Implementing PRINCE2 Project Management Methodology - Literature review Example

Project Management Student’s Name Subject Professor University/Institution Location Date Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 1.0 Overview of the Prince Project Management Methodology 3 1.1 Start Up 3 1.2 Initiating a project 3 1.3 Directing a project 4 1.4 Controlling a stage 4 1.5 Managing Product Delivery 4 1.6 Managing Stage Boundaries 5 1.7 Crossing a project 5 Planning 5 PRINCE2 Components 5 PRINCE2 Techniques 6 2.0 Comparison of Prince2 with PMBOK 6 3.0 Analysis of an Engineering Management Project 8 3.1 Project Integration Management 9 3.2 Project scope Management 9 3.3 Project time management 10 3.4 Project Cost management 10 3.5 Project quality management 10 3.6 Project human resource management 11 3.7 Project communication management 11 3.8 Project risk management 12 References 12 1.0 Overview of the Prince Project Management Methodology PRINCE (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is a well thought-out scheme for efficient project management. PRINCE2 was launched with the aim of improving project management, creating teams and managers to shun the omissions and mistakes committed before by the previous members. The use of this project has extended extensively and was highly recognized by the UK government and internationally. It has also been used in private sectors successfully. The project retrieved adequate service providers that offered consultancy and training, henceforth ensuring a continuous competition supporting the organizations in their implementation. The managers would keep track of the status of the projects and the usage of the method. The methodology followed by PRINCE2 is meant to be applied by organizations in the era of continuous change. A project must then target effectiveness and competitiveness. In the process, PRINCE2 offers some inherent risks that are associated with innovation and change. In particular, it offers the manner in which the resources, technology, skills and ideas scan be harnessed to deliver benefits to business and achieve objectives. The methodology emphasizes on business justification and project rationale. The management following this methodology is meant to achieve objectives and benefits within budget, time and required quality. 1.1 Start Up The stage involves creation of project management team. The team then defines the project’s objectives and identifies how the solutions will be provided. To deliver value, the stage must look at business case and possible risks that might be involved in the project. It concludes with a plan of work which prepares project plans, controls and finally gets management approval for project commencement. 1.2 Initiating a project This marks the start and the finish point of the project. It entails clarity o what the project will achieve, the need for it, the outcomes and responsibilities of teams in achieving the success to enable genuine commitment. The plan of the project is laid down with an expanded business case. Risk re-assessment follows and identification of how project products will be controlled. This is by setting up the necessary project controls so as to get approval for project. It also involves a plan to produce the right quality of project product. 1.3 Directing a project The stage entails defining project requirements, authorizing funds, commitment of resources and communication with stakeholders. It primarily involves a confirmation of how the project is organized and agreeing with the objectives of the project. After the plan has been approved contract is generated for the project. Contract approval, project stages approval follows. Decisions are made on major problems and ensure senior management is continuously informed. Finally it confirms how the project will correctly close. 1.4 Controlling a stage Project management at this point focuses on each stage delivery within the laid down plan. The agreed products are controlled to the stated quality standards, time, cost and effort to achieve defined benefits. Mainly, the focus is on stages’ products, resources in each stage, controlling risks and review of business case. After the work is authorized, progress information is ensured and review of quality, issues and risks. The issues and their impacts are taken into account with continuous reporting to Project Board to and taking the corrective action. 1.5 Managing Product Delivery This involves the roles of project manager, the team manager and third party suppliers in creation of product. The process involves agreement to work with Project Manager, planning team’s work and supervision. The quality and progress report is ensured and finally get approval for completed products. 1.6 Managing Stage Boundaries To achieve the business benefits, the continued correct focus of the project end stage should be confirmed. This may involve redirecting or stopping the project in order to avoid time and money wastage. Performance statistics are completed for current stage and a plan is developed for the next stage. Any change of business case and risk is checked and a report prepared for Project Board. 1.7 Crossing a project A project is finite and this is what gives it effective operational management approaches. It recognizes that original objectives are met and the products adopted in the larger program. This follows a check on all products delivery and approval by customer. Any actions for maintenance undergo documentation and a support group is identified when necessary. A plan of how and when achievement and expected benefits are to be assessed and finally report the project’s performance. Planning Effective planning provides personnel with information on what is required, how to achieve, the specialist resources and equipment and by whom and when those events are to happen. It entails a choice of planning tools and estimation methods to identify products, dependencies, generate activities, estimation of effort, and creation of a schedule, risk assessment and writing a plan narrative. PRINCE2 Components PRINCE2 provides additional components that are fundamental for the above stages of project from start up to project close. The components are meant for practical application and to deliver in a business case. The components take into account elements of business change. The project should account for personnel, training needs, procedures change, accommodating changes and relationship with the public. These components are pertinent with the project from the beginning to the end. The project must be build over organizational structure for direction, control, management and communication. Every project should have a plan containing sufficient information which will guide the targets of the project. Control ensures monitoring progress, compare achievement, detection of problem, initiating corrective action and authorizing further work. Risk management targets on probability of an occurring risk and possible impacts. Reliable, up-to-date information is necessary for it. It involves decision making, evaluation, monitoring and balance of control. Quality for project environment identifies projects products and services relevance to satisfying the need in the organization. Configuration management precisely looks into products while change control monitors the importance, cost and decisions to include them or not. PRINCE2 Techniques The techniques help implement the best practices of project management. The most significant include the product-based planning, quality reviews and change control. 2.0 Comparison of Prince2 with PMBOK Project management frameworks include definition of a project and project management. It highlights the project management context based of phases, lifecycle, stakeholders, organizational influences, key skills and the social-economic-environmental influences. The project management processes including the processes, groups, interactions, process interactions and management are deliberated. Project management knowledge areas are discussed in details from project integration, scope, time, cost, human resource, communication, and risk and procurement management as vital areas which can be broken down to guide project management and ensure that areas do not overlap. Each section of management is further broken-down into precise details that are integral for it to become essential. Generally the PMBOK has materials that reflect knowledge and practices in project management field as it had captured the practices, tools, items and techniques relevant for acceptance of a project. There are added figures for clarification and understanding to the user. It is more of a link to organizational strategy and clarifies the project needs, expectations and wants. Precisely, the PMBOK covers all knowledge and areas of project management. The project scope, cost and time management is project-centric view of hard skills to project manager. These fundamental attributes guide in management to provide reasonable chance in achieving project success. Project quality, procurement and risk management consider qualitative aspect of management. As a dimension of deliverables and management processes, it ensures that quality does not suffer. Risky environment must be managed throughout project life cycle. Procurement is a process of delivering project to its sponsors. Project human resource, communication and integration management is well detailed to analyze the softer skills, the people and diverse stakeholders and increase probability of success. PRojects IN Controlled Environments (PRINCE2) on its part as a project management method has a design that provide a framework that covers a wide variety activities required in a project. It major focus throughout is on business case, that describes the rationale of business justification for a project. The detailed business case informs all project management processes starting from initial project set-up to the project finish. It demonstrates a good practice for project management providing a flexible and an adaptable approach that suit all projects. Its discussion is on the resources, technology, skills and ideas that deliver business benefits and which are meant for achieving business objectives. It demonstrates a good project management role in helping ensure the benefits and objectives are achieved in accordance to budget, within designed time and to required quality. Furthermore, it is more detailed including unique processes like starting up (SU) a project which details the principles, context, process description Project Board and Manager, team and project brief. Other critical parts include initiation, directing, controlling, managing product delivery, managing stage boundaries and closing a project. In addition it gives more detailed analysis of planning splitting it into stages. An addition part of business case of PRINCE2 provides is a mechanism to harness resources, enabling the project team to effectively work together. It is a set business case and project management side by side for its application. 3.0 Analysis of an Engineering Management Project According to Kampf & Longo (2003), project based activities are different from day-to-day operations and requires a definite application of basic processes of project management. A specific organizational activity is identified and managed through the project management principles. Project management particularly defines the strategy of an individual project in it s context, the framework for management, the strategic roles of significant stakeholders and individuals within the project and criteria measuring and evaluating success. For the purpose of this paper, an analysis of Australian Broadcasting Authority project called Thesaurus and Disposal will follow. It involved a temporary project for compiling thesaurus and records disposal which was to assist in developing and implementation of electronic records management system together with recordkeeping procedures and policies. The analysis follows a detailed examination of the work plan and tasks. These fundamental stages are attributed to the success of the project. This dialogue hoe they were well managed to provide reasonable chance in achieving project success. 3.1 Project Integration Management The knowledge area entails an initiation stage which develops project charter, management plan, the execution process that direct and manage execution. It also entails monitoring and control of project work and identify when the project will actually close (Bryde 2003). The plan was provided by Australian Broadcasting Authority. They had completed Steps A-C in Designing and Implementing Recordkeeping Systems (DIRKS) methodology. A new information management system was to be developed, to integrate data from access databases and provide a core data technology infrastructure which would support ABA’s functions. The electronic records management system would be established for electronic transactions in sharing resources across organizational departments and reduce effort duplication while streamlining information resources. 3.2 Project scope Management This area revolves around planning, monitoring and control stages. The project scope defines what is supposed to be accomplished, the budget including time and money created to achieve the objectives. Best results result from precise and detailed scope. Specifically it documents the tasks to be performed and results delivered. Specific dates are defined when deliverables will be due and a list of budget allocated (Webster & Knutson 2006). The ABA project entailed selection and developing electronic record management system. Create functional activities, train staffs, and identify policies and procedures of record management. The tasks started in 2001 January 10 with compilation of work and management plan, followed by preliminary investigation, checking of stage 1 of project by National Achieves, Stage 2 was analysis of business activity, stage 3 identification of requirements of recordkeeping, compilation of records disposal, RDA consultation and completion and finalizing of the project. 3.3 Project time management The process involves definition of activities, sequences of those activities, estimated activities duration and resources through a developed schedule. The schedule also has to be controlled to achieve timely delivery of the project objectives (Chang 2010). The time allocated for ABA project was six months; from January 10 to July 9 2001. The three stages were divided with Stage 1 from January to March, Stage 2 from April to May and Stage 3 from May to June. The plan also accepted from the beginning that the project may blow out despite the best intentions. If the project was to be completed before its due time, addition to and revision of thesaurus terms with disposal authority would be needed. If staff wishes to consult more than the stated time in the project, then there may need an increased time. The stages of the project were reliant on National Archives approval and this could be delayed for their internal resources. The project realized the impacts of contingencies like illness. 3.4 Project Cost management This point estimates costs and determine budget. It also entails the activities of controlling costs. The resources requirements for ABA project amounted to $ 2256. $1056 was assigned for the Hierarch compilation software purchase, $ 1200 for travel costs, UPIT tune up, thesaurus training, business classification workshops, consultation regarding disposal authority. Specification for fare is made stating the economy class air fare as $40/day X 2 and travel allowances exceeding 10 hours. 3.5 Project quality management The process involves planning quality, performance of quality assurance and quality control (Pant & Baroudi 2008). It is required by the National Archives of Australia for submission of certain documentation at each stage to allow quality check. This would then follow the authorization of disposal authority. Documentation would also be placed on Intranet or be submitted to the interested parties on demand to allow evaluation and feedback on improvements, efficiency and effectiveness. 3.6 Project human resource management According to Penzenstadler, et al (2009) the plan is developed to acquire project team, develop it and manage it in the process of execution of project. Project Manager was the ABA assigned officer for the project, while Janet Knight was appointed for 6 month on a temporary period for conducting project on fulltime basis. In addition, assistance was expected when required on regular basis particularly from ABA information management staff whose knowledge and experience about the activities and functions of ABA records management practices in the organization and current tools like current thesaurus and disposal authority. 3.7 Project communication management The communication process in a project is managed through identification of stakeholders, setting up a communication plan, information distribution, and managing stakeholder’s expectations and reporting performance (Jurison 1999). Reporting arrangement for ABA project was set for Janet Knight; the project coordinator was to report to Jenny Brigg, the Project Manager on fortnightly basis of project progress. She would also report to John Evans informally about EDMS/RMS. When relevant the reports were to be submitted to IT Infrastructure project (UPIT) and the working group examines additional implementation of information system. Regular reporting to Information Management Steering Committee, then publication of records management to Intranet and formal reporting to Chief Information officer would be done accordingly. 3.8 Project risk management As Ward & Chapman (2003) argues, there should be a plan to manage risk. This involves risk identification, quantitative and qualitative risk analysis, and plan for risk responses, monitoring and controlling risks. Users shift in classification of records and experienced difficulties to adjust to new processes and technology was to be managed through assigning more training time to make sure the project continued serving the purpose of the organization after every stage. References Bryde, D.J., 2003. Project management concepts, methods and application. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 23(7), p.775-793. Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/01443570310481559. Chang, C.C., 2010. Management Concepts Behind in Project Advancement. Journal of International Management Studies, 5(2), p.151-158. Available at: http://proxy2.hec.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/860229428?accountid=11357. Hut, P. M. (2008). PPRINCE2 Components. Retrieved 02 24, 2013, from http://www.pmhut.com/prince2%E2%84%A2-components Jurison, J., 1999. Software project management: the manager’s view. Communications of the AIS, 2(17), p.2-57. Available at: http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=374471. Kampf, C. & Longo, B., 2003. Shaping project management concepts for technical communication students. IEEE International Professional Communication Conference 2003 IPCC 2003 Proceedings, p.8 pp. Pant, I. & Baroudi, B., 2008. Project management education: The human skills imperative. International Journal of Project Management, 26(2), p.124-128. Available at: http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0263786307000968. Penzenstadler, B. et al., 2009. Soft Skills Required: A Practical Approach for Empowering Soft Skills in the Engineering World. Requirements Communication Understanding and Softskills 2009 Collaboration and Intercultural Issues on, (Circus 2009), p.31-36. PRINCE2.com. (2013). PRINCE2 Process Model. Retrieved 02 25, 2013, from http://www.prince2.com/prince2-process-model.asp Ward, S. & Chapman, C., 2003. Transforming project risk management into project uncertainty management. International Journal of Project Management, 21(2), p.97-105. Available at: http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0263786301000801. Webster, F.M. & Knutson, J., 2006. What Is Project Management ? Project Management Concepts and Methodologies. The AMA Handbook of Project Management Second Edition, p.1-10. Read More