PRINCE2™ For Dummies®	1
	About the Author	7
	Dedication	9
	Author’s Acknowledgements	9
	Contents at a Glance	11
	Table of Contents	13
	Introduction	23
	About This Book	23
	Foolish Assumptions	24
	How This Book Is Organised	24
	Icons Used in This Book	26
	Where to Go from Here	26
	Part I: How PRINCE2 Can Help You	27
	Chapter 1: So What’s a Project Method and Why Do I Need to Use One?	29
	Getting the Low-Down on PRINCE2	30
	Giving You Some Facts about Projects	30
	Making Your Life Easier with PRINCE2	34
	Clearing Up Some Misunderstandings about PRINCE2	35
	Working Through Your Project	36
	Chapter 2: Outlining the Structure of PRINCE2	37
	Getting to Know the Process Model	38
	Introducing the Themes	42
	Working in Line with the Principles	45
	Appreciating the Six Control Variables	46
	Fitting in Project Techniques	47
	Putting It All Together	47
	Chapter 3: Getting Real Power from PRINCE2	49
	Understanding the Problems	49
	Remembering that PRINCE2 Is a Tool	50
	Getting the Power: Adjustment	52
	Fitting PRINCE2 to the Project	56
	Taking It Seriously: Being Professional	60
	Part II: Working Through Your Project	61
	Chapter 4: Checking the Idea Before You Start	63
	Understanding ‘Starting Up a Project’	63
	Seeing Why You Really Need Start Up	64
	Getting Start Up Done Fast	65
	Starting Up Start Up – a Mandate	66
	Filling Project Roles	67
	Creating the Daily Log	72
	Learning Lessons from the Past	73
	Checking the Project’s Viability	74
	Checking the Approach and Writing the Project Brief	77
	Planning the Planning: Initiation	85
	Deciding to Plan in Detail – or Not	87
	Chapter 5: Planning the Whole Project: Initiation	89
	Getting to Grips with Initiating a Project	90
	Understanding Why You Need Plans	91
	Looking at What’s in the PID	92
	Getting Strategic	93
	Deciding on Controls	104
	Planning Your Project	107
	Working on the Business Case	108
	Preparing for the First Delivery Stage	109
	Fitting PRINCE2 to the Project	110
	Writing the Extra Bits of the PID	110
	Putting the PID Together	111
	Looking at How You Use the PID	112
	Chapter 6: Preparing for a Stage in the Project	115
	Understanding the Process of ‘Managing a Stage Boundary’	116
	Providing Key Information at End Stage	117
	Triggering an End Stage	118
	Planning the Next Stage	120
	Building an Exception Plan	122
	Updating Project Documents and Plans	123
	Checking the Business Case	126
	Preparing an End Stage Report	127
	Asking for Sign-Off and Authority to Proceed with the Next Stage	129
	Chapter 7: Controlling a Stage	131
	Understanding the Process Controlling a Stage	131
	Controlling the Flow of Work to Teams	133
	Dealing with Risks and Issues	135
	Monitoring and Progress Reporting	137
	Correcting a Stage or Reporting an Exception	140
	Chapter 8: Building the Deliverables	143
	Understanding the Process Managing Product Delivery	143
	Unpacking the Work Package	145
	Building the Work Package Products	149
	Chapter 9: Finishing the Project	153
	Closing a Project	154
	Planning the Planned Closure	155
	Planning a Premature Closure	156
	Handing Over the Final Product(s)	157
	Reviewing How the Project Went	159
	Recommending Closure	164
	Chapter 10: Running Effective Project Boards	167
	Introducing the Process Directing a Project	167
	Understanding Five Key Responsibilities for the Project Board	168
	Taking Individual Responsibility	171
	Taking Joint Responsibility	172
	Deciding the Level of Control	174
	Giving Advice When Asked	180
	Getting Involved at Specific Points	180
	Part III: Help with PRINCE2 Project Management	189
	Chapter 11: Producing and Updating the Business Case	191
	Understanding Two Key Documents	192
	Knowing Who’s Responsible for the Business Case	192
	Justifying the Project	192
	Keeping It Current: A ‘Living Document’	195
	Getting Help When It Gets Complicated	196
	Dealing with Organisational Finance	198
	Writing a Business Case	199
	Checking If a Benefit Really Is a Benefit	203
	Being Sure That You Can Deliver	204
	Actually Measuring Benefits Delivery	206
	Chapter 12: Deciding Roles and Responsibilities	209
	Getting the Right People Involved	209
