Principles of PRINCE2 Training

The principles of PRINCE2 are the key obligations in order for project management to be a success. The principles are what separate PRINCE2 from other project management methods.

The principles provide the right framework of good practise for those involved within the project. All principles come from the previous experiences of other projects and other project management teams. These principles reflect both the positive and negative lessons learnt in order to address any common causes of defect or project failure.

There are seven key principles of PRINCE2 which must be applied to any project – if any of these below principles are not applied then the project is not PRINCE2.

• Continued business justification
• Learn from experience
• Defined roles and responsibilities
• Manage by stages
• Manage by exception
• Focus on products
• Tailor to suit the project management

Continued business justification is crucial to a PRINCE2 project. This principle is covered throughout the PRINCE2 training course due to its importance. One of the most common causes of project failure is the failure to include this aspect into the project management methodology. Every project must have a justifiable reason to begin otherwise it is indeed pointless. This reason must stay valid throughout the project lifecycle. Moreover, having justification for a project is important and this drives all decision making processes to ensure that the project is aligned with the overall business objectives. The minute a project cannot be justified, it must stop as it is a waste of time and money and thus not worth the investment of either.

The whole idea behind the PRINCE2 certification is to ensure that everything is learnt from previous projects by previous project teams. All lessons are documented, recorded and acted upon throughout the life of the project. This is why PRINCE2 is so famous and reliable because it comes from experience.

Within each PRINCE2 project there are defined roles and responsibilities for each individual. This allows each individual to feel responsibility for their section of the work and act accordingly. It also allows the project to be broken down into smaller, more manageable parts which again, proves to be successful. This provides all levels of management and employees to have their own roles within the project and hopefully their own successes.

Moreover, PRINCE2 also focuses on the definition and the delivery of products – in particular the quality of these products. A successful project will focus on the outputs rather than the activities as it defines and provides the basis for planning and control.