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Public Consultation Report Issue Date: 27 June 2007 Author: Andy Murray, Lead Author PRINCE2 Refresh © The Stationery Office 2007 © The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 1 of 29 Author: Andy Murray
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Page 1: Public Consultation Report

Public Consultation Report

Issue Date: 27 June 2007

Author: Andy Murray, Lead Author PRINCE2 Refresh

© The Stationery Office 2007

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 1 of 24Author: Andy Murray

Page 2: Public Consultation Report

1 Contents

1 Contents.........................................................................................................................2

2 Executive Summary........................................................................................................3

3 The PRINCE2 Landscape.................................................................................................4

3.1 OGC’s PPRM Portfolio...........................................................................................4

3.2 A De-Facto Standard...........................................................................................5

3.3 Official Publications.............................................................................................6

3.4 Qualifications.......................................................................................................6

4 Reason for Change.........................................................................................................8

4.1 The World Hasn’t Stood Still................................................................................8

4.2 Scope for the ‘PRINCE2 Refresh’.........................................................................8

4.3 OGC Requirements..............................................................................................8

5 Consultation Process......................................................................................................9

5.1 Activities..............................................................................................................9

5.2 Stakeholder Coverage.........................................................................................9

6 Summary of Feedback..................................................................................................10

6.1 Essential Elements............................................................................................10

6.2 Dislikes..............................................................................................................11

6.3 Suggested Improvements / What is Missing?....................................................12

6.4 Issue Log...........................................................................................................12

7 Conclusions..................................................................................................................14

7.1 General..............................................................................................................14

7.2 Consideration for Change..................................................................................15

8 Next Steps....................................................................................................................16

Appendix A. Contributors.........................................................................................................17

Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................17

Contributor Profile........................................................................................................19

Appendix B. References...........................................................................................................21

Appendix C. Glossary...............................................................................................................22

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 2 of 24Author: Andy Murray

Page 3: Public Consultation Report

2 Executive SummaryPRINCE2 is often cited as the world’s most widely used project management method. Its success is largely due to it being non-proprietary but also due to the ability of organisations to apply it to a variety of industries, environments and project sizes. Since its launch in 1996, industry and society have not stood still. Today's pace of change and level of connectedness mean project managers face challenges today that simply did not exist in 1996.

To keep up-to-date with such challenges, the PRINCE2 manual is regularly reviewed for fitness and updated in controlled releases. The manual was last updated in May 2005 and is due a refresh as part of the Commercial Activities Re-tender (CAR) agreement between OGC (the owners) and its publishing partner (TSO) and accreditation partner (APM Group).

The Refresh Project started in November 2006 with a six month period of public consultation. The public consultation comprised of:

Reviewing the Issues Log

A series of workshops/focus groups facilitated by the Best Practice User Group (BPUG)

‘Champion’ interviews of key users

A series of surveys.

More than 170 organisations and individuals provided feedback as part of the consultation process. Analysis of the feedback shows a general consensus for change:

Reduce the size of the manual and improve the style of language (more guidance less instruction)

Make it more accessible (for example by embracing new media)

Integrate with other OGC products

Show linkage to other methods and bodies of knowledge

Provide more guidance on scaling and tailoring (particularly for smaller projects)

Include (or reference) the soft aspects of Project Management (e.g. people management, change management, ‘fuzzy’ requirements)

Training/qualifications should focus on the application of PRINCE2 rather than knowledge of PRINCE2.

The analysis also identified that numerous issues and suggestions for change are already addressed by the method indicating a gap between perception and fact.

This report will be used as input to the Reference Group meeting where a Mandate for Change will be drafted for Project Board approval.

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 3 of 24Author: Andy Murray

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3 The PRINCE2 Landscape

3.1 OGC’s PPRM Portfolio

The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) owns a portfolio of Programme, Project and Risk Management (PPRM) Best Practice guidance and standards:

PRINCE2 - for project management;

Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) – for programme management;

Management of Risk (M_o_R®) – for risk management.

The Portfolio contains the core guidance for each of these standards, together with various other related products, for example maturity models and the complementary portfolio designed to support the more stable core with products that are more agile/fluid for example aligning PRINCE2 with other frameworks. The Portfolio is maintained and delivered through commercial arrangements including accreditation, qualifications and publishing services.