	Understanding PRINCE2 Management	210
	Structuring the Organisation of PRINCE2	214
	The PRINCE2 Project Management Team	215
	Examining the Project Board	216
	Looking at Project Assurance	221
	Understanding Organisational Assurance	224
	Changing Things – Board Authority	225
	Getting to Know the Project Manager	225
	Considering Team Manager(s)	227
	Knowing How Project Support Helps	228
	Chapter 13: Managing Project Quality	231
	Product Planning with Quality Built In	232
	Taking Quality Seriously, Very Seriously	232
	Specifying Criteria for Project Acceptance	234
	Writing a Quality Management Strategy	235
	Planning Stage- (and Team-) Level Quality	238
	Controlling and Auditing Quality	238
	Checking Products with Quality Review	241
	Recording Quality	243
	Chapter 14: Planning the Project, Stages and Work Packages	245
	Thinking about the Planning	246
	Planning with Products	248
	Moving On to Activity Planning	261
	Estimating – the Easy Bit	262
	Scheduling and Resourcing	263
	Checking Risk	269
	Explaining the Plan	270
	Planning at Three Levels	272
	Chapter 15: Managing Project Risk	275
	Starting with the Basics: What Is Risk?	276
	Managing the Risk Budget	280
	Using a Risk Cycle	281
	Managing Risk with the Risk Procedure	282
	Identifying Risk	283
	Implementing the Risk Responses	293
	Communicating Information About Risk	294
	Registering a Risk . . . or Not	295
	Safely Leaving Out Risk Management	296
	Chapter 16: Controlling Change and Versions	297
	Allowing Change, but Not Scope Creep	298
	Defining a Project Issue	299
	Categorising Issues	299
	Handling an Issue	302
	Understanding Authority Levels	307
	Controlling Versions – Configuration Management	309
	Deciding How Much CM to Do	309
	Writing the Configuration Management Strategy	310
	Keeping CM Information on Products	312
	Additional CI Information	314
	Seeing that CM Is a Different Control	315
	Chapter 17: Monitoring Progress and Setting Up Effective Controls	317
	Controlling at Different Levels	317
	Reporting: Time-Driven Controls	318
	Using the Event-Driven Controls	319
	Ordering Project Closure at Any Time	321
	Managing ‘By Exception’	322
	Specifying the Limits: Tolerances	322
	Reporting Projections Outside of Tolerance: Exception	327
	Using Tolerance at Different Levels	329
	Monitoring Progress and Controlling Projects	330
	Looking for Financial Controls	331
	Part IV: The Part of Tens	333
	Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Make PRINCE2 Work Well	335
	Staying Flexible – Using PRINCE2 Differently	335
	Keeping the Documentation Down	336
	Making PRINCE2 a Standard	337
	Insisting on PRINCE2	337
	Training People in PRINCE2	338
	Implementing Project Assurance	338
	Actually Doing the Benefit Reviews	339
	Maintaining Product Planning	339
	Using the Product Checklist	340
	Keeping the Plans Up To Date	340
	Chapter 19: Ten Tips for a Good Business Case	341
	Measuring Benefits – Wherever You Can	341
	Understanding that Some Projects Don’t Have Benefits	342
	Reviewing the Business Case Regularly	343
	Being Prudent (1)	344
	Being Prudent (2)	344
	Owning the Business Case	344
	Aligning the Business Case with Corporate Requirements	344
	Standing Firm on the Figures	345
	Updating the Business Case During Stages	345
	Thinking ‘Business Case’ in Issue Handling	346
	Chapter 20: Ten Things for Successful Project Assurance	347
	Making Sure You Do It	347
	Being Flexible about Assurance	348
	Selecting Experienced People	349
	Avoiding List Tickers	349
	Steering Clear of Nit-Pickers	350
	Working Co-operatively	350
	Separating Assurance and Support	350
	Being Careful When Using Other Project Managers	350
	Getting Project Board Ownership	351
	Being Clear on What You’re Assuring	351
	Part V: Appendices	353
	Appendix A: Looking into PRINCE2 Qualifications	355
	Choosing PRINCE2 Training	355
	Looking at Sample Papers	356
	The Foundation Exam	356
	The Practitioner Exam	356
	Staying Up to Date	358
	Getting Qualified and Locating Exams	358
	Getting Help with the Exams	358
	Answers to the Sample Questions	358
	Appendix B: Glossary of the Main PRINCE2 Terms	359
	Index	373