Tailoring and Adopting PRINCE2 7
PRINCE2 TAILORING
The seventh PRINCE2 principle states that PRINCE2 should be tailored for a project’s particular circumstances.
The goal is to apply a level of project management that does not overburden the project management team but provides an appropriate level of governance and control, at an acceptable level of risk.
Tailoring can be done in two ways:
If an organization does not have its project management method, tailoring will be done directly from the PRINCE2 manual.
If an organization has its PRINCE2-based project management method, this will be tailored to suit the project.
Tailoring is also applicable for tailoring an organization’s PRINCE2-based project management method, bearing in mind that the organization may place limits on the extent of tailoring permitted or required.
Adopting PRINCE2
Adopting PRINCE2 Organizations adopt PRINCE2 by tailoring it to their needs, often creating their PRINCE2-based method and then embedding its use within their working practices.
Tailoring PRINCE2 7 to suit different projects
What can be tailored?
Tailoring is concerned with the appropriate use of PRINCE2 on any given project, ensuring that there is the right amount of governance, planning and control, by PRINCE2’s principles.
The following aspects of PRINCE2 may be tailored:
- Processes may be combined or adapted (e.g. by adding or combining activities)
- Themes can be applied using techniques that are appropriate to the project
- Roles may be combined or split, provided that accountability is maintained and there are no conflicts of interest
Management products may be combined or split into any number of documents or data sources.
They will often take the form of formal documents, but can equally be slide decks, wall charts or data held on IT systems if more appropriate to the project and its environment.
The terminology may be changed to suit other standards or policies, provided it is applied consistently.
Effective tailoring requires skill, experience and judgment. There is no single ‘right’ tailoring solution for a project.
People in organizations with a high level of project management capability or maturity are likely to find tailoring easier than those working in less mature organizations. They are also likely to take a different approach to tailoring, which reflects the higher level of skills and competencies in the organization
Tailoring does not mean excluding any of PRINCE2’s processes or themes.
PRINCE2 is a web of interlinking parts: themes are used in processes; techniques bring practices to life; individuals fulfil project roles and create management products.
If the practitioner omits any part, project management may be weakened and hence the likelihood of project success decreased.
Each practice and process chapter contains guidance which may be used to help decide on the level of tailoring that is appropriate.
PRINCE2 7 provides product description outlines in Appendix A for those management products that fulfil a particular purpose, supporting the themes and processes. Tailoring allows these to be split or combined into as many documents or information sources as needed.
Each product description includes quality criteria which have been designed to meet the needs of a wide variety of projects but are unlikely to be appropriate for all projects; hence they need to be tailored to suit the project’s circumstances.
Appendix A includes general tailoring advice in its introduction and each outline product description suggests a range of possible formats for each product.
A project manager may need to use specific product naming terminology (e.g. to reflect customer needs or practice within their own organization).
Examples include:
- the use of PMl ‘s ‘project management plan’ instead of PRINCE2’s ‘PIO’
- the use of ‘project closure report’ instead of ‘end project report’
Care should be taken when changing management product names to ensure that they still reflect the intended PRINCE2 7 purpose.
Project lifecycles can comprise as many management stages as necessary to manage the risk associated with the project.
PRINCE2 7 does not prescribe the names of any of the management stages nor the number required, except that the lifecycle must contain at least two (referred to as the initiation stage and the delivery stage in this manual).
Who is responsible and where is tailoring documented?
The project manager is responsible for identifying and documenting the level of tailoring for the project.
Tailoring affects how a project is managed and so it is documented as part of the PIO, which is reviewed by the appropriate stakeholders and approved by the project board.
Both the project board and the project manager may be advised by project assurance, project support roles or a centre of excellence (if one exists).
Team managers may suggest to the project manager any tailoring which would help them manage their work packages more effectively.
Tailoring is constrained and influenced by context. The project processes and procedures should, when necessary, draw on the organization’s own internal policies, processes, methods, standards and practices.
Tailoring may need to take into account standards, policies, laws or regulations from outside the organization, including those relating to health, safety, sustainability and the environment.
In some regulated industries, such as rail or aerospace, mandatory certification points may determine the most appropriate project lifecycle and management stages to use.
The nature of the project itself influences how PRINCE2 should be tailored .
The competence of those working on the project (how familiar they are with project management practices) often drives the level of detailed guidance needed.
Contracts with customers or suppliers need to be taken into account when considering tailoring. The specialist products also have an influence, as specialists usually have their working practices (such as for agile delivery).
The project manager’s job is to integrate these so that the project’s outputs and outcomes will be delivered and benefits realized.
The project’s immediate context is relevant; for example, if it is part of a programme or a portfolio, the higher-level manager may provide processes, procedures, techniques or approaches for the project manager to follow.
For good governance, the chain of accountability from any higher level (organization, portfolio or programme) to the project level must be clear.
The tailoring guidance provided in this manual is not exhaustive, as the application of PRINCE2 7 is limitless.
Guidance is provided to illustrate things to consider and some example tactics that can be applied. Such guidance should not be interpreted as the definitive approach to tailoring as it is not specific to a particular project.
The practitioner should consider the pros and cons of the tailoring choices as they relate to their specific project circumstances and ensure that:
- tailoring complies with the PRINCE2 principles and any overriding corporate standards or policy
- tailoring does not increase the risk of failing to meet the project’s objectives
- the reasons for the tailoring choices are documented in the PID
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