The guidance and standards are widely used by the UK public and private sector, and international organisations. OGC’s primary objective in maintaining this Portfolio is to ensure that these products continue to support the UK public sector in the successful and efficient delivery of their strategies, programmes, projects and operations. However, OGC recognise that these standards have a wider audience and generic application, which remains important.

Figure 1 - PPRM landscape

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 4 of 24Author: Andy Murray

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3.2 A De-Facto Standard

PRINCE2 was launched in 1996 and has since become the most widely used project management method worldwide. By the beginning of 2007 there were more than 200,000 certified Project Managers who had sat and passed the PRINCE2 practitioner exam.

PRINCE2 is now more than a just manual. When people say “we are using PRINCE2” they do not mean that they are using the manual. They mean that they direct, manage or participate on a project, which follows (some of) the processes, components and techniques embodied in the manual. PRINCE2 has become ‘a way’ of delivering projects. It has become a community, comprising:

The UK Government (it is owned by the Office of Government Commerce – OGC)

A documented method (the manual, now in its 4th edition), available in several languages

An official publisher (The Stationery Office - TSO), with a range of supporting publications

An accreditation body (The APM Group)

120+ accredited training organisations, providing training around the globe in 17 languages

15+ accredited consulting organisations

Software tools (52 tools supporting PRINCE2 were listed in the last PM Software Tool sourcebook)

An official user group (The Best Practice User Group – BPUG) and numerous others covering more than 10 countries

Several online discussion forums dedicated to PRINCE2

More than 1.3 million pages on the world-wide-web which reference PRINCE2; much more than any other method.

While the PRINCE2 manual is owned and maintained by the UK Government, several other governments are now recommending its use and it has been adopted by The United Nations Development Program as part of their global framework for managing projects. Its use extends beyond Governments and institutions as it has been adopted by the private sector with some vigour. PRINCE2 has also moved beyond its IT origin and is used for R&D projects, construction projects, product development projects, marketing projects, business transformation projects and many more.

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 5 of 24Author: Andy Murray

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3.3 Official Publications

The following are PRINCE2 publications published by TSO:

Title Format Core Product

Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 Book, CD-ROM, PDF, Online

Yes

Passing the PRINCE2 Examinations CD-ROM, Book

PRINCE2 For the Project Executive Book

Business Benefits through Programme and Project Management Book Yes

PRINCE2 Pocket book Book Yes

Tailoring PRINCE2 Book Yes

People Issues and PRINCE2 Book Yes

Improving Performance Using PRINCE2 Maturity Model (new) Book

For Successful Project Management: Think PRINCE2 (new) Book Yes

Agile Project Management: Running PRINCE2 Projects with DSDM Atern (new)

Book

Figure 2 - TSO Publications

There are also numerous supporting publications from other authors and publishers (at the time of this report Amazon listed 45 PRINCE2 related publications). PRINCE2 books also hold the top 3 positions in Amazon’s best-seller list for project management.

3.4 Qualifications

There are two qualifications available, administered by The APM Group, as OGC’s commercial partner for Accreditation Services.

Exams can be taken at a public centre or as part of a course run by an Accredited Training Organisation (ATO). Certificates are valid for up to 5 years.

The number of candidates taking the exams has increased year on year (with around 1,000 per week taking the exams).

3.4.1 Foundation Certificate

The exam is closed-book and comprises a multi-choice paper of 75 questions which must be answered within one hour.

The certificate holder is able to act as an informed member of a project management team using the PRINCE2 method within a project environment supporting PRINCE2.

To this end they need to show they understand the principles and terminology of the method, specifically, candidates must be able to:

Describe the purpose and major content of all roles, the eight components, the eight processes and the sub-processes, and the techniques.

State which management products are input to, and output from the eight processes.

State the main purpose, and key contents, of the major management products.

State the relationships between processes, deliverables, roles and the management dimensions of a project.

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 6 of 24Author: Andy Murray

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3.4.2 Practitioner Certificate

The exam is open-book and comprises 3 scenario based questions which must be answered within three hours. It will soon be transitioning to a multi-choice paper.

The certificate holder is able to apply PRINCE2 to the running and managing of a project within an environment supporting PRINCE2.

To this end they need to exhibit the competence required for the Foundation qualification, and show that they can apply and tune PRINCE2 to address the needs and problems of a specific project scenario, specifically, candidates must be able to:

Produce detailed explanations of all processes, components and techniques, and worked examples of all PRINCE2 products as they might be applied to address the particular circumstances of a given project scenario.

