanded. This session takes you through the activities of Closing a Project demonstrates the relevant documentation that needs to be completed so that the Project Board can approve closure.
Directing a Project
The session explains how the Project Board are accountable for the success and continuation of the project throughout its life cycle and explains how the process of Directing a Project enables them to exercise overall control and responsibility for key decisions. It also illustrates how the Project Board manages by exception and explains the documents that they use to carry out either an end stage or an exception assessment.
Tailoring PRINCE2 in a Project Environment
This session explains how PRINCE2 can be tailored to suit any particular situation, and adapted to the different environments in which a project may be encountered.
Examinations
The Foundation and Practitioner examinations are timetabled into the course. The Foundation exam on day 3 and the Practitioner exam on day 5
The examination scheme is administered by the Association for Project Management Group Ltd. The examinations consist of the Foundation examination, which is a one-hour, 75 questions, multi-choice paper and the new format Practitioner examination which is a two and a half hour, nine question, objective testing paper. Sample papers for both examinations are provided to delegates and worked through during the course.