PRINCE2

PRINCE2 ( English Pr ojects in C ontrolled E nvironments , projects in controlled environments' ) is a process-oriented and scalable project management method . PRINCE2 creates a structured framework for projects and uses the process model to give the members of the project management team specific recommendations for action for each project phase. The development of the method follows the idea of best practice . The method is owned by AXELOS, a joint venture between CAPITA (51%) and Cabinet Office (49%).

Alongside PMBOK ( Project Management Institute ) and ICB ( IPMA , GPM ), PRINCE2 is one of the leading project management methods worldwide.

PRINCE2 deals with the following areas of knowledge: business case (business justification), organization ( stakeholder management , roles and responsibilities, communication ), quality ( requirements management , specification ), plans (product-based planning, scheduling, different planning levels and horizons), risks and opportunities , changes ( Configuration management , change management , issue management ), progress ( steering and controlling , tolerances and buffer management, reporting ).

Unless otherwise indicated, the article listed here describes the version of the PRINCE2 standard (as of mid-2016: PRINCE2: 2009). The current version is that of 2017.

history

PRINCE ( Pr ojects in C ontrolled E nvironments ) was originally in 1989 by the British Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) as a government standard for project management in the field of information technology developed (IT), but soon became a regular basis outside the purely IT environments applied.

Realizing that the method should be used for all types of projects, some simplifications were made and PRINCE2 was published in 1996 as a general project management method. PRINCE2 became increasingly popular and became the de facto standard for project management in the UK . The application is now widespread in more than 50 other countries.

The method is updated regularly based on user experience and comments on the application. New versions were released in 1998, 2002 and 2005 to incorporate these findings.

Diagram of the PRINCE2 processes. (PRINCE2: 2009)

PRINCE2: 2009 Refresh : The method has been fundamentally revised since 2006 and published on June 16, 2009 as PRINCE2: 2009 by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), which has since been replaced by AXELOS. The retention of the designation "PRINCE2" (instead of "PRINCE3" or similar) is intended to express that the method remains true to the basic principles. Nevertheless, this is an adaptation of the method from 1996 to the changed business world including a strong streamlining of the method, the clarification of previous points of criticism and misunderstandings as well as the better integration of PRINCE2 with other methods ( ITIL , P3O, P3M3, MSP, M_o_R etc. .). Examples of the changes in PRINCE2: 2009:

• 7 basic principles have been defined
• the “planning” process has been deleted and integrated into other processes and topics
• the subjects of configuration management and change control have been merged to form the subject of changes
• A benefit revision plan was introduced to check the benefits after the end of the project
• there are only two specific PRINCE2 techniques left: product-based planning and quality inspection techniques
• the abbreviations for the individual activities in the respective processes (e.g. SU1, SU2) are no longer used.

In July 2017, AXELOS published the latest version PRINCE2® 2017 in English. A German version of the manual has also been available since mid-2018.

distribution

Between 1996 and the end of 2010, over 750,000 PRINCE2 certificates were issued worldwide. Around 2,250 new ones are added every week. Due to its historical development, PRINCE2 is still the most popular in Great Britain today. There PRINCE2 is the de facto standard for project management. PRINCE2 is also widely used in Australia, South Africa, India, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Denmark. In the last few years in particular, the spread of PRINCE2 has increased significantly in continental Europe. These include primarily Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France and Poland.

Basic assumptions and differences to other methods

The roles in a PRINCE2 project management team (PRINCE2: 2009)

In PRINCE2, a project is defined as follows: "A project is an organization created for a limited period of time that has been set up with the purpose of delivering one or more products in accordance with an agreed business case."

With this definition, PRINCE2 pursues a different focus in project management than other project management methods. In contrast to them, the project manager is only responsible for a clearly defined area, more precisely a phase. PRINCE2 is designed to provide additional managers, e.g. B. from company management to be included. Overall responsibility for the project is borne by the steering committee , and the user representative is responsible for the benefits of the project.

PRINCE2 also assumes that in a project six dimensions (variables, aspects) have to be planned, delegated, monitored and controlled in different forms on the respective management levels in order to lead the project to success. These six dimensions are, on the one hand, the three known from the classic “magic triangle”: cost, time frame and quality. At PRINCE2 they are supplemented by the scope , risks and the expected benefits of a project. The latter, combined with the extended role model described above, leads to an increased focus on the benefits that the initiated project should bring to the company. In this sense, a project is only successful if, in addition to adhering to the time, cost and quality tolerances, the expected benefit - usually after the end of the project - has been achieved. Since the project manager himself only has a limited influence on this size and he may no longer be available for an evaluation of the project's success after the end of the project, other stakeholders on the user and company side, as part of the steering committee, have a key role in a PRINCE2 project.

