PRINCE2 is a process-based approach for project management; providing a scalable and easily tailored methodology for the management of large and small projects.
Each process of a PRINCE2 project is defined with its key inputs and outputs together with the specific aims to be achieved and activities to be undertaken.
The following diagram and explanations of the PRINCE2 processes will help you when managing projects with PRINCE2.
What separates the good from the not-so-good when it comes to a Project Manager? Well, an industry recognised title such as PRINCE2 Practitioner certainly helps. Our PRINCE2 training courses have high pass rates and low clase sizes so that you get the most out of your course. Plus you get to spend a week in Brighton!
Here we give some tips on what, in our opinion, makes the difference between a good and a bad Project Manager. To be the best you need to have all these traits and skills.
To illustrate what makes a project manager good we should firstly define the role and responsibilities.
A Project Manager is responsible for:
Winner of the first Apprentice, Tim Campbell is a shining example of a great project manager.
And, at the end of the day, the project manager is accountable for delivering the final project which meets the agreed specification.
In our experience, a good Project Manager is somebody who can consistently deliver project success. Success is recognised by meeting the clients’ business needs to an agreed level of quality, timescale and budget. And remember, a client can be internal or external to an organisation.
Wondering what makes a ‘bad’ project manager? Well, anybody who uses the phrases in this ‘S**t project managers say’ video needs to rethink their management strategy.
Find these four personality traits in a person and you are well on your way to employing a good Project Manager. Display these four qualities to put yourself next in line for promotion.
There is no doubt that the project manager’s role is a lot like spinning plates while riding a bike; keeping one eye on the customer and the other firmly on the supplier – all the while making sure the project is heading in the right direction towards its goal.
Getting the mix of keeping everyone involved happy while not compromising the project is a tough balance to make, requiring different traits to handle each type of party involved.
When it comes to dealing with the customer; the project manager requires the logic-filled inquiry of Sherlock Holmes to deduce what the customer really is looking for, while exploring the possibilities to take to their development team. This needs to be balanced with an advanced ability to respond to questioning in a cool, calm and concise manner which the customer will understand and quell any fears or doubts they may have.
Project managers who have received PRINCE2 Training are given the exploration tools to help them delve deep into the project, no matter the scale, helping them find who is at the heart of the project so they can quickly identify the decision makers and ask them, and themselves, necessary but sometimes hard questions. Such as: where are the funds coming from? Where will the resources be provided from? What specialist skills are needed?
Most importantly, they need to find the limits to their own authority, agreed with the client so that they receive the most effective, efficient and structured end product possible under all constraints, may they be financial, resource based or time related.
When it comes to the organisation of the project itself, a level of flexibility must be factored in – which must include flexibility from the people directly involved in the project. Building a multi-skilled team is a must – they need to be able to balance multiple projects and apply their skills to any projects’ wide scope.
Knowing your control over each resource is key to the project’s success. Finding exactly where you fit in within the project team’s structure is also essential.
You may be leading a collection of different teams, each with their own priorities and managers that report to you, or you may be working directly with a handful of employees – either way, you have to know how to use them as resources which can complete the task at hand to the highest level possible.