PRINCE2 7 Study Guide – Part 1
Welcome to my PRINCE2 7 Study Guide RoadMap
This walkthrough will focus on the processes of the PRINCE2 methodology and take you from start to finish of a typical project.
To help you visualize how the seven PRINCE2 processes work together, I have created a detailed PRINCE2 7th Edition Study Guide Roadmap diagram below:
A project can be standalone or part of a programme, in which case a project may be triggered from either those within a programme, here called programme management, or by appropriate senior management (the business layer/commissioning layer) within an organization.
A PRINCE2 project is therefore triggered by either of the above by issuing a Project Mandate. This document should contain as a minimum, the name of the prospective project board executive and the reasons for the need of the project. As such it may only be and verbal instruction or possibly an e-mail.
At the other extreme it could be the final report from a feasibility study. Whichever, it must contain sufficient information provided by an appropriate authority level, to trigger the first PRINCE2 process.
Starting Up a Project
The first process is called Starting Up a Project and uses the initials SU. This occurs pre-project, and is used as a solid foundation prior to the first stage in a PRINCE2 7 project.
Developing detailed plans can consume a lot of resource, and since many projects should not even be started in the first place, it makes sense for Starting Up a Project to be used as a ‘filter’ – both to prevent poorly conceived projects from starting in the first place, and to establish an understanding of the goals and objectives of the project. To ensure that there are good business reasons to proceed with the project.
Before a project can start several activities and authorizations must first occur.
The PRINCE2 Project Mandate
The first is the creation of the Project Mandate which acts as a trigger to start the PRINCE2 process. The first process to be used is “Starting Up a Project”, and someone with an appropriate level of authority must issue the mandate.
The Project Mandate may simply say “just do it”, but normally it is a bit more helpful than that and should answer the following questions:
- What is the purpose of the project and what is it creating?
- Who will be involved in the project?
- Who will be using the projects products?
- Where will the project happen?
- Where will the products be built?
- When will the project start and finish?
- When that will any benefits be realized from this project?
- How will the project be done?
- How all the products be built?
- Why should we do this project?
- What is the justification for doing the project?
Depending on the amount of detail within the Project Mandate based on the above questions, the less work and effort is needed in this first process to refine the Project Mandate into the Project Brief.
Those who issue the Project Mandate are referred to as corporate or programme management, and it is they who are responsible for appointing the Executive of the Project Board. The individual chosen should see the project from a business perspective and will act as the key decision maker for the project.
PRINCE2® 7 Foundation and Practitioner
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The PRINCE2 Foundation examination assesses your knowledge and comprehension of the PRINCE2 project management methodology as detailed in the syllabus. The PRINCE2 Practitioner examination, on the other hand, gauges your ability to apply and tailor the PRINCE2 method. Candidates who pass the Practitioner exam should be able to start implementing the method on an actual project with some guidance. However, their effectiveness may differ based on their experience in project management, the complexity of the project, and the level of support they receive in their work environment.