The reason given for this comparatively “broad suspension” of a project within an organization is that the reasons for the failure of projects are often not to be found in the lack of competence of the project manager, but rather to be ascribed to the overall project environment.

The 4 elements of the method

PRINCE2 consists of four integrated modules:

• 7 basic principles
• 7 topics
• 7 processes
• Adapt to the project environment

(see Miller's number )

7 basic principles

The seven basic principles form the foundation of the PRINCE2 method and must therefore not be changed. They are formulated in general terms and can therefore be used in any project in any company. The application of these 7 basic principles determines whether or not a project is actually managed according to PRINCE2:

Basic principle	description
Ongoing business justification	The project needs a legitimate reason to start and there needs to be ongoing assurance that this project has documented and approved expected benefits.
Learning from experience	Experiences from other projects or other sources are specifically included and the experiences gained in the ongoing project are recorded.
Defined roles and responsibilities	A project requires defined roles and responsibilities within an organizational structure in which the interests of the company, users and suppliers are represented.
Control through management phases	Planning, monitoring and control are divided into phases.
Taxes based on the exception principle	For each project goal (see 6 dimensions), certain tolerances are defined, which define the scope of action for delegated powers.
Product orientation	A PRINCE2 project is geared towards the definition and delivery of products, with an emphasis on their quality requirements. Product orientation could also be referred to as "result orientation".
Adapt to the project environment	PRINCE2 is adapted for every company and sometimes even for every project in order to be able to cater to the specific requirements of a project in terms of its environment, scope, complexity, importance, performance and risk.

7 topics

The seven PRINCE2 topics, also to be understood as areas of knowledge, describe aspects of project management that have to be dealt with continuously when handling a project. Any project manager who pays careful attention to these aspects will thus meet the requirements of his role.

theme	description	provides answers to the question ...
Business case	At the beginning of the project there is an idea from which one hopes a certain benefit for the organization concerned. The topic “Business Case” shows how the idea can be developed into a worthwhile and feasible investment proposal for the organization and how it can be ensured that the project remains aligned with the goals of the organization throughout the entire duration.	Why?
organization	The organization commissioning the project must delegate the work involved to people who are responsible for carrying out and completing this work. Projects are usually created across departments, which is why the structures of a line organization are usually unsuitable for projects. The topic "Organization" describes the roles and responsibilities in the PRINCE2 management team, which is set up for the effective management of the project on a temporary basis.	Who?
quality	The first ideas about the project are usually not yet clearly defined. The topic "Quality" explains how the first ideas are worked out further and further until all participants know which quality criteria the products to be delivered must meet - and how the project management will ensure that these requirements are also met.	What?
plans	PRINCE2 projects run on the basis of approved plans. The topic “Plans” describes the individual steps for developing the plans and the PRINCE2 techniques to be used as a supplement to the “Quality” topic. In PRINCE2, plans are adapted to the information needs of employees at the various hierarchical levels of the organization. They are the guideline for communication and control throughout the project.	How? How much? When?
Risks	There are typically more risks associated with projects than with normal business operations. The topic of "Risks" deals with how project management deals with the uncertainties in plans and the other project environment.	What if?
Changes	This topic describes how project management evaluates and deals with open issues that can potentially affect the project (particularly its plans and finished products). Open points can include unexpected general problems, change requests, and quality defects.	What are the effects?
progress	The subject of this topic is the ongoing control of the feasibility of the plans. It describes the decision-making process for approving plans, observing the results actually achieved, and the escalation process in case events do not go according to plan. In the end, the topic “progress” determines whether and how the project should be continued.	Where are we now Where are we going? Shall we go ahead?

