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Project failures are very common and the reasons vary from poor quality control through to inadequate planning. A good project management method will guide the project through a controlled, well-managed, visible set of activities to achieve the desired results and overcome many of the causes for project failure.
Alpha Fusion recognises the importance of a structured approach to project management, which is why we have adopted PRINCE2 as the underlying methodology:
| PRINCE |
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PRINCE, which
stands for Projects in Controlled Environments, is a project management
method covering the organisation, management and control of projects.
PRINCE was first developed by the Central Computer and
Telecommunications Agency (CCTA)
now part of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) in 1989
as a UK Government standard for IT project management.
Since its introduction, PRINCE has become widely used in both the public and private sectors and is now the UK's de facto standard for project management. Although PRINCE was originally developed for the needs of IT projects, the method has also been used on many non-IT projects. The latest version of the method, PRINCE2, is designed to incorporate the requirements of existing users and to enhance the method towards a generic, best practice approach for the management of all types of projects. The design and development work was undertaken by a consortium of project management specialists, under contract to OGC, and over 150 public and private sector organisations were involved in a Review Panel which provided valuable input and feedback to the consortium.
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| PRINCE2 | |
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PRINCE2 is a process-based approach for project management providing an easily tailored, and scaleable method for the management of all types of projects. Each process is defined with its key inputs and outputs together with the specific objectives to be achieved and activities to be carried out. The method describes how a project is divided into manageable stages enabling efficient control of resources and regular progress monitoring throughout the project. |
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The various roles and responsibilities for managing a project are fully described and are adaptable to suit the size and complexity of the project, and the skills of the organisation. Project planning using PRINCE2 is product-based which means the project plans are focused on delivering results and are not simply about planning when the various activities on the project will be done.
A PRINCE2 project is driven by the project's business case which describes the organisation's justification, commitment and rationale for the deliverables or outcome. The business case is regularly reviewed during the project to ensure the business objectives, which often change during the lifecycle of the project, are still being met.
There are often different groups of people involved in projects: the customer, one or more suppliers, and of course the user. PRINCE2 is designed to provide a common language across all the interested parties involved in a project. Bringing customers and suppliers together typically involves contracts and contract management, although these aspects are outside the scope of PRINCE2, the method provides the necessary controls and breakpoints to work successfully within a contractual framework.
| Benefits |
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PRINCE2 is a structured method providing organisations with a standard approach to the management of projects. The method embodies proven and established best-practice in project management. It is widely recognised and understood, and so provides a common language for all participants in the project. PRINCE2 provides benefits to the organisation, as well as the managers and directors of the project, through the controllable use of resources and the ability to manage business and project risk more effectively. PRINCE2 enables projects to have:
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