The rapid spread and adoption of PRINCE2 has been one of the major recent developments in project management. It provides a framework for the organisation in tackling projects. It also provides a common language and understanding that can be transferred within and between organisations.

PRINCE2 can appear bureaucratic but if a method is to work there have to be ?rules of the road?. The art of using the method is in knowing which rules are important to your organisation and your projects.

This book allows a project manager with a grounding in PRINCE to see the rules in relation to the role of the project manager. The authors have made a valuable contribution to ensuring that PRINCE2 remains a practical tool for the project manager.
This book has been written to give people involved in projects a guide on how to use the PRINCE2 methodology. The generic approach that the PRINCE2 method adopts has been maintained throughout.

Primarily aimed at project managers, the bullet-point format will help to trigger thoughts when preparing documentation and using the processes and components. This book should be used as a reference guide when managing projects, but can also be read from start to finish to give a rounded view of the PRINCE2 project management environment.

Project Manager Today Publications is the publisher of "Project Manager Today", the leading independent magazine on project management. Project Manager Today also publishes books on project management and organises topical conferences and seminars.

This book has been written for all people involved in projects whose life will hopefully be made that little bit easier by using this common-sense approach.

Paul Bradley is a director of a leading PRINCE2 training organisation SPOCE Project Management Limited, and is considered to be one of the leading authorities on PRINCE2.
Paul Bradley has over ten years? experience in the project management industry, most of which has involved PRINCE. The good understanding gained from real-life experience of working for central government and corporate organisations ensures a practical approach to the guidance that Paul brings to this publication.

Melanie Franklin has over ten years? experience of project management. Over this time, she has developed skills gained from implementation of numerous global projects in the financial services sector. She has trained a wide range of individuals, from board members of multi-national companies, through to operational management and support staff. This training has taken place not just from her base in London but also across the globe and to audiences where English is not a first language.
Key project experience includes: establishment of business consultancy arms within a number of companies; global programme manager for key IT and operations projects within financial sector; development of regulatory reporting structures; managing test process and design of test cases for a range of software implementations.
Melanie?s qualifications include; BA (Hons) Economics; Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers; Associate of the Chartered Institute of Marketing; PRINCE 2 Practitioner; Accredited PRINCE 2 Trainer.

We set out to provide a really practical approach to getting project work done, using PRINCE2. We have written it from the perspective of the project manager and it provides guidance throughout the project. It not only tells you what to do and when to do it, but, more importantly, provides ideas about how to get it done. What questions should you ask when you are checking on progress? How should you structure project meetings to make them most effective? What information should you provide to senior managers about your project? And if you are a team leader or a senior manager, we will give you a better idea of what is happening on your project.
The book is based around PRINCE2 because it is accepted throughout the UK as the leading best-practice project management approach. For many project roles, knowledge of the structure and terminology of PRINCE2 is a key requirement as it provides a common language and structure across all projects.
It is a very adaptable and flexible method for any type or size of project, is increasingly used across commerce and industry, and is at the core of most public-sector projects in local and national government, as well as police forces and the NHS.
We have divided the book into chapters, based on the different stages of the project. So, you can always turn to the most relevant chapter without having to fight your way through information you don?t need right now.
Part 1 ? Preparation
This is all about getting started and feeling prepared to run your project. It contains practical help on getting others motivated to participate in the project, as well as tips on how to structure the work so that others can participate without having to run everything past you first.
Part 2 ? Getting under way
Before starting any project work, you need to plan the work and sort out who is going to be involved. This chapter outlines the structure for this planning and suggests the order in which it must be carried out.
Part 3 ? Managing the project
Once the project is up and running, progress must be closely monitored and actions taken to keep things progressing according to plan. This chapter explains how work is allocated to team members, how progress is reported, and what to do when things do not go according to plan.
Part 4 ? Closing a project
It is important to know when you have come to the end of your project and how best to tidy up any loose ends. This chapter outlines the key priorities as the end of a project approaches and suggests how to ensure that the customer walks away satisfied with your deliverables.
All you need to do is turn to the appropriate chapter: it is not designed to be read from start to finish; just dip into the section that contains the right information for you. If you are not sure what any terms mean, don?t forget to refer to the glossary and the document maps in Appendix A.
And why PRINCE2?
As we said earlier, PRINCE2 is the most commonly used project management methodology, with thousands of practitioners.Its key elements are:
l Each project which is undertaken must have a stated Business Case indicating the benefits and risks of the venture and a properly defined and unique set of outcomes or products.
l For each of the products there is a corresponding set of activities to construct them and the appropriate resources to undertake the

activities.
l Projects must have an organisational structure with defined

responsibilities; and a set of processes with associated techniques which will help plan and control the project and bring it to a

successful conclusion.
The key benefits of using this approach are that:
l It identifies the outcomes or products that must result from the

project and helps ensure that they are produced on time and to

budget; as well as focusing attention on their quality
l It makes the project?s progress more visible to management and gives senior management responsibility for approving progress and

authorising each stage of the project
l It ensures that work progresses in the correct sequence and separates the management and specialist aspects of organisation, planning and control.
A PRINCE2 project is divided into a number of stages, each forming a distinct unit for management purposes. The delivery of products to the agreed quality standards marks the completion of the stage. A project is divided into stages based upon:
l The sequence of production of products/deliverables;
l The grouping of products into self contained sets or associated processes;
l Natural decision points for review;
l The risks and business sensitivity of the project.
It provides a structure of management controls to be applied throughout the project. They are defined at project initiation to ensure:
l The project is set up with clear terms of reference
l There are agreed and measurable objectives
l There is an adequate management structure.
These controls cover all aspects of project activity and, at the highest level, allow senior management to assess project achievement and status prior to committing further expenditure. Controls are applied through meetings of project management and project staff, with each meeting producing a set of pre-defined outputs.