7 processes

“Project management according to PRINCE2 follows a process-based approach. A process is a structured sequence of activities aimed at achieving a specific goal. In a process, a defined input is converted into a defined output. The total of seven processes in PRINCE2 define the activities necessary for the successful control, management and delivery of a project. "

There are seven processes in total:

• Preparing a project, starting up a project
• Directing a Project, Directing a Project
• Initiating a Project, Initiating a Project
• Controlling a phase, controlling a stage
• Managing Product Delivery, Managing Product Delivery
• Managing a phase transition, Managing a Stage Boundary
• Completing a project, Closing a Project

It is important to separate the above processes from the project phases ( stages ). A phase consists of several processes. The process of preparing a project precedes the project and therefore does not belong to any phase. A PRINCE2 project must consist of at least two phases: the initiation phase and at least one management phase (execution phase). The initiation phase consists of the processes of initiating a project and managing a phase transition , a management phase consisting of the processes controlling a phase, managing product delivery and managing a phase transition . If the management phase is the last, the process of managing a phase transition is replaced by the process of completing a project . The process of managing a project relates to the entire duration of the project. Typical management phases of a project can include B. be a "concept phase" and an "implementation phase".

Prepare a project

The goal of this process is to determine whether this project is a feasible ( feasible ) and worthwhile project and whether initiation / planning of the project is justified at all. It is a process before the actual project begins, before the resources are determined. Its main input variable is the project mandate, which is given to the client of the project. The project mandate can range from a detailed company directive down to the so-called "lentil soup mandate", i. H. granted at lunch. In addition to the appointment of the client and the project manager, the process also includes the identification of other leading decision-makers who are required to fill the project board and who monitor the project. The reasons for the project, the scope and the solution approach of the project are presented in a project description. In addition, a plan is drawn up for the initiation phase in order to recognize the effort involved in planning this project.

The activities of the process "preparing a project" are:

• Appoint client and project manager
• Record existing experiences
• Design and appoint project management team
• Create a business case draft
• Select project solution approach and compile project description
• Plan the initiation phase

Steering a project

This process is defined by the functions of the steering committee , which is responsible for the entire project. The project manager informs the steering committee with regular reports, the daily management tasks of the project are left to the project manager. Ideally, the steering committee is only involved at the phase boundaries where it has to approve the progress made so far and approve the transition to the next phase. In keeping with the basic principle of "controlling according to the principle of exception" ( Management by Exception ), the steering committee only intervenes during an ongoing phase if the project manager reports that his phase tolerances are likely to be exceeded or there are compelling (external) reasons to intervene. The steering committee is also responsible for communicating with stakeholders.

The activities of the process "steering a project" are:

• Release initiation
• Share project
• Approve phase or exception plan
• Give ad hoc instructions
• Approve project completion

Initiate a project

"The purpose of the initiate a project process is to create a solid foundation for the project that will give the organization a clear picture of what will be involved in the planned work before any major funding is committed." So that a project can be approved , it must be carefully planned and show how it achieves its goals. In order to create clarity for the cooperation in the project, the 4 management strategies are first created (communication management strategy, quality management strategy, risk management strategy, configuration management strategy). Among other things, a stakeholder analysis is used here and various registers are set up to control the project. The project plan is then created using the product-based planning technique and the project control means (reporting and phase allocation) are set up in parallel. The estimates obtained during planning are now fed into a more detailed business case. All management strategies as well as the project plan and important aspects from the project description (process of preparing a project) now flow into the project initiation documentation (PID ), which can also be referred to as a contract between the project manager and the steering committee. This is followed by the process of steering a project in order to decide whether a release can be given for the project as a whole.

The activities of the "Initiate a Project" process are:

• Create a risk management strategy
• Create a quality management strategy
• Create a configuration management strategy
• Create a communication management strategy
• Set up project control means
• Create a project plan
• Refine the business case
• Compile project management documentation

Controlling a phase

“The purpose of the process controlling a phase is to assign and track the work that has to be done, to process open points, to report the progress made to the steering committee and, if necessary, to initiate corrective measures so that the phase remains within the tolerances.” This process describes the day-to-day Management by the project manager.

The activities of the process "controlling a phase" are:

• Release work package
• Check the status of a work package
• Receive completed work packages
• Check phase status
• Report on project status
• Record and investigate open points and risks
• (Escalate open points and risks)
• (Initiate corrective action)

Manage product delivery

PRINCE2 works on the basic principle of product orientation. A product can be a tangible item like a book or a more intangible item like a service contract. In fact, everything that PRINCE2 creates is a product, including the documents. In contrast to specialist products (i.e. the things that the project actually delivers), the products defined by the PRINCE2 method for controlling the project are management products. The product creation is the responsibility of team managers who come internally from the client's organization or from an external supplier and do not necessarily have personnel responsibility. In the process of managing product delivery , the relationship between the project manager and the team manager is regulated. This is where the products of the project are finally created and thus most of the project resources are used.

