Tailoring in PRINCE2 7: A Detailed Guide
Hey there! So, you’ve stumbled upon the world of Tailoring PRINCE2 7 did you know there are only five areas to tailor?
Don’t fret! Let’s break it down together and find out how to customise PRINCE2 to fit like a glove for your unique project.
What’s Up with PRINCE2 7 Anyway?
At its core, PRINCE2 stands for PRojects IN Controlled Environments. Think of it like a snazzy framework to get your projects from Point A to Point B with fewer hiccups and more success stories. But remember, not all projects are cut from the same cloth. Enter: tailoring.
Practical tailoring requires skill, experience and judgement. There is no single ‘right’ tailoring solution for a project.
People in organisations with a high level of project management capability or maturity are likely to find tailoring easier than those working in less mature organisations.
They are also likely to take a different approach to tailoring, which reflects the organisation’s higher level of skills and competencies.
Tailoring does not mean excluding any of PRINCE2’s processes or practices. PRINCE2 is a web of interlinking parts:
Practices are used in processes.
Techniques bring practices to life.
Individuals fulfil project roles and create management products.
If the practitioner omits any part, project management may be weakened, and hence, the likelihood of project success decreases.
So, What’s PRINCE2 7 Tailoring All About?
Tailoring means adapting PRINCE2 7’s method to fit your project’s unique nature, scale, and risk level. Think of it as customising a suit. If it didn’t fit right, you wouldn’t wear an off-the-rack suit to your best friend’s wedding.
In the same way, PRINCE2 7 should adjust to cater to your project’s unique needs.
The purpose of tailoring is to ensure that:
The project management method used is appropriate to the project (e.g. aligning the method with the
business processes that may govern and support the project, such as human resources, finance, and
procurement)
Project controls are appropriate to the project’s scale, complexity, importance, team capability and risk (e.g. the frequency and formality of reports and reviews).
Tailoring requires the project board and the project manager to make proactive choices and decisions on how PRINCE2 7 will be applied.
When tailoring PRINCE2 7, it is essential to remember that effective project management requires information (not necessarily documents) and decisions (not necessarily meetings).
The PID should describe how PRINCE2 has been tailored for that particular project so that all those involved on the project understands how PRINCE2 will be used and how to carry out their responsibilities.
If PRINCE2 is tailored, the project management effort and approach would likely suit the project’s needs. This can lead to ‘mechanistic’ project management at one extreme (a method is followed without question) or ‘heroic’ project management at the other extreme (a method is not observed).
Why Should I Bother with PRINCE2 7 Tailoring?
Picture this: You’re baking a cake. But, instead of chocolate, your friend wants a fruitcake. You wouldn’t throw cocoa powder into the mix, would you? Mindlessly applying all PRINCE2 processes and themes might not serve your project justice.
By tailoring:
Relevance Galore: You keep what’s relevant, ditch what’s not. Simple.
Efficiency: You reduce unnecessary paperwork and save time.
Better Odds: Projects tailored to their context often have better success rates. Sweet!
Getting Started with PRINCE2 7 Tailoring Magic
The goal is to apply a level of project management that does not overburden the project management team but provides an appropriate level of governance and control at an acceptable level of risk.
Tailoring can be done in two ways:
If an organisation lacks a project management method, tailoring will be done directly from the PRINCE2 manual.
If an organisation has its PRINCE2-based project management method, this will be tailored to suit the project.
PRINCE2 provides product description outlines in Appendix A for those management products that fulfil a particular purpose, supporting the themes and processes.
Tailoring allows these to be split or combined into as many documents or information sources as needed.
Appendix A includes general tailoring advice in its introduction, and each outline product description suggests a range of possible formats for each product.
Each product description includes quality criteria designed to meet the needs of a wide variety of projects but are unlikely to be appropriate for all projects; hence, they must be tailored to suit the project’s circumstances.
A project manager may need to use specific product naming terminology (e.g. to reflect customer needs or practices within their organisation).
Examples include:
The use of PMl’s ‘project management plan’ instead of PRINCE2’s ‘PID’
The use of ‘project closure report’ instead of ‘end project report’.
When changing management product names, care should be taken to ensure they still reflect the intended PRINCE2 purpose.
Project lifecycles can comprise as many management stages as necessary to manage the risk associated with the project.
PRINCE2 does not prescribe the names of any of the management stages nor the number required, except that the lifecycle must contain at least two (referred to as the initiation and delivery stages).
Let’s jump right in and look at ways to flex those tailoring muscles:
Size Matters: If your project is small-scale, you can simplify some processes. On the other hand, a mega project might require extra documentation and more rigorous control.
Risk Check: High-risk projects need more intense control mechanisms. So, beef up those risk management processes if danger looms large. Conversely, if the risks are low, ease up a bit.
Stakeholders in the Mix: Got a bunch of stakeholders who love micromanaging? (Yeah, we know the type.) You should amp up the communication controls. You can lighten the load if your stakeholders trust you to steer the ship.
Team Dynamics: A seasoned team that’s been there, done that with PRINCE2? You might only need to go out on some of the process. But for newbies, consider providing more structure and guidance.
Simple Examples of Tailoring PRINCE2
How does this look in the real world? Let’s check out some hypothetical scenarios:
The Quick App Development: Jane’s team is creating a minor app update. They’re all familiar with PRINCE2 7. They might skip some of the documentation, use informal communication methods, and streamline the stages.
International Infrastructure Project: Roberto’s company is building a bridge in a new country. Given the magnitude and unfamiliar terrain, they ramp up risk management, ensure detailed documentation, and regularly communicate with diverse stakeholders.
Local Community Event: Ahmed is organising a local music festival. PRINCE2’s structure seems overkill. Here, he might stick to the basics: defining the scope, managing risks (like weather changes), and ensuring stakeholder communication. Easy-peasy!
Mistakes to Avoid in Tailoring
Hold up! Before you go on a tailoring spree, keep an eye out for these common pitfalls:
Over-simplifying: Streamlining is cool, but gutting PRINCE2 7 of its essence? Not so much. Don’t lose the method’s core benefits in a bid to keep it ‘light.’
Forgetting the Context: Always tailor to your project’s specific environment. Only copy what worked for another project after considering the differences.
Neglecting Stakeholder Feedback: You might think some processes are unnecessary, but stakeholders might have other opinions. Please keep them in the loop!
The Big Picture
Tailoring in PRINCE2 7th Edition isn’t just an optional step. It’s what makes PRINCE2 such a versatile and efficient beast. Remember, it’s all about ensuring PRINCE2 aligns with your project’s unique flavour. So, get out there and tailor away – and make your project not just another one off the rack but truly custom-fit!
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