Mistakes to Avoid in Implementing PRINCE2

Don’t leave people behind

As project managers are normally the only individuals who get trained, onlythey are actually aware of the method. Project teams and more importantly the senior managers who govern projects often do not understand their role within the method and consequently view the perceived “bureaucratic overhead” with suspicion.

PRINCE2 is not Bureaucratic

PRINCE2 is designed to be adapted to your organisations needed and scaled appropriately to the size of each project. The most successful implementations of PRINCE2 use the method as a checklist of the processes and documentation that should be present for a project to be successful. This will identify any gaps which can be addressed using PRINCE2 Best Practices.

A successful PRINCE2 implementation will incorporate many of your familiar working practices and processes but complemented by additional process and controls where necessary. That way PRINCE2 feels familiar and less of a step change.

Set a standard for your organisation

The PRINCE2 method is simply a description of project management ‘best practice’ processes, etc. and as such must be interpreted in order to meet the needs of each individual organisation. Unfortunately, if no attempt is made to create a single organisational focus, each project manager will interpret PRINCE2 in his or her own particular way, effectively creating multiple methods.

Take your time to align PRINCE2 and your existing business processes

The standard PRINCE2 method contains a comprehensive set of processes for most project management activities. Project Managers often return from courses and try to implement all these processes rigidly according to the standard, often in competition with their organisation’s existing business methods and processes.

PRINCE2 alone does not make a project manager

PRINCE2 is just a method, and as such is only part of the skills and competencies needed by a project manager . The ‘method’ training takes no account of the need to to develop other personal and project management skills and also communication, planning, team working and, flexibility, conceptualisation, business focus, creativity, etc.

In short, although effective PRINCE2 implementation will almost certainly require this ‘method’ training, it is not in itself the answer. There are many more issues that must be addressed before PRINCE2 best practice can be expected to embed within an organisation’s processes and culture to achieve the benefits expected of it.