The activities of the "Managing Product Delivery" process are:

• Accept work package
• Execute work package
• Deliver work package

Managing a phase transition

With this process, the basic principle of “controlling via management phases” is implemented. Towards the end of an ongoing management phase, the project manager begins preparing / planning the next phase. He gathers information, updates the business case and the project plan in order to enable the steering committee to make an objective decision about the further course of the project. This process is also used to manage a phase correction during an ongoing phase after the project manager reports an exception (caused by exceeding tolerances) (create exception plan).

The activities of the process "managing a phase transition" are:

• Plan the next phase
• Update project plan
• Update business case
• Report on phase completion
• (Create exception plan)

Completing a project

"The purpose of the process of completing a project is to define a point at which the acceptance of the final project product is confirmed and to recognize that the objectives defined in the original project management documentation (or even approved changes to these objectives) have been achieved or with the No further results can be achieved on the project. ”Regardless of whether the project is canceled or completed as planned, the“ Complete a project ”process is always the last process to be carried out by the project manager. This is where the final handover of the final project product takes place, the project manager takes on the experience from the entire project (if not already done), he makes sure that outstanding open points can be taken over from the line and finally gives the recommendation to the steering committee from closing the project.

The activities of the "Completing a Project" process are:

• Prepare for the scheduled closing
• (Prepare early graduation)
• Handing over products
• Rate project
• Recommend project completion

After the process of "completing a project", the process "managing a project" is carried out one last time to approve the project completion, to ensure that the line is responsible for any outstanding work and that the benefit revision plan is passed on to the appropriate authority. The last actions are then the announcement of the project completion to the company and the dissolution of the steering committee.

Adaptation to the project environment

Whether a small mini project or a gigantic giant project, whether in the IT software industry, automotive industry, construction, metal industry or media world, PRINCE2 can be used in all projects. A prerequisite for this, however, is a sensible adaptation to the respective project environment. For example, there are 26 defined management products (often listed as documents) that, if used inappropriately, e.g. B. in a € 10,000 project would lead to a gigantic overhead. The guideline for the adaptation to the project environment are the basic principles: they must not be adapted, so they must always be applied.

Examples of the factors influencing adaptation are:

External influencing factors:

• Cross-organizational
• External customer / supplier
• Corporate standards
• Within a program
• Maturity of the organization
• terminology
• geography
• Corporate culture
• Project priority

Internal influencing factors:

• Magnitude
• Complexity of the solution
• Maturity of the team
• Project type & life cycle model

The adaptation to the project environment should not be confused with the integration of PRINCE2 in the company. While the latter deals with the basic introduction of PRINCE2 in the company, the adaptation refers to the adaptation of the method to the needs of an individual project. An interface between the two is e.g. B. the introduction of project models.

Examples of customization options are:

Customizing the themes

All topics can be adjusted in terms of their scope and application. This is done through targeted definition in the respective management strategies or project control tools.

Adjusting the terminology

PRINCE2 suggests terms for the respective elements, processes, activities and management products, but these terms must be questioned. If, for example, there is already a document in the company with the designation "project order", which has already proven itself and corresponds in function and scope to a project description, this term should be retained.

Adjustment of the product descriptions for the management products

Using all 26 management products in full is only possible for very large projects. But even here the content should be adjusted to increase user acceptance. Management products can be combined for smaller projects. So z. B. Risks and open points are kept in a common register, the business case can be a chapter of the project documentation and experience reports are only kept as sections in the other reports.

Customize the role descriptions

In smaller projects in particular, it is often necessary for one person to take on several roles in the project management team. The minimum here is three people: a customer (user representative & client), a supplier representative and a project manager (takes on the role of team manager and project support). If it turns out that only one member can be identified in the steering committee (client = user representative = supplier representative), PRINCE2 recommends checking whether this is a project at all or maybe just a line task.

Adjusting the processes

The processes must also be adapted according to the project environment. So you could z. B. in the case of a qualified, extensive project mandate, merge the processes of preparing a project and initiating a project.