Show they understand the relationships between processes, components, techniques and PRINCE2 products and can apply this understanding.

Demonstrate that they understand the reasons behind the processes, components and techniques of PRINCE2, and that they understand the principles underpinning these elements.

Demonstrate their ability to tune PRINCE2 to different project circumstances.

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 7 of 24Author: Andy Murray

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4 Reason for Change

4.1 The World Hasn’t Stood Still

OGC’s commercial partners TSO (publication services) and The APM Group (accreditation services) are committed to the continuous improvement of the PPRM products as part of their commercial agreements.

While the PRINCE2 manual is on its 7th impression, there have only been two major updates (in 2002 and 2005). Both of these updates were in response to issues raised via the official Issue Log. The updates were mainly corrections to the manual, clarifications and a few incremental improvements. The method remained largely unchanged.

The emergence of Agile and iterative approaches to project management and EPSRC funded research by Dr Mark Winter and Charles Smith (Rethinking Project Management, Ref [11] ) indicates that some aspects of traditional project management concepts do not serve the challenges facing today’s projects (e.g. projects can have multiple purposes which are permeable, contestable and open to negotiation).

Methods of publication have moved on too. There is an appetite from both the users and the publisher to expand the ways in which people access the PRINCE2 suite of information.

Therefore the remit for this refresh goes beyond reviewing the current Issues Log but also to solicit wider feedback and requirements from the user community and other interested parties.

4.2 Scope for the ‘PRINCE2 Refresh’

The primary scope of the PRINCE2 Refresh is to update the PRINCE2 method as embodied in the manual and supporting core publications (refer to 3.3).

However, a significant proportion of the feedback received is on training and qualifications, therefore they are included in this report.

Additionally, user feedback indicates that there is a widely held perception that PRINCE2 is bureaucratic, is difficult to scale down for small projects and is often poorly applied. Such issues are not unique to PRINCE2 and often apply to the implementation and application of any method. But given the volume of feedback in this area, they are also included.

While feedback in the above two areas are included in this report, they may only be partly addressed through refreshing the publications. Other initiatives may be required.

4.3 OGC Requirements

OGC has requested that the updated method should still be recognisable as PRINCE2. Therefore the consultation also sought feedback on what is regarded as the essential elements of PRINCE2 (i.e. if these were changed or removed the resultant method would no longer be PRINCE2).

Additionally, OGC’s test of ‘fitness for purpose’ for the update to PRINCE2 will be:

Does it still reflect current global good/best practice in PPRM?

Does the content remain generic enough to be of value to both OGC’s key customers in the public sector and those in the wider marketplace?

Are the standards still a suitable basis for the supporting qualifications?

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 8 of 24Author: Andy Murray

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5 Consultation Process

5.1 Activities

The consultation process comprised:

Reviewing the Issues Log

A series of workshops/focus groups facilitated by the Best Practice User Group (BPUG)

‘Champion’ interviews of key users

A series of surveys.

User feedback has been captured on an ongoing basis via the PRINCE2 Issue Log (previously hosted on BPUG’s website www.usergroup.org.uk and now hosted by TSO’s www.best-management-practice.com/ChangeLog . The Issue Log contained 252 items relating to the current version of PRINCE2. An OGC appointed Change Control Panel (CCP) reviewed the Issue Log and requested that 120 entries are addressed as part of the Refresh Project. A further 48 entries are tagged as publishing issues which may or may not need correcting depending on whether the specific diagram or piece of text is carried forward into the next version.

The consultation process started in November 2006 at the BPUG conference in Stoke-on-Trent (UK), where attendees were invited to provide feedback on what they considered to be PRINCE2’s essential elements, their dislikes and what they thought was missing. A further four workshops were held London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Holland. In total more than 60 organisations participated in the workshops.

OGC appointed a number of champions who interviewed the following organisations: British Library, City of Edinburgh Council, Manchester City Council, National Policing Improvement Agency, Scottish Executive, Sun Microsystems Inc, Teesdale District Council and UNDP.

Additionally feedback was sought via a number of questionnaires (online and via email) to which more than 50 organisations responded.

5.2 Stakeholder Coverage

Stakeholder How included

Academia Surveys, Reference Group

Accreditation Body (APM Group)

Project Board

Consulting Providers (ACOs) Workshops, Surveys, Review Group

Central Government Project Board, Workshops, Surveys, Reference Group, Review Group

Local Government Workshops, Champion Interviews, Review Group

NGOs Champion Interview, Reference Group

Private Sector Surveys, Workshops, Review Group, Reference Group

Professional Associations (APM, PMI)

Reference Group, Review Group

Publisher (TSO) Project Board

Standards Bodies (BSI) Reference Group

Tool Vendors Workshops, Surveys

Training Providers (ATOs) Workshops, Surveys, Review Group

Figure 3 - PRINCE2 Stakeholders

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 9 of 24Author: Andy Murray

Page 10: Public Consultation Report

6 Summary of Feedback

6.1 Essential Elements

Respondents were asked what they considered to be the essential elements of PRINCE2, such that if they were removed it would no longer be PRINCE2. It was an open question (no choices were offered).

The chart below shows the percentage of respondents who listed that area of PRINCE2 as (one of) their Essential Elements. The chart indicates that there is a wide spread of opinion with 30 different ‘essentials’ offered by those who responded (the ‘other’ column representing 16 categories scoring less than 2%).

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

Produc

t Bas

ed A

ppro

ach

Roles (i

ncl P

oject

Boa

rds)

Proce

sses

Stage

sPID

Busin

ess C

ase

Man

agem

ent b

y Exc

eptio

n

Inte

grated

App

roac

h to

Quali

ty

Flexibilit

y / S

calab

ility

Risk M

anag

emen

t

Produc

t Out

lines

/ Tem

plates

Work

Packa

ges

Owners

hip b

y OGC

Reporti

ng (h

ighlig

ht, c

heck

point

)

Other

Figure 4 – Essential element by % of respondents

Many people felt that the product based approach is what separates PRINCE2 from other methods. Feedback also indicated that the process of describing the project’s outputs in a manner that can easily be verified is highly valued, especially when translating intangible outcomes into tangible deliverables. The Product Outlines are also liked as it enables common understanding of what each management product should contain without prescribing its format.

A majority of people who suggested ‘roles’ as the essential element also added that the governance framework provided by having a Project Board was important.

A significant proportion of people who suggested ‘processes’ as the essential element also commented that the start-up and closure processes were particularly important.

A significant proportion of people who suggested ‘stages’ added that it was the Stop/Go aspect of the End Stage Assessment that was important.

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 10 of 24Author: Andy Murray

Page 11: Public Consultation Report

6.2 Dislikes

Respondents were able to provide more than one ‘dislike’. The chart below shows the percentage of respondents who listed that area of PRINCE2 as (one of) their dislikes.

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

40.0%

45.0%

Man

ual inc

onsis

tenc

ies, r

epitit

ion, s

tyle

of la

nguag

e

Sub-p

roce

sses

Training

& Q

ualifi

catio

ns

Man

ual to

o big

Too m

uch

docu

men

tatio

n, pe

rceiv

ed b

urea

ucra

cy

PBP Tec

hnique

(and

PBS co

nventio

ns)

Robotic

Pro

ject M

anag

emen

t, ap

plied

too

rigidl

yPIN

O

Man

agem

ent P

rodu

cts a

s docu

men

ts

Lack

of b

enefits

man

agem

ent

Difficu

lt to

apply

to sm

all pro

jects

Assum

es pr

edet

ermin

ed o

bjecti

ves a

t beg

innin

g

Lack

of co

ntext

for s

uppli

ers

Techn

iques

(plann

ing an

d ch

ange

cont

rol)

Pre-o

cupa

tion

with th

e Bus

iness

Cas

e (ra

ther t

han

bene

fits)

No pro

gram

me c

onte

xt

Configur

ation

Man

agem

ent

Projec

t Boa

rds d

ifficu

lt

Other

Figure 5 – Dislike by % of respondents

There was a common theme, which ran across the top three dislikes: respondents felt that the detail in the sub-processes contain too much instruction. The consequences of this are:

PRINCE2’s key principles are hidden in the detail of the manual – making it a ‘heavy’ read

The sub-processes are often dropped or replaced when organisations implement PRINCE2

Examination syllabus has too much coverage on the low level linkages between sub-processes – students spend more time on learning the codification than on how it is applied in practice.

Many people commented that while the sub-processes elegantly provide PRINCE2’s flexibility, the lack of guidance on how to scale them means that those who need the guidance the most struggle to interpret the model.

