Why PRINCE2® still matters in projects By Stephanie Oley

As a project management framework, PRINCE2® is associated with a high level of structure, control and tailoring, making it suited to projects requiring strict compliance.

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Certainty is the backbone of all successful projects, and PRINCE2® project management provides the structured governance designed to achieve it. Throughout history, project management has drawn on linear approaches to create this sense of predictability – from the manual timelines used in Renaissance construction to the Gantt charts developed in the early 1900s and waterfall methodologies of the 1970s.

Each evolution in these structured methods has strengthened the discipline's ability to deliver clarity, consistency and control. Fast-forward to the present, and PRINCE2® (a mnemonic derived from Projects IN Controlled Environments) is a framework that exemplifies such certainty.

'PRINCE2® is associated with a high level of structure, control and tailoring, making it suited to all types of projects requiring strict compliance', explains CCE facilitator, Marshal Alkouz.

PRINCE2® is a structured, process-based project management framework grounded in linear delivery approaches such as waterfall. A PRINCE2® project typically starts with clarity around seven key stages and processes. These include the pre-project phase (usually involving a business case), initiation, delivery and the final handover stages.

It sets clear guidelines around the roles and responsibilities of team members, and further parameters around key practices including risk, change, planning, organisation, progress-tracking and structure. Practitioners of PRINCE2® are supported by a range of templates, ensuring that all can stay the course. All are customisable, recognising the needs of different sectors or projects.

Best uses for PRINCE2®

Being structured does not mean that PRINCE2® is rigid, attests fellow CCE project management facilitator, Marion Bell. Rather, it's about ensuring good governance – critical to most projects. 'In government especially, project transparency is everything given their impact on the community and public purse,' Bell explains.

For example, PRINCE2® was used in 2022 to help project-manage an information and communication technology (ICT) upgrade at the Australian Government Department of Parliamentary Services. This involved adopting a cloud-first strategy, changing everything from user devices to the infrastructure and applications powering Parliament. An ageing telephony system was replaced with Microsoft Teams, multi-factor authentication enabled throughout, and 19 new applications were released.

The project has helped to reduce Parliament's ICT footprint by 35 per cent, maximising the system's safety and security in the process. Importantly, the whole project was delivered on time and within budget, thanks in part to PRINCE2®'s structured stages and risk management.

PRINCE2® has applications that go far beyond government as well. Large-scale construction, procurement, information technology, human resources and other products and programs all benefit from the clarity afforded by PRINCE2®.

Emerging trends in PRINCE2®

Originally developed in government settings in the UK, PRINCE2® is now in its seventh edition. (A quirk among its fanbase, Bell notes, is that they opted not to name the product after newer releases. Hence its enduring association with version two, released in 1996).

The PRINCE2® framework now incorporates a range of new features that cater to the current age. These include:

• People-centric approach – the seventh edition includes a 'people' element, addressing the importance of collaboration and communication
• Sustainable goals included – projects can now be planned to balance environmental, social and economic goals
• Increased flexibility – the program can be tailored to specific contexts, and users are also encouraged to pair its methodologies with the mindset of Agile project management
• Enhanced data focus – PRINCE2® incorporates modern digital management such as data automation
• Modernised structure – users can also expect updated terminology and a more concise structural interface.

PRINCE2® is helping to deliver lasting outcomes for organisations. To see how it fits into your overall project management skillset, view CCE's at-a-glance table of key project management course options.