Adjustments for particularly small projects

Should a project be For example, if the organization has a particularly low risk, low cost, low importance and hardly any risk in the event of a failure and also only takes place at one location and with only one company involved, the following adjustments could be made, for example:

• After the initiation phase there is only one further delivery phase
• The project manager assumes the role of team manager and project support
• The steering committee consists of two people and takes on the role of project security
• Instead of the 26 management products, only the following four are used: project diary, project management documentation, project status report, project final report.

techniques

At several places in the official manual, PRINCE2 refers to many different possible applicable techniques, which are not described in detail in the book itself, however, as they are generally known or have already been sufficiently documented elsewhere. For example, in the case of estimation techniques, the following techniques are dealt with in three to four sentences: top-down estimation, bottom-up estimation, top-down and bottom-up approach, comparison-based estimation, parametric estimation, one-point Estimate , three-point estimate , Delphi method .

Only two techniques are described in detail in PRINCE2, since they are explicitly PRINCE2-specific:

Product-based planning

In contrast to the purely activity-based planning, PRINCE2 recommends that the planning of activities be preceded by product-based planning. This planning ideally takes place with the involvement of the relevant stakeholders from the user and supplier side. According to PRINCE2, the "planning" for all three planning levels (project plan, phase plan, team plan) always begins with the following 4 activities:

1. Create product description of the final project product (only for project plan)
2. Create product breakdown structure
3. Create product descriptions
4. Create a product flow diagram

In the product structure plan, the project end product (e.g. the house) is broken down into individual products (e.g. shell construction, interior fittings, cellar, fence, garden, courtyard entrance, etc.) and displayed schematically. Simple and composite products in the form of a rectangle, product groups (product clusters - e.g. outdoor area (fence, garden, courtyard entrance)) as rhombuses and external products (products that are not manufactured as part of the project but are required for a project product) - e.g. inherited property) is shown as an ellipse.

The product flow diagram, on the other hand, shows the chronological sequence of product creation and is the basis for dividing the project into phases.

A product description is the specification of the individual product to be created and contains all quality aspects such as B. Quality criteria, quality tolerances, creators of the product, testers, authorized acceptors and test methods for this product.

Advantages of this planning technique:

• The probability that important aspects are forgotten or overlooked with regard to the scope decreases.
• The expectations, the scope of the project and the exclusions are clearly defined.
• Involving users in the planning promotes acceptance.
• Identification of products that do not belong to the scope of a plan, but are required for the continuation of a plan (for example, products are supplied by another project).
• Clear agreement of the responsibilities for the creation, review and approval of a product.

Following product-based planning, the other planning activities are carried out: Analyze risks, identify activities and dependencies, make estimates, set up a schedule, document a plan.

The PRINCE2 quality inspection technique

The aim of quality inspection technology is to check a product for previously defined quality criteria, to involve important interested parties in the control of product quality, to confirm that the product is ready for acceptance and can be frozen / "baselined".

The quality inspection technique involves the following three steps:

• Preparation of the test (distribution of products and testing of products)
• Quality review meeting (discussion of results)
• Follow-up to the exam (any necessary improvements)

This technique uses its own roles: chairman, product presenter, examiner, exam administrator

Integration of PRINCE2 in the company

Due to the strong integration of a PRINCE2 project in the respective organization, the necessary adaptation of the method to the situation of the company and the risks and possible acceptance problems arising in this context, PRINCE2 recommends organizing the introduction of PRINCE2 in the company as a project.

Suggestion of the key points to be considered:

• Process responsibilities
• Rules / guidelines for adapting to project size
• Standards (templates, definitions)
• Training and development
• Integration into business processes
• Tools
• Process assurance

Complementary methods

In addition to PRINCE2 , the British Office of Government Commerce (OGC), which was dissolved in 2011, had also developed other methods that are compatible with PRINCE2. PRINCE2 can work with the following OGC methods via the interfaces defined therein:

• MSP - Managing Successful Programs
• MoP - Management of Portfolios
• P3O - Portfolio, Program and Project Offices
• ITIL - IT Infrastructure Library (IT Service Management)
• M o R - Management Of Risk
• MoV - Management of Value

rating

The neutrality is controversial. A reason is given on the discussion page . You can get more information here .