The issues with ‘training and qualifications’ varied. Several respondents felt that the Foundation Exam was too easy and the Practitioner Exam was too hard. There was consistent opinion that holding a Practitioner Certificate is widely misconstrued as an indication of Project Management competence.

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 11 of 24Author: Andy Murray

Page 12: Public Consultation Report

The issues regarding Product Based Planning were partly to do with the techniques chapter being overly instructional but also because organisations struggle to apply the concept if the product is a public service rather than a physical product.

6.3 Suggested Improvements / What is Missing?

Respondents were able to provide more than one suggested improvement. The chart below shows the percentage of respondents who listed that area of PRINCE2 as (one of) their suggested improvements.

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

How to sc

ale

Inte

gratio

n with

MSP a

nd M

_o_R

Case S

tudie

s / h

ints & tip

s for im

perfe

ct sc

enar

ios

Soft a

spec

ts (e

.g. c

hang

e mgt

, sta

kehold

er m

gt)

On-lin

e re

sour

ces (

template

s, guid

es, lo

gs e

tc)

Assur

ance ch

eckli

sts by

stag

e (L

ink with

Gat

eway

)

Practi

cal g

uidan

ce o

n Pro

ject

Board

s

Relatio

nship b

etwee

n com

pone

nts,

proce

sses

and

pro

ducts

Benef

its M

anag

emen

t

Custom

er/S

uppli

er co

mm

ercia

l rela

tions

hip (p

rocu

rem

ent)

Training

bey

ond

prac

titione

r (CPD b

ased)

Link

to m

atur

ity m

odels

to h

elp em

bed th

e met

hod

A prin

ce-lit

e vers

ion

How to us

e with

oth

er m

etho

ds (R

AD, Six

Sigma,

Agil

e)

Need le

eson

s lea

rned

input

to a

pro

ject

Linka

ge to

oth

er B

oKs (

e.g.

APM

, PMI,

BS 607

9)

Use o

f data

base

s (e.g.

one

log

inste

ad o

f six)

Split t

he m

anua

l: (1)

why

and

wha

t (2)

How

Other

Figure 6 – suggested improvement as a % of respondents

The suggested improvements appear to focus mainly on the application and integration of PRINCE2 rather than changes to the method itself, for example linking to other OGC products (MSP, M_o_R, Gateway, Maturity Models), other methods (Agile, RAD, Six Sigma) and other Bodies of Knowledge (PMI and APM).

The suggestions to include guidance on how to scale the method was also accompanied by requests that scaling and tailoring should become part of the practitioner syllabus – there is a desire for more time spent training on how PRINCE2 is applied than on learning the relationships between the sub-processes.

Opinions are split as to whether PRINCE2 should include the softer aspects of project management or whether it should just reference them.

There were numerous suggestions (in some detail) for how the published media could be changed, ranging from how to split the manual into a set of books (like ITIL®) to how to provide more online and current content.

The requests for Assurance Checklists suggested that these should for significant points within the project (e.g. at start-up, at initiation, at end stage assessments and at closure).

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 12 of 24Author: Andy Murray

Page 13: Public Consultation Report

Additionally, the process of peer review (such as Gateway) at key points in a project’s lifecycle was also suggested.

The ‘other’ column also included several suggestions that the benefits of PRINCE2 simply needs to be sold better. In particular that benefit statements should be targeted at organisations rather than individuals.

6.4 Issue Log

Of the 252 entries in the Issue Log, the Change Control Panel has approved 120 of them for inclusion in the Refresh. The profile of the 120 approved changes are shown in Figure 7 - Number of Issues by Chapter.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Appen

dix A

- Pro

duct D

escr

iptio

n Outl

ines

17 -

Man

agem

ent o

f Risk

11 -

Plannin

g (PL)

23 -

Change

Con

trol T

echn

ique

22 -

Produc

t Base

d Plan

ning

Gener

al

4 - S

tartin

g Up

a Pro

ject (

SU)

7 - C

ontro

lling

a Sta

ge (C

S)

16 -

Contro

ls

8 - M

anag

ing P

rodu

ct D

elive

ry (M

P)

13 -

Busines

s Cas

e

5 - I

nitiatin

g a

Projec

t (IP

)

