Authorize the project is an activity within the directing a project process and is triggered in the initiation stage.
So, by way of introduction, lets first put it into context with a brief overview or the directing a project process:
The directing a project process
The purpose of the process of directing a project is to enable the project board to be accountable for the project’s success by making key decisions and exercising overall control while delegating day-to-day management of the project to the project manager.
The objectives of the directing a project process are to ensure:
- there is authority to initiate the project.
- there is authority to deliver the project product.
- appropriate management direction and control are provided throughout the project’s life.
- the project remains viable.
- the business layer has a connection to the project.
- there is authority to close the project.
- plans for realizing the post-project benefits are managed and reviewed.
Authorize The PRINCE2 Project – Project Authorization
The process of directing a project covers the activities of the project board and is not concerned
with the day-to-day activities of the project manager.
The project board manages by exception. It monitors via reports and controls through a small number of decision points.
There should be no need for other progress meetings for the project board, as the project manager will inform the board of any exception situation.
It is also important that levels of authority and decision-making processes are clearly defined and empower the project manager and team managers.
There needs to be a two-way flow of information between the project board and the business layer
during the project. The project board must ensure that the project always remains aligned with the
business layer’s strategy.
A key role of the project board is to engage with the business layer and act as a communication
channel. The requirement for the project board to act as a communication channel, and how it is
going to do this should be documented in the communication management approach.
The project board should provide unified direction and guidance to the project manager.
If the project board is unable to provide a single view, then the risk of project failure significantly
increases, as the project manager may act on contradictory requirements and priorities. In such
cases, the project executive makes the decision.
The process of directing a project provides a mechanism for the project board to meet its
responsibility for ensuring there is continued business justification without being overburdened by
hands-on project management activity. It also provides a mechanism to avoid the project board
micromanaging the project manager.
One of the functions of the project board is to provide informal advice and guidance as well as
formal direction to the project manager. This is two-way, with the project board updating the project
manager on matters external to the project and the project manager seeking advice whenever
necessary during the course of the project.
Authorize the project context
During the initiation stage, the Initiating a Project process is used to assemble all the information within the Project Initiation Documentation. This documentation will usually be reviewed at draft status by project assurance.
When the project manager determines that this documentation is ready to be approved, the project manager will request the project board to authorize the Project.
Also, within the initiation stage, the project manager will trigger the Managing a Stage Boundary process to prepare the next Stage Plan, updates other vital documents such as the Business Case and the Project Plan and prepare an End-Stage Report.
When the project manager is content that the draft document is ready for approval, the project manager will request the project board authorize the next stage. The activity used is the Authorizing a Stage or Exception Plan (within the Directing a Project process).
Both requests to authorize the Project and Authorizing a Stage or Exception plan will typically be performed in parallel since both the PID and the next stage plan needs to be signed off before the Project can proceed to the next stage.
Authorize The Project – Objectives.
The objective of authorizing the Project is to decide whether to proceed with the rest of the Project, however, if the project board decides not to proceed, then the Project should be prematurely closed, and in this case, the Closing a Project process will be used followed by request from the project manager to authorize the project closure by the project board.
To authorize the Project, the project board will need to undertake the following actions:
Review the project definition and approach to ensure they are still feasible, and check that lessons from previous projects have been incorporated.
The project board will want to confirm that the nine management approach documents are sufficient for the Project and that they will perform their purpose of adequate control throughout the Project.
The project board must ensure that the project management team have agreed on roles and responsibilities, in particular any delegation of duties, for example, the appointment of a change authority.
The project board will want to ensure that the Project Plan is viable and achievable and that the project controls are adequate for the type and nature of the Project.
As a result of planning, the product-based planning technique will be used, and the project board must review and approve all product descriptions. They will also want to check that the tolerances for the Project set by the business or commissioning level management remain appropriate and realistic.
The Project Plan will identify resources needed to up the Project, and the project board must satisfy themselves that they can obtain or commit these resources. However, such resources will only be released to the project manager stage-by-stage.
The Project Initiation Documentation will also include how the PRINCE2 method is to be tailored to meet the needs of this particular project, and the project board must satisfy themselves that this tailoring is appropriate.
One of the last activities leading to the complete assembly of the Project Initiation Documentation is that the outline Business Case will have been refined to become the Full Business Case. The Project Plan timescales and costs will have been input into the full Business Case, and the project board must satisfy themselves that the Business Case demonstrates a viable project.
The Senior User role is responsible for identifying benefits contained within the Business Case, and the project manager will use these to draft the Benefits Management Approach showing how and when the benefits will be realized. This also needs to be reviewed and approved by the project board.
The project board must now either authorize the project manager to deliver the Project or instruct the project manager to close the Project prematurely if they decide not to proceed any further.
Whatever decision the project board makes, they must now notify corporate programme management and other interested parties that the Project has been authorized.
Authorize the Project – making success of the Initiation Stage
Authorize the Project takes place as part of the project board’s responsibilities and is triggered by the project manager (having completed the Initiation Stage management products) requesting to deliver a project.
The activity used by the Project Board is called ‘Authorize the project’, and they, in turn, will notify Corporate/Programme Management of their decision via ‘project authorization notification.
If this seems a little formal, consider the consequences of the above; once the project board have signed off the Project Initiation Documentation (PID), they are committed to the Project even though they approve it’s continuation/early closure at each end stage assessment.
This activity of authorizing the Project will typically occur at a formal meeting and is usually done in parallel with Authorizing a Stage or Exception Plan activity – the second stage plan in this case (otherwise, no further work will occur!).
An alternate outcome (and this should be seen as an appositive decision based on solid business evidence) is that the Project should be prematurely closed.
Authorize the Project – the project board.
Apart from that, the project board’s main objective here is to:
Review and approve the Project Initiation Documentation confirming that all parts are complete and accurate.
Confirm that all members of the Project Management Team have agreed on their roles and responsibilities
Review and approve the Benefits Management Approach
Obtain the resources needed by the Project
Authorize the project manager to deliver the Project
Here is a summary of authorizing the Project:
Authorize The Project
Authorize the Project starts with a request to authorize the Project from the project manager, and for the project board to do that, they need specific PRINCE2 documented evidence that will help them make an informed choice:
The Lessons Log
This will have been continually updated with lessons from previous projects and the project manager’s proactive actions to seek practical learnings from appropriate sources and individual experiences.
This information will help the project board ascertain that such lessons have been embedded in the other documentation being brought before them and encourage them to authorize the Project.
The Project Initiation Documentation (PID) contains all the plans and strategies that this Project will use and apply. Project Assurance will have already audited such documentation.
One of these documents is the Business Case owned by the project board executive, and it is used here to ensure that the Project is viable, desirable, and achievable.
A ‘sister’ document to the Business Case is the Benefits Management Approach, which describes how each benefit will be measured and implemented.
The Senior User role owns this document, and they are held responsible to the end of the Project and beyond for these benefits being realized based on the operational use of the Project’s products.
The main output of the Authorise a Project activity is just that, usually given simultaneously with the Authorize a Stage or Exception Plan activity. When that is done, the authorized project activity is complete, and work can start on the first delivery stage.
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