PRINCE2 Give ad hoc direction
Project board members may offer informal guidance or respond to requests for advice at any time during a project.
The need for consultation between the project manager and project board is likely to be the particularly frequent during the initiation stage and when approaching management stage boundaries.
Ad hoc direction may be given collectively or by individual project board members.
There are a variety of circumstances that might prompt ad hoc direction, including:
- Responding to requests, clarifying options, resolving conflict, etc
- Responding to reports such as highlight report, exception report, issue report
- Responding to external influences, for example changes in corporate priorities
- Project board members individual concerns
- Responding to changes in project board composition which may also require corporates, programme or customer approval
It is also possible that corporate, programme, or the customer revises the project mandate in response to events external to the project, or instructs the project board to close the project.
The project board has two primary options should the project mandate be changed in this way:
Treat it as a request for change, asking the project manager to replant the management stage and/or project
Stop, and restart the project by triggering premature closure. This may result in additional costs compared with the request for change option.
The project board may appoint project assurance to undertake some other reviewing and assessing actions. For example, inspecting a request for change to confirm that adequate impact assessment has been undertaken.
When making decisions, it is important to consider the impact on all stakeholders as laid down within the communications management approach.
PRINCE2 recommends the following Give ad hoc direction actions:
In response to informal requests for advice and guidance, seek advice from corporate, programme management or the customer if necessary. Also ask the project manager to produce an issue report and/or an exception report.
In response to an escalated issue:
- Seek advice from corporate, programme management or the customer is necessary
- Make a decision within the project board’s delegated limits of authority
This decision could be regarding:
A problem or concern. Ask for an exception plan or provide guidance
A request for change. Approve, defer, reject or ask for more information. Consider whether an exception plan is required
An off specification. Grant a concession, defer, reject or ask for more information. Consider whether an exception plan is required
In response to an exception report:
- Seek advice from corporate, programme management or customer if necessary
- Decide within the project boards delegated limits of authority, to:
- Increase the tolerances that a forecast to be breached
- Instruct the project manager to produce an exception plan, stating what will be acceptable
- Instruct the project manager to close the project prematurely
- Defer the exception for a fixed period. This is a useful response if there is low confidence in the forecast that tolerances will be exceeded, or if the exception is contingent on a risk occurring.
In response to the receipt of a highlight report:
- Review the highlight report to understand the status of the project
- Ensure that the project remains focused on the corporate, programme management or customer objectives set, and remains justified in accordance with its business case
- Ensure that the management stage is progressing according to plan
Keep corporate, programme management or the customer and other interested parties, informed about project progress, as defined within the communication management approach
Take actions as necessary, for example asking the project manager to produce an issue report and/or an exception report
In response to advice and decisions from corporate, programme management or the customer:
Ensure that the project management team is kept informed of external events that may affect it such as advising the project manager of a change of project board personnel
Notify the project manager of any changes in the corporates, programme management or customer environment that may impact on the project, and ensure appropriate action is taken.
This may involve:
- Raising an issue to the project manager
- Instructing the project manager to produce an exception plan
- Instructing the project manager to close the project prematurely
