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PRINCE2 Evaluation:

Articles, white papers and case studies explaining our near-heretical view that PRINCE2 is in urgent need of revision and is causing injury to many of the projects where earnest attempts are being made to deploy it.

Perhaps the fundamental flaws in PRINCE2 are intuitively recognised by the many organisations that declare themselves as using PRINCE2, but are in fact working around it. (PINO: PRINCE2 In Name Only)

Which means that behind the veneer of PRINCE2 compliance, those organisations lack a coherent approach to project management... leading to further injury to their project delivery capabilities.

As the name suggests, PRINCE2 has evolved from the earlier version PRINCE which in turn, was based on earlier methodologies such as PROMPT.

Whilst emphases have changed and new techniques introduced, PRINCE2 has retained the original, stage-by-stage 'waterfall' model of its predecessors in structuring and managing projects. In this, it represents a conventional project life-cycle model.

You may be asking... with such a depth of acceptance, support and backing, and its promotion as 'Best Practice', why is there any need for an evaluation of PRINCE2?

We suggest that the need arises because in the real-world of rapid political, economic, cultural and business change, PRINCE2 is not an appropriate or effective method by which to manage complex projects for business change, business performance improvement, systems development, product development or systems implementation.

Further, we suggest that PRINCE2 and similarly-styled project methodologies are based on a seriously flawed model. In real world environments, PRINCE's will, as we explain: -

• unnecessarily increase the length of projects

• unnecessarily increase project costs and use-up resources unproductively

• unnecessarily delay any return on the investment in projects

• unnecessarily increase the risks of project failure and the risks of failing to return expected benefits from the investment made

• increase the likelihood that real requirements are either not met or not met well enough

We must make it clear. Our evaluations here are based only on complex projects where changes to objectives or needs is a way of life... and where the imperative is to get improved commercial, operational or technical outcomes... to required quality levels as rapidly as possible.  Many commercial businesses and some public sector organisations will live in those kind of environments.

However, if your operating environment is stable or very slow changing, and business results are not needed for periods of years, then methodologies such as PRINCE2 may be perfectly suited and this evaluation will not be of interest to you.

For those with technological, business or other unknowns... where new objectives are likely to emerge as you learn more about the world in which your projects need to function, then we hope you will find the material here illuminating and helpful.

With an understanding of the flaws of PRINCE2 and structured project methodologies, and their potential impact on your plans, you will be able: -

1. to make informed decisions on whether to adopt PRINCE2 in your organisation - and the questions to ask

2. or, if it is already in use, understand how to minimise or manage the risks it brings - which we will explain

3. or, if you have a failing PRINCE2 project on your hands - how to carry out a turnaround

4. or, if you are obliged to use PRINCE2 but still want to improve the success rate of your projects - how to operate more effectively within the constraints of its framework and design.

On paper, PRINCE2 is logical, reasonable and linear. However, as experience suggests - for example in the long series of failed UK Government IT projects where PRINCE2 is the mandated method - simply being logical, reasonable and linear, is not sufficient.  It is not sufficient to make it the effective project management method business and public sector organisations really need.

Prince^® and PRINCE2^® are registered trade marks of the UK Office of Government Commerce

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Articles/White Papers

• The underlying problems with PRINCE2®  (and related Project Management methodologies) by Chris Dale Introductory observations on the use of PRINCE2 in real-world projects...
   

• The Underlying Problems of Gateway Reviews by Chris Dale
  Introductory observations on the use of Review Gateways and PRINCE2 in real-world projects...
   

• PRINCE2 and the Business Case: the alarming case of the missing link (to be added)
   

• Adapting PRINCE 2 to the realities of your organisation and business needs
   

Case Studies

       to be added.