There
are many reasons why you cannot follow the PRINCE2 manual line by line,
and succeed. The key reason is that it’s generic, and you cannot use it
out of the box. Every project has its own environment and the
methodology should be “tailored” for it.
A
common problem is having PRINCE2 implemented in the project without any
thoughts and without tailoring. The result is usually an extreme bureaucratic environment that everyone hates, and doesn’t bring any benefits.
A good example for tailoring is the Checkpoint Report. It’s a
performance report that Team Managers send to the Project Manager
periodically. Should it exist? Yes, always. Should it be a long
document? No! If the project is simple, the Checkpoint Report can be
even a simple telephone call on certain time to discuss certain things. That’s proper tailoring.
The seventh core principle is: Tailor to suit the project environment.
Tailor it
Remember that all successful project management systems are simple.
OK, we’ve reviewed all seven core principles of PRINCE2. Which one is your biggest weakness in your projects?
We’ll have a recap tomorrow.