19 -

Configur

ation M

anage

men

t

9 - M

anag

ing S

tage

Bou

ndar

ies

14 -

Organ

isatio

n

15 -

Plans

20 -

Change

Con

trol

2 - A

n Int

roduc

tion

to P

RINCE2

18 -

Quality

in a

Pro

ject E

nviro

nmen

t

1 - I

ntrodu

ction

6 - D

irecti

ng a

Pro

ject (

DP)

10 -

Closin

g a

Projec

t (CP)

24 -

Quality

Rev

iew T

echniqu

e

Appen

dix E

- Pro

ject

Docum

ent M

anag

emen

t

Figure 7 - Number of Issues by Chapter

How each issue is addressed will depend on the approach to be taken for the overall refresh as some of them may become obsolete. For example the thirteen issues relating to Chapter 17 may not apply given that the next version of PRINCE2 will draw on the risk management philosophies, principles and processes from M_o_R. The issues will need to be reviewed and prioritised once the Scoping Document has been approved.

The eight ‘General’ issues were non-specific to any chapter. They include:

Add Stakeholder Management (3 entries)

Simplify the method

Add Contract Management

Show links between Components and Processes

Show the pre-requisites for using PRINCE2 (i.e. a Controlled Environment) with particular reference to P2MM

Add guidance on scalability.

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 13 of 24Author: Andy Murray

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7 Conclusions

7.1 General

The feedback is both positive and negative – there is a general acceptance that the positive aspects of PRINCE2 outweigh the negative aspects. Only one person was totally negative (and the comments indicated that it was through their perception of PRINCE2 rather than their understanding of PRINCE2).

Respondents provided plenty of suggestions for how the method can be improved, but given the level of positive feedback care should be taken not to change for the sake of change alone.

The feedback provides a general consensus for change:

Reduce the size of the manual and improve the style of language (more guidance less instruction)

Make it more accessible (for example by embracing new media)

Integrate with other OGC products

Show linkage to other methods and bodies of knowledge

Provide more guidance on scaling and tailoring (particularly for smaller projects)

Include (or reference) the soft aspects of Project Management (e.g. people management, change management, ‘fuzzy’ requirements)

Training/qualifications should focus on the application of PRINCE2 rather than knowledge of PRINCE2.

There are only two instances where one group’s “essential element” is another group’s “dislike”. These are Product Based Planning and Sub-processes.

There are two main issues with product based planning. The first is that many people find the PBP technique (chapter 22) too prescriptive, as it is instruction based. There is not an issue with PBP as a concept but the way in which it is described in the manual. The second issue is that organisations struggle to apply PBP to services. Both of these could be resolved through better explanation and guidance. Therefore the PBP ‘Dislikes’ can be resolved while maintaining PBP as an ‘Essential Element’.

The ‘Dislikes’ surrounding sub-processes would require their removal making it mutually exclusive with being an ‘Essential Element’.

Any proposed changes need to be considered in the context of OGC’s integrated PPRM. Therefore feedback relating to Risk Management, for example, may be superseded by the new M_o_R. PRINCE2 should not reinvent Risk Management but show how M_o_R is applied in a project context.

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 14 of 24Author: Andy Murray

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7.2 Consideration for Change

Area Issues Opportunities

Method Lack of integration with other PPRM products

Too much ‘instruction’ for a generic framework (particularly the sub-processes and techniques).

Confusion over Management Products and Project Documents.

Does not include soft aspects of project management.

Benefits management not addressed if PRINCE2 is not used in conjunction with MSP.

Does not handle ‘fuzzy’ start up.

Define position within the PM landscape – e.g. what PRINCE2 provides and what it does not. Clearer linkage to other aspects of project management.

Include assurance checklists and reference peer reviews as a best practice approach (e.g. Gateway).

Linkage to other methods (e.g Agile, Six Sigma).

Recognise the five challenges as defined in “Rethinking Project Management”.

Publication Style of language.

Inconsistencies.

Repetition.

Too big.

Make it more accessible (for example by embrace new media).

Consider splitting into a number of publications (targeted for each audience / purpose).

Case Studies.

Qualifications

Too much focus on learning the theoretical relationships between sub-processes than how the framework is applied in practice.

Misconception that Practitioner Certificate is an indication of general Project Management competence.

Practitioner syllabus to include tailoring and scaling.

Consider CPD.

Project Board training.

Use of Often treated as a rule book rather than a guide.

Can be followed blindly (project management by numbers).

PRINCE In Name Only (PINO) too common.

PBP difficult to apply to services.

Guidance on scaling/tailoring.

