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Execute a PRINCE2 work package 

 May 3, 2023

By  Dave Litten

Execute a PRINCE2 work package.

As part of accepting a Work Package, the Team Manager needs to clarify:

  • what is to be delivered
  • what are the constraints within which the work is to be done
  • agree on the tolerances if applied
  • understand the reporting requirements and how the products are to be approved and handed over
  • confirm how the project manager is to be informed when the work package has completed.

Optionally, the Team Manager may produce a Team Plan to confirm that the Work Package can be completed within the given constraints.

Depending on the commercial arrangements, the project manager may wish to review and improve the team plan. Still, if this is not appropriate, the team manager may merely pass on critical milestones for the project manager so that progress can be tracked.

Project assurance may wish to review the Team Plan and should be consulted on whether extra reviewers are required and ensure the Quality Register is updated as appropriate.

Any risks associated with the Work Package and Team Plan should be logged on the Risk Register.

The Work Package contents

Here are the specific contents of a work package:

  • Date. This can either be the date the project manager issued the work package or the date that the work package was agreed upon.
  • Team or person authorized. This describes who will create the work package products or the name of a team.
  • Work Package Description. This describes the products to be created.
  • Techniques, processes and procedures. How to build the product may include standards or approaches.
  • Development interfaces. These are communication interfaces, the people who must be kept informed or liaised with during product development.
  • Operations and maintenance interfaces. These product interfaces may take many forms, physical or electrical, for example.
  • Configuration management requirements. This outlines how configuration management, version control or requirements will be carried out. If different organizations are involved, this will explain how each will manage configuration or lay down a standard agreed method for all concerned.
  • Joint agreements. These will concern setting out resources and time scales for the work package delivery.

Tolerances.

These are optional for a work package, but the project manager may wish to set them. If they are placed, and a forecast deviation beyond tolerance is determined, then the team/team/manager raises it as an Issue.

  • Constraints. This covers anything that is placed upon the delivery of the work package.
  • Reporting requirements. This covers the frequency, content, and method of the transmission of regular Checkpoint Reports. However, other non-PRINCE2 reports may be needed.
  • Problem handling and escalation. This covers how Work Package tolerance (if forecast to be exceeded) will be escalated. As described above, generally via the raising of a project issue.
  • Extracts or references. An opportunity to reference other relevant documents, particularly for a section from the Stage Plan and, of course, ONE product description.
  • Approval method. This covers two aspects: how each product will be approved once it has passed its quality check and how the project manager will approve the completed work package.

When the Work Package is executed, the team manager is responsible for ensuring the work is conducted following the Work Package.

The project manager should be notified of new issues, risks, or lessons. As each product is created, the Configuration Item Records should be updated to reflect the current status.

The project manager should receive regular Checkpoint Reports in the manner and frequency defined in the Work Package. If tolerance is applied to the work package, the team manager must raise it as an issue to bring to the project manager’s attention.

When the products in the Work Package have all been created, quality reviewed and approved, then notification of its completion must be returned to the project manager.

The team manager will first want to review the Quality Register to check that all products are complete and to review the approval records to show that each product has been approved. The Team Plan should be updated to show that the work is finished before notifying the project manager.

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Dave Litten


Dave spent 25+ years as a senior project manager for UK and USA multinationals and has deep experience in project management. He now develops a wide range of Project Management Masterclasses, under the Projex Academy brand name. In addition, David runs project management training seminars across the world, and is a prolific writer on the many topics of project management.

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