Strengthen

The following strengths are ascribed to the PRINCE2 method:

• She works benefit-oriented. PRINCE2 ensures that those involved in the project concentrate on ensuring that the project remains suitable for the goals of its business case - and does not view the completion of the project as an end in itself.
• It delivers standardized projects that have a uniform procedure, uniform vocabulary and uniform documents. Anyone familiar with a method can quickly find their way around a carefully managed PRINCE2 project.
• She uses active stakeholder management to include important people in the project management team or in the communication structures.
• It comprises various methods that have proven themselves in practice.
• It propagates management by exception as a guideline. This allows project managers to carry out their work without unnecessary interference, while at the same time higher-level managers only intervene at the points where the project runs outside the tolerance limits.
• It ensures a controlled start, course and end of the project.
• Templates with the required substructures are available for every type of document required by PRINCE2. This creates standardized and complete documentation.
• It can be adapted to the needs of individual organizations or projects.
• It is free of charge. In this way, an organization can require its suppliers to use PRINCE2 without having to consider licensing issues.
• With product-based planning, PRINCE2 provides its own planning technology with integrated requirements analysis. This reduces the likelihood that projects will be started under the wrong conditions and subsequently fail.

weaknesses

The following properties are named as weaknesses:

• The high flexibility and the strong anchoring in the company require additional investment costs for the implementation in the company due to the necessary adaptation to the project environment and integration into existing company processes.
• The two certification levels (Foundation & Practitioner) are only aimed at working in an existing PRINCE2 environment. Questions about successful implementation in the company are not taken into account in more detail in the official manual or in other books or training courses available on the market.
• Due to the generic design of the method, specialist aspects are not taken into account.
• Only two PRINCE2-specific techniques are described. However, it may well be necessary that employees in project management need to build up additional knowledge in order to use commonly used techniques such as B. to be able to use the analysis of the critical path or an earned value analysis .
• Project managers who switch from other methods to PRINCE2 could complain about a “loss of power”, as their powers no longer cover the entire project, but only within their phase tolerances.
• Soft skills / leadership qualities as a particularly important qualification, especially for the project manager, are not directly taken into account in PRINCE2.

Implementation and application risks

In particular, the strong anchoring in the company and the need for adaptation harbor some risks when implementing and using PRINCE2:

• Some organizations suffer from "PINO" (English: "Prince In Name Only"), in that they carelessly use parts of the methodology , but do not adhere to the principles or none have made targeted integration of PRINCE2 in the company.
• If PRINCE2 is not adjusted correctly, it is possible that the method is “decried” as being strongly document-oriented, especially when used in smaller projects, and it may actually cause a disproportionate share of documentation / project management costs. Documents may then serve as an end in themselves, with the actual projects faltering. This risk can be reduced by the targeted adaptation during the integration of PRINCE2 in the company and in particular by considering the acceptance by the future users of the method.

Personal certifications

There are three individual certifications for PRINCE2. The 'Agile Examination' will combine the classic project management approach with an agile approach from the end of 2015, but will initially only be available in English.

Foundation Examination

The Foundation Examination is a knowledge test on the content of the topics and processes of the project management methodology. The exam lasts one hour and consists of a multiple choice test with 75 questions. To pass you have to answer at least 35 questions correctly. 5 questions are test questions that cannot be recognized as such and therefore have to be answered, but they are not scored. After evaluation by the OGC, these test questions are used to expand the official question pool. There are no prerequisites for taking part in a Foundation Examination.

Practitioner Examination

Candidates for the PRINCE2 Practitioner Examination (German: Praktiker -prüfung) must have previously passed the Foundation Examination.

The questions of the 150-minute exam are based on a fictitious project that is described separately in a so-called scenario booklet. The test candidate begins by reading into the details of the project. For some questions, the scenario is supplemented with further information, which is output in a separate document depending on the quantity.

The questions themselves are divided into eight categories. Six categories deal with the seven topics, two with PRINCE2 processes. Several multiple-choice questions, some of which are quite complex, are asked for each category. The answers are entered in a separate answer form by blackening the corresponding answer field with a pencil.

10 points can be achieved per category, a total of 80 points, of which at least 55% (corresponds to 44 points) must be achieved.

Anyone who has passed this test should be able to use the method within an existing PRINCE2 environment.

Re-Registration Examination

At the earliest three and no later than five years after passing the Practitioner examination, a “re-registration” in the form of a one-hour examination must be successfully completed to extend the status as Practitioner. This measure is intended to ensure that knowledge is always up-to-date. The exam is structured in the same way as the Practitioner exam, but reduced to 3 categories. In order to pass the re-registration exam, at least 17 of 30 possible points, i.e. 55%, are required.

The exam can also be taken online and without prior training, but there is a fee (as of July 2011, approx. 180 EUR).