Guidance on embedding PRINCE2.

Guidance for Project Boards.

Guidance on Customer/Supplier commercial relationship (procurement).

Communication

Seen as an alternative to PMI’s PMBoK rather than as a complementary method.

Does not sell the benefit of using PRINCE2 (for the organisation).

Numerous issues captured through consultation process are already addressed by the method.

Perceived as bureaucratic.

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 15 of 24Author: Andy Murray

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8 Next StepsThe PRINCE2 Refresh Project will be managed using PRINCE2.

The next product will be a ‘Mandate For Change’ which will be based upon the contents of this report and the prioritised Issue Log.

The Mandate for Change will then be used to develop a Scoping Document, which will define the details for the approved changes.

The Scoping Document will be used to define the Authoring Work Packages, which will enable the Authoring Team to be appointed.

Role Responsibility Members

Project Board Approve the mandate for change. Sandra Lomax – Senior User (BPUG)

Anne-Marie Byrne – Executive (OGC)

Janine Eves – Senior Supplier (TSO)

Richard Pharro – Senior Supplier (APM Group)

Reference Group

(appointed by OGC by invitation)

Provides an advisory role to the Project Board.

Independent expert assurance to OGC that the core guidance and standards are ‘fit for purpose’.

Advice and direction to OGC on necessary development areas to ensure continued ‘fitness for purpose’.

Produce the ‘mandate for change’.

Rob Brace - DWP

Prof. Christophe Bredillet – ESC Lille

Terry Cooke Davies – Human Systems

Prof. Darren Dalcher – Middlesex University

Ruth Little - DTI

Dusty Miller – Sun Microsystems Inc

Steve Fahrenkrog - PMI

Beverley Webb - BSI

Bob Patterson - Fujitsu

Philip Rushbrook – Cabinet Office

Jens Wendel- UNDP

Review Group

(appointed by TSO by invitation)

Provides an advisory role to the Project Manager, Lead Author and Authoring Team.

Validates and approves the detailed Scoping Document.

Validates and approves the Authoring Work-packages.

Quality Reviews the draft publication(s).

Review Group has been invited and confirmation of acceptance is pending at the time of publication of this report

Change Control Panel

Review Issue Log and prioritise changes.

Confirms approved changes have satisfactorily been made.

Peter Johnson – OGC (Chair)

Colin Bentley, APMG, Chief Examiner

David Watson, Adt Partnership

Martin Rother, German User Group

Coos Groot, Italian User Group

Project Manager Manages the day-to-day operations of the project, recruits authors and reviewers.

Zoe Peden – TSO

Lead Author Assist with the creation of the Scoping Document.

Maintain the Architecture of the PRINCE2 Refresh.

Co-ordinate the team of authors.

Andy Murray - Outperform

Authoring Team Produce content. To be appointed

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 16 of 24Author: Andy Murray

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© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 17 of 24Author: Andy Murray

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Appendix A. Contributors

Acknowledgements

OGC wishes to thank and recognise the efforts of those organisations who contributed to the consultation process.

The British Library – stakeholder interview

BPUG – for hosting the Issues Log and facilitating workshops

The Dutch User Group – for facilitating workshops

City of Edinburgh Council - stakeholder interview

Manchester City Council - stakeholder interview

National Policing Improvement Agency - stakeholder interview

OffPAT (comprising membership from all the countries Regional Development Agencies and English Partnerships) – SWOT analysis

Teeside District Council - stakeholder interview

TSO – for hosting the online survey

Scottish Executive - stakeholder interview

Sun Microsystems - stakeholder interview

United Nations Development Programme - stakeholder interview.

The following councils also contributed via a PPM Improvement Framework survey:

Allerdale

Barrow

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council

Burnley Borough Council

Bury Metropolitan Borough Council

Carlisle City Council

Cheshire County Council

Chester City Council

Chorley Borough Council

Congleton Borough Council

Cumbria County Council

Eden

Ellesmere Port & Neston Borough Council

Fylde Borough Council

Halton Borough Council

Hyndburn Borough Council

Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Lancashire County Council

Lancaster City Council.

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 18 of 24Author: Andy Murray

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Additionally OGC would like to thank the individuals and organisations from around the world who took time to attend a workshop, participated in a survey (email/online) or contributed to the Issues Log.

