ForrTel:Implementing PRINCE 2 Project Management MethodologyMargo Visitacion

Principal Analyst

Forrester Research

March 31, 2004. Call in at 8:55 am Eastern Time

PRINCE 2 — Pragmatic Application

PRINCE 2 methodologies applies a pragmatic approach to project

management

Agenda

• Why consider PRINCE 2?

• Key success factors

• How PRINCE 2 compares to other “methodologies”

Successful project management requires:

ScopeScope PlanningPlanning ExecutionExecution ControlControl ClosureClosure

Successful Delivery = Time + Communication + Quality

PRINCE 2 — why is it a logical approach for IT?

• Organized approach to project management

• Emphasizes business-oriented approach

• Strong focus on defined teams and processes

• Emphasized collaboration

PRINCE 2: good project management requires:

• A controlled and organized start, middle and end

• Regular reviews of progress against plan and against the Business Case

• Flexible decision points

• Automatic management control of any deviations from the plan

• The involvement of management and stakeholders at the right time and place during the project

• Good communication channels between the project, project management, and the rest of the organization

• Clear role definition• Visible executive support• Go beyond documentation —

Get training

• Set governance processes up at project offset — refine them for the enterprise

• Get business active and involved

• Respect the schedule• Cross training is critical• Be pragmatic

PRINCE 2 — critical success factors

Roles

Reality Check

Process

Key success factor #1 — roles

• Pick champions with a cross-section of talent

• Roles must be clearly defined — draw lines of authority AND responsibility

• Form a pilot team to develop and implement — retain them as mentors

Key success factor #2 — process

• Pilot PRINCE 2 — small to medium to start

• Measure results

• Executive sponsorship

• Utilize the framework

» Make it scalable

» Develop thresholds

» Specialized measurement criteria

Key success factor #3 — reality check

• Respect the schedule

» Process is critical but so are delivery dates

• Visible accountability

» Project manager of process = project schedule controller

• Flexibility is critical

» Adaptation is okay

Process/Methodology Comparison:PRINCE2 and CMM

Framework of practices • Management focus• Emphasizes:

─ Change control─ Issue Mgmt─ Risk Mgmt─ Project Mgmt─ Repeatable Processes─ Documentation─ Workflow─ Schedule independent

Similar practices = similar challenges

Challenges• Perception:

─ Bureaucracy─ Misinterpretation —

tendency to over-implement

─ Inability to apply appropriate scale

─ Professional rigidity

Process/methodology comparison: PRINCE2 and PMBOK

PRINCE2 ≠ PMBOK

PMBOK

• Singular focus• Hierarchical model• What• Schedule driven• Success• Measurements

PRINCE2

• Team-driven• Collaborative model• How• Schedule independent• Quality• Measurements

Recommendations for process improvement implementation

• Primary success factor — Cultural adoption

» Design a phased implementation; pilots are critical to develop next steps and lessons learned

» Educate management with metrics — good AND bad

» Make sure the executive board has real executives

» The project manager and the executive sponsor own the project

» Cross-train organization to better manage possible cultural missteps

» Mind the schedule; process improvement is useless if the project misses its date

Margo Visitacion

mvisitacio@forrester.com

www.forrester.com

Thank you

Entire contents © 2004 Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved.