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PRINCE2 For Dummies
Whatever your project - no matter how big or small - PRINCE2 For Dummies is the perfect guide to showing you how to use this project management method to help ensure its success.
Taking you through every step of a project - from planning and establishing roles to closing and reviewing - this book provides you with practical and easy-to-understand
advice on using PRINCE2. It also shows how to use the method when approaching the key concerns of project management including setting up effective controls, managing project risk, managing quality and controlling change. PRINCE2 allows you to divide your project into manageable chunks, so you can make realistic plans and know when resources will be needed. PRINCE2 For Dummies provides you with a comprehensive guide to its systems, procedures and language so you can run efficient and successful projects.
CONTENTS:
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book is Organised
Part I: How PRINCE Can Help You
Part II: Working Through Your Project
Part III: Help with PRINCE Project Management
Part IV: The Part of Tens
Part V: Appendices
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part I: How PRINCE Can Help You
Chapter 1: So What's a Project Method
and Why Do I Need to Use One?
Getting the Low-down on PRINCE2
Giving You Some Facts about Projects
Fact 1: A lot of projects go wrong
Fact 2: We know why projects go wrong
Fact 3: We know good ways of preventing a lot of those things
Fact 4: PRINCE2 is available for free
Making Your Life Easier with PRINCE2
Clearing Up Some Misunderstandings about PRINCE
Working Through Your Project
Chapter 2: Outlining the Structure of PRINCE2
Getting to Know the Process Model
Getting things going
Repeating as necessary
Shutting down: Closing a Project (CP)
Introducing the Component Model
Knowing the four basic components
Opting for the optional components
Presenting Three PRINCE Techniques
Chapter 3: Getting Real Power from PRINCE2
Understanding the Problems
Remembering That PRINCE Is a Tool
Getting the Power: Adjustment
Leaving out sub-processes
Adjusting the degree to which you do sub-processes
Altering the sequence of sub-processes within a primary process
Shifting sub-processes between primary processes
Using PRINCE in a hurry - parallel initiation
Running the project without a project plan, just stage plans
Taking It Seriously: Being Professional
Part II: Working Through Your Project
Chapter 4: Checking the Idea Before You Start
Understanding Process SU
Seeing Why You Just Can't Do Without Start Up
Getting Start Up Done Fast
Starting Start Up - the Project Mandate
Filling Project Roles
Appointing the first two key people
Appointing more Project Board roles
Deciding on the remaining roles
Checking the Project's Viability
Writing the Project Brief
Producing the parts of the Brief
Opening the Risk Log and the Daily Log
Identifying Key Information
Thinking through the Project Approach
Planning the Planning: Initiation
Making the Decision to Start - or Not
Chapter 5: Planning the Whole Project: Initiation
Getting to Grips with Process IP
Understanding Why You Need Plans
Considering Project Quality
Get real - not every project is safety critical
Writing a Project Quality Plan
Preparing the Quality Log
Planning Your Project
Deciding on Management Stages
Working on the Business Case and Risk Log
Building the full Business Case
Analysing the risk
Identifying Levels of Authority and Controls
Thinking through project communications
Remembering that it's good to talk
Setting Up the Filing
Storing stuff
. . . And getting it back again
Setting up the Issue Log and the Lessons Learned Log
Preparing for the First Specialist Stage
Putting the PID Together
Knowing why some things in the PID are 'initial'
Looking at how you use the PID
Asking the Project Board to Commit to the Whole Project
Chapter 6: Preparing for a Stage in the Project
Understanding Process SB - Managing Stage Boundaries
Providing Key Information at End Stage
Triggering an End Stage
Stage planning in Start Up and Initiation
More about exceptions and stages
Creating a Stage Plan for the Next Stage
Using product planning in more detail
Preparing the Product Checklist
Getting detailed with quality
Updating the Project Organisation
Building an Exception Plan
Updating Project Documents and Plans
Updating the Project Plan
Updating the Project Quality Plan
Updating the Project Approach
Checking the Business Case
Reviewing Risk
Writing an End Stage Report
Asking for Sign-Off and Authority to Proceed with the Next Stage
Chapter 7: Controlling a Stage and Building the Deliverables
Understanding Processes CS and MP
Controlling the Stage - the Project Manager
Controlling the flow of work to teams
Dealing with problems and other issues
Monitoring and reporting progress
Correcting the Stage or Reporting an Exception
Correcting the stage
Reporting an Exception
Switching to the Team Manager Viewpoint
Building the Work Package Products
Receiving the Work Package
Building the products
Returning completed products
Chapter 8: Finishing the Project
Closing a Project (CP)
Making Sure You've Done Everything
Checking for sign-offs and acceptances
Checking the working environment
Storing the project records
Looking at business benefits
Identifying Things to Do after the Project
Closing down the Risk Log and the Issue Log
Recording the follow-on actions
Reviewing How the Project Went
Dealing with a Premature Close
Chapter 9: Running Effective Project Boards
Introducing the Process DP
Understanding Five Key Principles for the Project Board
Taking ownership of the project
Managing, not working
Making sure that authority is sufficient
Checking availability
Appointing small boards
Taking Individual Responsibility
Business viewpoint - the Project Executive
User viewpoint - the Senior User(s)
Supplier viewpoint - the Senior Supplier(s)
Taking Joint Responsibility
Making decisions without stepping over the line
Listening to the Project Manager
Deciding the Level of Control
Setting Project Manager authority levels
Deciding on the management stages
Fixing the level of risk acceptance
Determining highlight reporting
Sorting project assurance
Giving Advice When Asked
Getting Involved at Specific Points
Starting up
Initiating the project
Getting involved during a project stage
Ending a stage
Ending the project
Part III: Help with PRINCE Project Management
Chapter 10: Producing and Updating the Business Case
Knowing Who's Responsible for the Business Case
Justifying the Project
Compliance projects
Enabling projects
Benefits-driven projects
Hybrid justifications
Keeping It Current: A 'Living Document'
Getting Help When It's Getting Complicated
Writing a Business Case
Setting down best case and worst case
Being sensitive
Checking Whether a Benefit Really Is a Benefit
Being Sure That You Can Deliver
Not claiming benefits that don't exist
Being prudent
Avoiding benefits contamination
Dealing with Organisational Finance Procedures
Chapter 11: Deciding Roles and Responsibilities
Getting the Right People Involved
Understanding the PRINCE Organisation
Having roles, not jobs
Sticking to small Project Boards
Seeing the project from three viewpoints
Viewing the Project Board as central
Keeping the Project Organisation stable
Structuring the Organisation of PRINCE2
The PRINCE Project Management Team
Examining the Project Board
Understanding the three Project Board roles
Looking at Project Assurance
Knowing that Project Assurance isn't optional
Deciding how to do Project Assurance
Working with, and not against, the Project Manager
Blowing the whistle
Getting to Know the Project Manager
Considering Team Manager(s)
Knowing How Project Support Helps
Setting up a Project Support Office (PSO)
Appointing a Configuration Librarian
Chapter 12: Planning the Project, Stages, and Work Packages
Understanding the Process Model for Planning (PL)
Planning: Necessary and Helpful
Planning the Planning
Considering organisational requirements
Thinking about money
Planning with Products
Looking at the planning problem
Focusing first on what the project must produce
Identifying products in the project
Using the Product Flow Diagram
Writing Product Descriptions
Looking at the Product Breakdown Structure
Moving On to Activity Planning
Estimating - the Easy Bit
Scheduling and Resourcing
Activity networking and precedence networks
Activities with Gantt charts
Activities and resource levelling
Checking Project Risk
Explaining the Plan
Adding explanations for those who read the plan
Financial planning
Planning at Three Levels
The Project Plan
The Stage Plan
Team Plans
Chapter 13: Setting Up Effective Controls
Controlling at Different Levels
Reporting: The Time-Driven Controls
Highlight reporting
Checkpoint reporting
Using the Event-Driven Controls
Controlling the project with stages
Making decisions at four key points
Ordering Project Closure at Any Time
Managing 'By Exception'
Specifying the Limits: Tolerances
Knowing that tolerances don't have to be equal
Guarding against wishful thinking - tolerance lines
Outlining the six types of tolerance
Reporting Projections Outside of Tolerance: Exception
Giving an Exception Report
Deciding what to do
Revising the plans
Using Tolerance at Different Levels
Monitoring Progress and Controlling Projects
Controlling teams with Work Packages
Measuring progress with the Product Checklist
Avoiding percentage complete
Recording the controls
Controlling quality
Seeking financial control
Chapter 14: Managing Project Risk
Starting with the Basics: What Is Risk?
Using the PRINCE Risk Cycle
Analysing Risk
Identifying risks
Evaluating risks
Making the 'before or after' decision
Identifying suitable responses to risk
Managing Risk
Planning and resourcing
Monitoring and reporting
Keeping Risk Assessments Up-to-Date
Making a Risk Log entry
Safely Leaving Out Risk Management
Chapter 15: Managing Project Quality
Product Planning with Quality Built In
Taking Quality Seriously, Very Seriously
Delivering appropriate quality
Sticking to quality
Writing the Project Quality Plan
Planning Stage- (and Team-) Level Quality
Controlling and Auditing Quality
Auditing and the Quality Log
Making sure assurance is effective
Checking Products with Quality Review
Roles in the quality review
Finding, not correcting, errors
Staying 'ego-less'
Signing off - the three options
Chapter 16: Controlling the Versions: Configuration Management
Operating CM Procedures
Deciding How Much CM to Do
Controlling management products
Getting complicated
Planning CM
Knowing That CM is a Different Sort of Control
Keeping CM Information on Products
Additional information
Appointing a Configuration Librarian
Chapter 17: Controlling Change
Allowing Change, but Not Scope Creep
Taking control
Avoiding a change freeze
Defining a Project
Categorising
General issue
Request for Change (RFC)
Off-Specification (Off-Spec)
Conceding a concession
Handling an Issue
Logging the issue
Analysing the impacts
Deciding what action to take
Involving the Board in Project Issues
Part IV: The Part of Tens
Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Make PRINCE Work Well
Staying Flexible - Using PRINCE Differently
Keeping the Documentation Down
Making PRINCE a Standard
Insisting on PRINCE
Training People in PRINCE
Implementing Project Assurance
Doing the Post Project Review (PPR)
Maintaining Product Planning
Using the Product Checklist
Keeping the Plans Up To Date
Chapter 19: Ten Tips for a Good Business Case
Making Sure You Can Measure Benefits
Understanding Which Projects Don't Have Benefits
Reviewing the Business Case Regularly
Being Prudent
Being Prudent (2)
Owning the Business Case
Aligning the Business Case with Corporate Requirements
Standing Firm on the Figures
Updating the Business Case During Stages
Thinking 'Business Case' in Issue Handling
Chapter 20: Ten Things for Successful Project Assurance
Making Sure You Do It
Being Flexible about Assurance
Selecting Experienced People
Avoiding List Tickers
Steering Clear of Nit-Pickers
Working Co-operatively
Separating Assurance and Support
Being Careful When Using Other Project Managers
Getting Project Board Ownership
Being Clear on What You're Assuring
Part V: Appendices
Appendix A: Looking into PRINCE Qualifications
Choosing PRINCE2 Training
Looking at Sample Papers
The Foundation Exam
The Practitioner Exam
Staying Up To Date
Getting Qualified and Locating Exams
Answers to the Sample Questions
Appendix B: Glossary of the Main PRINCE2 Terms
Index
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