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Contributor Profile

More than 170 organisations and people provided feedback on PRINCE2 either via the Issue Log, BPUG facilitated workshops, interviews or on-line surveys/email. The following charts provide the contributor profile where they were made available (around 60% of contributors).

Organisation - Types

77%

7%

12%1% 3%

User Training ProviderConsulting ProviderStudentTool Vendor

Organisation - Sectors

18%

18%61%

3%

Public Sector - CentralPublic Sector - LocalPrivate SectorNGO

Organisation - Size

37%

25%

38%

SmallMediumLarge

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 20 of 24Author: Andy Murray

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Respondent Role

31%

22%15%

25%

7%

Consultants/TrainersPMO/PSO/COEProgramme ManagersProject ManagersMisc

Geography

79%

21%

UKInternational

Feedback Type

41%

47%

12%

Focus GroupQuestionnaireInterviewed

Note:

A number of respondents were contractors/interim managers who have been tagged as ‘private sector’ and ‘small’. However, they may work for either private or public sector organisations and for organisations of varying size.

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 21 of 24Author: Andy Murray

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Appendix B. References

[1] Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2, ISBN 9780113309467

[2] Tailoring PRINCE2, ISBN 9780113308972

[3] Business Benefits through Programme and Project Management, ISBN 9780113310258

[4] People Issues and PRINCE2, ISBN 9780113308965

[5] PRINCE2 for the Project Executive: practical advice for achieving project governance, ISBN 9780113309672

[6] Managing Successful Programmes (MSP), ISBN 9780113309177

[7] Management of Risk: Guidance for Practitioners (M_o_R), ISBN 9780113310388

[8] Improving Performance Using the PRINCE2 Maturity Model, ISBN 9780113310319

[9] APM Body of Knowledge, 5th Edition, ISBN-1-903494-25-7

[10] A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge 3rd Edition (PMBoK Guide®), 9781930699458

[11] The Importance of ‘Process’ in Rethinking Project Management: The story of a UK Government-funded research network by Mark Winter, Charles Smith, Terry Cooke-Davies and Svetlana Cicmil, International Journal of Project Management, Volume 24, Number 8, pp650-662

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Appendix C. Glossary

Term Description

ACO An Accredited Consulting Organisation, assessed by APM Group in accordance with BE EN 45011, to consult in (some of) OGC’s PPRM products.

Agile Agile methods originated as an alternative to the traditional waterfall approach to defining, designing, developing and testing software. Agile methods use an iterative approach and emphasize realtime communication, preferably face-to-face, over written documents.

ATO An Accredited Training Organisation, assessed by APM Group in accordance with BE EN 45011, to train in (some of) OGC’s PPRM products.

APM Association for Project Management.

APMG The APM Group – the accreditation body for PRINCE2.

BoK Body of Knowledge, e.g. APM’s BoK.

BPUG™ Best Practice User Group.

BS 6079 A suite of standards which includes BS6079-1:2002 A Guide to Project Management and BS 6079-2:200 Project Management Vocabulary among others.

CCP Change Control Panel – the group responsible for reviewing and prioritising the contents of the PRINCE2 Issue Log.

Gateway An independent assurance reviews that occur at key decision points within the lifecycle of a programme or project. Also an abbreviation for The OGC Gateway™, the process for conducting independent assurance reviews.

OGC Office of Government Commerce – the owners of PRINCE2.

M_o_R® Management of Risk: Guidance for Practitioners.

MSP Managing Successful Programmes.

NGO Non-Governmental Organisation.

PBP Product Based Planning.

PBS Product Breakdown Structure.

P2MM PRINCE2 Maturity Model.

P3M3 Portfolio, Programme and Project Management Maturity Model.

PINO PRINCE In Name Only.

PMI Project Management Institute.

PPRM Programme, Project and Risk Management.

Reference Group The group responsible for reviewing the feedback and producing the ‘Mandate for Change’.

Review Group The group responsible for reviewing the Scoping Document and providing technical guidance to the authoring team.

Six Sigma Six Sigma is a system of practices originally developed by Motorola to systematically improve processes by eliminating defects.

TSO The Stationery Office – the official publisher.

ITIL® is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other countries.

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M_o_R® is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other countries.

PRINCE2™ is a Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce.

The Swirl logo™ is a Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce.

OGC Gateway™ is a Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce.

MSP™ is a Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce.

© The Stationery Office, 2007 Issue Date: 12-Jun-2007 Page 24 of 24Author: Andy Murray