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Blog posted by: Marisa Silva– co-author, PRINCE2 7, 23 November 2023.

Scenarios designed to illustrate how a best practice method like PRINCE2 works in reality are more than painting an idealised picture of projects at work. 

And though the idea of scenarios isn’t entirely new, the way these latest iterations have been developed is more in keeping with the variety of projects that organizations – private and public – are undertaking. I like to think of them as stories that will both bring colour to what people learn and, for new or inexperienced learners, will take the fear out of embarking on projects.

The latest edition of PRINCE2 includes scenarios that reflect the collective experience of the authors and aim to help project managers understand how theory applies to real-life projects. As they are based on reality and explain how different concepts can be applied, they truly reflect theory in practice.

Recognizing that every company and project is different

It’s important to acknowledge that all companies have different types of realities and project stages, so the scenarios have been carefully selected to give a broad base of learning. They also reflect the different states of company maturity and how project progression and planning is influenced by that.

The scenarios also look at a varied set of sectors to show how PRINCE2 7 can be applied to meet different industry nuances such as regulatory obligations. Plus, they consider how project benefits and outcomes will vary, e.g., from financial gain for a company with shareholders to societal value for NGOs.

What I think is most useful is the way the new scenarios help to bring perspective to projects and how they are run. While there are universal principles in the PRINCE2 method, there are no universal projects – every project is different and will require different approaches. By using scenarios that reflect the world businesses operate in today, we can demonstrate how different frameworks such as Agile or DevOps can be applied alongside PRINCE2 7. 

A versatile toolkit for every occasion

In effect, the scenarios highlight to project managers that PRINCE2 7 is a toolkit they can rely on to define the best fit approach to delivering a project. No matter the complexity, scale and maturity of an organization, PRINCE2 7 can be applied and adapted to suit the challenges ahead and the business culture and structure.

Most of all, I think the scenarios will bring clarity and help project managers define the value they can bring to a project and an organization. Their skill will be to co-ordinate the moving parts but also bring perspective and help teams answer questions like: When is a good time to delegate? What are the trade-offs to meet sustainability goals? How should a team be set up? What are the most sensible planning horizons? How important is quality? What is the best way to define roles and responsibilities?

That’s an exciting prospect. Using this latest version of PRINCE2, project managers can learn from those experienced in integrating best practice, become confident advocates for best practice and deliver positive outcomes.