Managing Product Delivery with PRINCE2 7th Edition
Accept a work package
There should be an agreement between the project manager and the team manager as to what is to be delivered before a work package is allocated to a team. This should cover the reporting requirements, the constraints that apply, the procedures to be applied and whether the requirements of the work package are reasonable and can be achieved.
Recommended actions for each team manager:
- review the work package description to understand what is to be delivered and when.
- produce a team plan to show which products can be completed within the given constraints. For example, within the timebox when using an agile approach.
- check the work package description for the procedure to update the project log.
- consult with project assurance if any extra reviewers are required for each product, and ensure the project log is updated accordingly.
- consult with project assurance (supplier) to confirm that the team plan is viable and by the relevant supplier standards.
- seek necessary approval for the team plan (note that in a commercial customer-supplier relationship, it may be inappropriate for the project manager to review and approve the team plan. In this context, the senior supplier may review and approve the team plans).
- undertake a review of the risks against the team plan, and advise the project manager of any additional or modified risks, if the work package description allows the team manager to log the risks directly, the team manager should update the project log.
- agree to deliver the work package.
Execute a work package
The work must be executed and monitored by the requirements defined in the authorized work package.
The team manager can only proceed with the work package or take corrective action when the work package is forecast to be completed within the tolerances set by the project manager.
As soon as work package tolerances are expected to be exceeded, the team manager should raise an issue with the project manager. They will then choose a course of action.
In addition, it is vital to ensure psychological safety within the team.
Related issues and risks will have to be addressed immediately and adequately.
Recommended actions for each team manager:
- manage the development of the required products by the requirements
- defined in the work package description and any specific arrangements in the agreed team plan.
- notify the project manager of any new issues, risks, or lessons, and take any action required by the project manager.
- notify the project manager of the completed quality activities, and update the quality register.
- obtain approvals for any completed products, and update the product register.
Evaluate a work package
The team manager should review and report progress to the project manager for each period defined in the work package description.
Recommended actions:
- review the work package description and team plan to confirm expected progress for the period.
- review the issue register for any issues associated with the work package.
- review the risk register for any risks associated with the work package.
- review the quality register for the status of the quality activities associated with the work package.
- review the product register for the status of the products associated with the work package, including any approval records.
- review the lessons log for any lessons associated with the work package.
- report the status of the work package to the project manager via a checkpoint report.
For projects using an iterative-incremental delivery method such as agile, the checkpoint report may be based on a ‘pull’ system, whereby the project manager looks at progress charts such as Kanban boards or burn-down charts being maintained by the team manager and development teams.
In a commercial context where the team manager is from a supplier organization, they may have their logs and registers distinct from the project log which they will use to evaluate their work package.
Project support may also assist the team manager with their review by providing any information relating to their work package held in the project log.
Notify work package completion
Just as the work package authorization was accepted by the team manager from the project manager, notification of its completion must be communicated to the project manager.
Recommended actions for each team manager:
- check the work package description, and follow the procedure to deliver the completed products.
- review the approval records to check that all the products to be delivered by the work package are approved.
- update the team plan to show that the work package is complete.
- review the project log for any lessons and outstanding issues or risks associated with the work package.
- brief the project manager on the status of delivered products and the work performance against the agreements in the work package description, highlighting any outstanding issues (for example, off-specifications) or risks relating to the completed products.
- notify the project manager that the work package is complete.
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