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PRINCE2® 2017 Update: a good thing gets better

Blogposted by: David McCreery – trainer, consultant and project manager, Althris, 09 June 2017.

PRINCE2® 2017 Update: a good thing gets better

The focus on tailoring in the PRINCE2 2017 Update is about taking only what you and your project need to ensure the right approaches are in place for success.

David McCreeryThis idea of cutting the best practice guidance down to the size you require is a crucial and useful change to PRINCE2 this year.

I know this because when training people in PRINCE2 who are new to project management, they can overwhelmed by the level of documentation they think is necessary. However, the updated guidance is now clearer about not needing to “overcook” what you do with PRINCE2 – i.e. there’s really no necessity for a 30-page business case! That said, it’s still valuable to use checklists, for example to assess whether you have the right communications approach applied.

Another key thing in the Update is the way its new structure offers a real opportunity to take the principles of PRINCE2 and apply them more broadly and make it easier for people to see how the guidance will work in their organizations. Yes, it suggests possible processes but based on keeping the principles in mind.

In addition, the new PRINCE2 exam is much clearer, with a greater emphasis on the practical application of the guidance.

Making a good thing better

In an “Agile” world, there is a risk that professionals begin to ignore some necessary best practice approaches. We still need those approaches and it’s mistake to just drop the lessons learned from established methods and frameworks.

That’s why it’s good that the PRINCE2 Update is building on an already well-established and proven method. Its strengths – such as having a Business Case and ensuring there are defined roles and responsibilities – are absolutely vital to project management success.

And with senior managers in organizations under pressure to develop new things more quickly in order to face competitive challenges (while doing more with less), PRINCE2 aligns well with the need for change programmes to choose the right projects to deliver organizational benefits.

Using PRINCE2 alongside other project management best practice

Aligning PRINCE2 with PMI’s PMP* project management certification is made even easier with the Update’s emphasis on tailoring. In fact, PMI’s PMBOK* is now looking increasingly to tailoring, which suggests a recognition that flexibility and going back to principles are the key drivers for success.

And the PRINCE2 Update is now even better for agile practitioners: we’re seeing a lot of projects now that need both a strong project management method and agile delivery. The tailoring emphasis allows better dovetailing between PRINCE2 and agile which is really important.

See our PRINCE2 and PRINCE2 2017 sections for more information.

Read more blog posts on the PRINCE2 2017 Update

PRINCE2® 2017 Update: an investment in you

PRINCE2® 2017 Update: aligning PRINCE2 with other best practice

PRINCE2® 2017 Update – tailoring project management for your organization

PRINCE2® 2017 Update – tailoring gets better results

PRINCE2® 2017 Update: making it easier to adopt PRINCE2

First impressions of PRINCE2® 2017

PRINCE2® 2017 Update – Training the Trainers

PRINCE2 2017 Update - right thing, right place, right time

PRINCE2 2017 – tailored for a changing project management world

*PMI, PMBOK and PMP are registered trade marks of Project Management Institute, Inc. PMI is not affiliated with AXELOS. PMI does not endorse any AXELOS Qualifications.

 

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