7 Principles
Not publishedof exam
Continued justificationLearn from experienceManage by stagesManage by exceptionFocus on productsTailor the method
7 Practices (ex-Themes)
Not publishedof exam
Business CaseOrganizingPlansQualityRiskIssuesProgress
7 Processes
Not publishedof exam
Starting UpDirectingInitiatingControlling a StageManaging Product DeliveryStage BoundaryClosing
People + Project Context
Not publishedof exam
People element (new)Integrated elementsPerformance targetsDelivery approachesTailoringKey definitions
Management Products + Roles
Not publishedof exam
BaselinesRecordsReportsProject BoardRolesPID
Quick Facts
- Exam
- PRINCE2 7 Foundation
- Body
- PeopleCert (AXELOS)
- Questions
- 60 multiple-choice
- Pass
- 36/60 = 60%
- Time
- 60 minutes
- Book
- Closed book
- Level
- Foundation
- Released
- September 2023
- Validity
- No expiry
Seven Principles
Justify, Learn, Roles, Stages, Exception, Products, Tailor
Continued justificationLearn from experienceRoles + relationshipsManage by stagesManage by exceptionFocus on productsTailor the method
Stages vs Exception
Manage by Stages
- Plan stage by stage
- Board authorizes each
- Control points
Manage by Exception
- Delegate within tolerance
- Escalate only breaches
- Saves Board time
Split work vs delegate
Seven Principles
- Continued justification
- Viable start to finish
- Learn from experience
- Capture and apply lessons
- Roles + relationships
- Roles, responsibilities, relationshipsv7
- Manage by stages
- Plan, review each stage
- Manage by exception
- Escalate only past tolerance
- Focus on products
- Define products before work
- Tailor the method
- Adapt to project context
Seven Practices
Business, Organizing, Plans, Quality, Risk, Issues, Progress
Business CaseOrganizingPlansQualityRiskIssuesProgress
Themes vs Practices
Themes (v6)
- PRINCE2 6 term
- Seven themes
- No People element
Practices (v7)
- PRINCE2 7 term
- Same seven aspects
- Renamed in 2023
Themes were renamed Practices
Seven Practices
- Business Case
- Why: is it justified?
- Organizing
- Who: roles and structure
- Plans
- How, when, how much
- Quality
- What: fit for purpose
- Risk
- Manage threats and opportunities
- Issues
- Manage changes and problems
- Progress
- Track, control, report status
Process Order
SU DP IP CS MP SB CP
SU: Starting UpDP: DirectingIP: InitiatingCS: Controlling StageMP: Managing DeliverySB: Stage BoundaryCP: Closing
Which Process When
- Before the project→Starting Up (SU)(Viable?)
- Board must decide→Directing (DP)(Authority)
- Lay the foundation→Initiating (IP)(PID)
- Manage current stage→Controlling a Stage(PM)
- Create the products→Managing Delivery (MP)(Team)
- Stage nearly complete→Stage Boundary (SB)(Plan next)
- Project is finished→Closing (CP)(Hand over)
- Exception Plan needed→Stage Boundary (SB)(Board request)
Seven Processes
- Starting Up (SU)
- Is it worthwhile?Pre-project
- Directing (DP)
- Board key decisions
- Initiating (IP)
- Create the PID
- Controlling a Stage (CS)
- PM daily control
- Managing Delivery (MP)
- Team builds products
- Stage Boundary (SB)
- Plan next stage
- Closing (CP)
- Confirm and hand over
Tolerance and Exception
- Within tolerance→PM continues(No escalation)
- Forecast beyond tolerance→Raise Exception Report(PM → Board)
- Board reviews exception→Directing (DP)(Decide)
- Replan requested→Exception Plan(Via SB)
- Stage tolerance issue→PM tells Board(Highlight)
- Work Package issue→Team tells PM(Checkpoint)
Performance Targets
Benefits, Cost, Time, Quality, Scope, Sustainability, Risk
BenefitsCostTimeQualityScopeSustainability (new)Risk
People Element
- Capable people
- Right skills, competenciesNew v7
- Leading teams
- Leadership vs management
- Communication
- Clear, timely messaging
- Stakeholder engagement
- Identify, analyse, involve
- Change management
- Adopt organizational change
- Culture
- Behaviours and mindset
Five Integrated Elements
- Principles
- 7 guiding obligations
- People
- New v7 elementNew
- Practices
- 7 aspects (ex-themes)
- Processes
- 7 lifecycle steps