Professional Examination

At the beginning of 2012, APMG presented another PRINCE2 qualification on the market: the PRINCE2 Professional certification. The skills of the project manager are examined as part of an assessment center. The application of PRINCE2 and the project management skills are analyzed in a practice-oriented scenario.

In contrast to the PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner trainings, there is no seminar offered for the PRINCE2 Professional in the form of a training. Instead of a training course, the participants will take part in a 2.5-day assessment center. In a realistic project scenario, the participants must present their skills and experience in project management according to PRINCE2 in groups and individual work. During these 2.5 days, the participants are observed by several assessors at their work in order to obtain evidence of their skills and experience. The participants are observed during the group work, asked about their activities and put to the test in a personal interview with an assessor.

The assessment is based on a catalog of criteria that includes 19 areas of competence. Each criterion is rated between level 0 and level 3. A participant achieves the PRINCE2 Professional certification when his average reaches a minimum of 1.6.

Interested parties must bring a valid PRINCE2 Practitioner certification as a prerequisite.

Accredited training providers

Only AXELOS Ltd. Accredited organizations are allowed to offer training in preparation for PRINCE2 certification. They offer official course material and also take the exams. The exams are available in many languages, including German.

literature

• The official manual for PRINCE2: Office of Government Commerce: Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 . (Official PRINCE2 publication) The Stationery Office Books, Norwich, first edition 2009 of the German translation of the fifth English edition 2009, ISBN 978-0-11-331214-6

Web links

• Official PRINCE2 page (English)
• BPUG Germany eV PRINCE2 representation of interests
• Introducing PRINCE2: 2009 - what has changed (PPT and video, English)

References and comments

1. ↑ Joint Venture - CAPITA: http://investors.capita.co.uk/~/media/Files/C/Capita-IR/ir-cr-downloads/results-and-presentations/half-year-results-presentation- 2013.pdf page 32
2. ↑ Office of Government Commerce (OGC): Managing successful projects with PRINCE2. (Official PRINCE2 publication) The Stationery Office Books, Norwich, first edition 2009 of the German translation of the fifth English edition 2009, page 8 ff, ISBN 978-0-11-331214-6
3. ^ Andy Murray: Introducing PRINCE2 2009 Seminar at the BPUG Annual Congress 2009: http://www.best-management-practice.tv/bpug-annual-congress-2009
4. ↑ The AXELOS Blog: AXELOS launches PRINCE2® 2017. July 5, 2017, accessed on September 20, 2017 . 
5. ↑ German PRINCE2 2017 manual. Retrieved October 25, 2018 . 
6. ↑ Office of Government Commerce: Best Management Practice - PRINCE2 News: PRINCE2® - A Global Project Management Method: http://www.best-management-practice.com/Knowledge-Centre/News/PRINCE2-News/?DI=629649
7. ↑ APMG: Quarterly Marketing Report December 2010
8. ↑ Quoted from: OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page 3
9. ^ OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page 259
10. ↑ OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page 5
11. ↑ AXELOS: Successfully manage projects with PRINCE2® . TSO (The Stationery Office), Norwich 2014, ISBN 978-0-11-331214-6 , pp. 6 .
12. ↑ OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page 11 ff
13. ↑ Quoted from: OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page 19 ff
14. ↑ Quoted from: OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page 131
15. ↑ OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page 131ff
16. ↑ OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page 139 ff
17. ↑ OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page 153 ff
18. ↑ Quoted from: OGC: Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2, page 167
19. ↑ OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page 168 ff
20. ↑ Quoted from: OGC: Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2, page 187
21. ↑ OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page 188 ff
22. ↑ OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page 207 ff
23. ↑ OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page 215 ff
24. ↑ Quoted from: OGC: Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2, page 229
25. ↑ OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page 230 ff
26. ↑ OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page 248 ff
27. ↑ OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page 75 ff.
28. ↑ OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page
29. ↑ OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page 241 ff
30. ^ Mark Say: Cabinet Office confirms end of OGC. In: http://central-government.governmentcomputing.com/ . April 13, accessed August 25, 2015 . 
31. ↑ OGC: Managing successful projects with PRINCE2, page 7
32. ↑ PRINCE2 Re-Registration website: http://online.apmg-exams.com/index.aspx?subid=10&masterid=4
33. ↑ AXELOS Certified Partners: https://www.axelos.com/find-a-training-provider/?country=Germany&products=%5B10%5D