- Project Context
- Adapt to environment
- Must integrate
- All five work together
Seven Performance Targets
- Benefits
- Measurable improvements
- Cost
- Budget tolerance
- Time
- Schedule and deadlines
- Quality
- Standards, acceptance criteria
- Scope
- Products in project
- Sustainability
- New v7 targetNew v7
- Risk
- Uncertainty exposure
Key Definitions
- Output
- A delivered product
- Outcome
- Result of using output
- Benefit
- Measurable improvement
- Tolerance
- Allowed deviation before escalation
- Work Package
- Work assigned to team
- Mgmt vs specialist
- Controls vs deliverables
- 3 approaches
- Predictive, agile, hybridDelivery
Baseline vs Record
Baseline
- Approved, version-controlled
- Change controlled
- PID, Business Case
Record
- Living log
- No version control
- Risk Register
Fixed vs living
Which Management Product
- Justify the project→Business Case(Baseline)
- Define whole project→PID(Baseline)
- Update the Board→Highlight Report(Report)
- Team reports to PM→Checkpoint Report(Report)
- Forecast a breach→Exception Report(Report)
- Track project risks→Risk Register(Record)
- Log changes, problems→Issue Register(Record)
- Review stage end→End Stage Report(Report)
Baseline Products
- Business Case
- Justifies the project
- PID
- Project Initiation Documentation
- Project Brief
- Outline from start-up
- Project Product Desc.
- Overall acceptance criteria
- Plans
- Project, stage, team, exception
- Benefits Mgmt Approach
- How benefits measured
- 4 Approaches
- Risk, quality, change, comms
PM vs Team Manager
Project Manager
- Runs the project
- Assigns Work Packages
- Highlight Reports
Team Manager
- Builds products
- Managing Product Delivery
- Checkpoint Reports
Manage vs make products
Records (Living Logs)
- Daily Log
- PM informal diary
- Lessons Log
- Lessons captured live
- Issue Register
- Formal issues tracked
- Risk Register
- Risks and responses
- Quality Register
- Quality checks logged
- Config Item Records
- Product status info
Highlight vs Checkpoint
Highlight Report
- PM to Board
- Stage progress
- Regular timing
Checkpoint Report
- Team to PM
- Work Package progress
- Agreed frequency
To Board vs to PM
Reports (Snapshots)
- Checkpoint Report
- Team to PMTeam → PM
- Highlight Report
- PM to BoardPM → Board
- End Stage Report
- Stage results, next plan
- End Project Report
- Closure performance summary
- Exception Report
- Forecast tolerance breach
- Lessons Report
- Lessons for future
User vs Supplier
Senior User
- Represents users
- Specifies benefits
- Accepts products
Senior Supplier
- Represents suppliers
- Provides resources
- Delivers technically
Uses output vs builds
Project Roles
- Executive
- Owns Business Case; accountableOne person
- Senior User
- Represents users, benefits
- Senior Supplier
- Represents suppliers, resources
- Project Board
- Executive + users + suppliers
- Project Manager
- Day-to-day management
- Team Manager
- Builds specialist products
- Project Assurance
- Board independent check
- Change Authority
- Approves changes in tolerance
Common Traps
Practices, not themes
v7 renamed themes ≠ Practices is current
Highlight vs Checkpoint
Highlight: PM to Board ≠ Checkpoint: Team to PM
Exception is not everything
Escalate past tolerance ≠ Not report all
Six vs seven targets
v7 added sustainability ≠ Now seven targets
PID is not Brief
Brief from start-up ≠ PID from initiating
Records vs reports
Records: living logs ≠ Reports: point-in-time
Executive owns Business Case
One Executive, not PM ≠ Owns justification
Last Minute
- 1.Elements: principles, people, practices, processes, context
- 2.7 principles, 7 practices, 7 processes
- 3.Practices = renamed v6 themes
- 4.People element is new (v7)
- 5.60 questions, 60 minutes, closed book
- 6.Pass = 36/60 = 60%
- 7.7 targets: sustainability is new
- 8.Highlight = PM to Board
- 9.Checkpoint = Team to PM
- 10.Exception = escalate past tolerance
- 11.Executive owns the Business Case
- 12.Baseline controlled; record is living
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