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Category: PRINCE2

What does the P3O leader do?

Posted on February 1, 2023February 1, 2023 by Marbenz Antonio

PMO using P3O

The P3O model is made up of one or multiple Project Management Offices (PMOs) that offer various services, including portfolio offices, program offices, project offices, and centers of excellence.

Due to the multitude of considerations involved in designing a P3O model, no two P3O models will be identical across organizations. For instance, a global company might have a portfolio office and varying numbers of program and project offices in each country, whereas a UK company may have a centralized portfolio office located at its headquarters. Similarly, a company with distinct business units, such as retail and wholesale, will have a unique P3O model.

Many organizations have developed isolated PMOs without a comprehensive design, leading to a chaotic structure with multiple reporting systems throughout the company, resulting in a significant management issue. In such scenarios, people may begin to doubt the necessity and value of having separate offices and question the cost. As a result, PMOs are often questioned about their purpose, role, and stakeholders.

 


Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

Posted in PRINCE2Tagged PRINCE2Leave a Comment on What does the P3O leader do?

Guide for the 6th Edition Prince2® Foundation Exams

Posted on January 30, 2023January 30, 2023 by Marbenz Antonio

Guide to Prince2® Foundation 6th Edition Exams in 2021

PRINCE2® Certification has two levels: Foundation and Practitioner. You can earn the Foundation level certification by passing the Foundation exam, which has no required prerequisites.

To earn the Practitioner credential, the second level of PRINCE2 certification, one must have the PRINCE2 Foundation or similar certification.

Axelos is the certifying organization for PRINCE2, with PeopleCert administering PRINCE2 exams on their behalf. Candidates can sign up for the exam through an ATO like KnowledgeHut, which is an Axelos Certified Partner.

To prepare, one can attend a course with an ATO or self-study, then schedule an online exam through either the ATO or PeopleCert.

The PRINCE2 project management framework is composed of four integrated elements namely: 

  • Principles form the foundation for the themes and processes.
  • Themes are the key areas or elements that must be continuously monitored throughout the project life cycle.
  • Processes specify who takes action and when.
  • Tailoring refers to customizing the project to fit the unique needs of the project environment.

The weightage given to them in the Foundation Exam is  

  • Principles-13% 
  • Themes-52% 
  • Processes-27%  
  • Projects & P2 –8%.

To pass the Foundation exam, one must be proficient in the Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2 Manual (2017). The Foundation exam is a necessary step to earn the Practitioner credential, and the knowledge gained will also be relevant for the Practitioner exam.

Foundation Exam Pattern 

The Foundation exam has 60 multiple-choice questions and takes 1 hour to complete. The pass rate is 55%. It covers 5 questions on PRINCE2 concepts like project characteristics, performance aspects, integrated elements, benefits, and customer/supplier environment, around 8 questions on Principles, 3-5 questions on each theme, and 2-3 questions on Processes. Each question has four options, so read the question carefully before selecting an answer. There’s no penalty for wrong answers, so attempt all questions.

Eligibility for Foundation Examination 

There are no specific requirements to take the Foundation exam, but it’s recommended to have a basic understanding of project management principles or have completed a general management course, or be working in a support role in an organization.

Passing the Foundation Examination 

  • Study the PRINCE2 Manual thoroughly  
  • The Purpose of each theme or process should be clear and noted. 
  • Memorize key terms for each section. For example, “fit for purpose” refers to the Quality theme, while “Desirable, Viable, Achievable” relates to the Business Case theme.
  • Read Appendices A and C as many times as possible. 
  • Practice the Sample Papers of the P2 Foundation Exam of PeopleCert available online. 
  • Many other Sample papers are also available online.  
  • Here is how the Instructions on the Foundation Paper appear Instructions
    • You should attempt all 60 questions. Each question is worth one mark. 
    • There is only one correct answer per question.  
    • You need to answer 33 questions correctly to pass the exam.  
    • Mark your answers on the answer sheet provided. Use a pencil (NOT a pen).  
    • You have 1 hour to complete this exam.  
    • This is a ‘closed book’ exam. No material other than the exam paper is allowed. 

A sample of the questions is as below:

 What is the first step in the recommended risk management procedure? 

A. Assess  

B. Identify  

C. Implement  

D. Plan 

Circle the bubble fully on the answer sheet provided against the question number with a dark pencil.

Suggested Method of Attempting a QP 

  1. Start from Q1 and go up to Q 60. Answer as many as you know full well. 
  2.  On the second reading, attempt those that required you to think a little. 
  3. For questions you’re unsure of, you can make an educated guess. There’s a 25% chance of getting it right since there are only four options and one of them is correct. Remember, there’s no penalty for incorrect answers.

Benefits of Doing PRINCE2 Certification 

The PRINCE2 Foundation certification is globally recognized as the standard project management method for delivering successful projects. PRINCE2 equips you with the skills to plan, initiate, and control projects effectively. The course enhances your ability to communicate with stakeholders and team members. It teaches the application of 7 Principles, 7 Themes, and Processes in executing projects through stages, managing and controlling risks, issues, and resources.

By taking PRINCE2, you also gain the skill of defining the project’s objectives and scope. Clarity of objectives is a key factor in preventing project failure, while an ill-defined scope increases the risk of project failure.

Look at the six main aspects or variables of a project which a Project Manager has to manage.  

They are: 

  •  Cost 
  • Time 
  • Scope 
  • Quality 
  • Risks and  
  • Benefits.

The Business Case and defining the objectives and scope of the project are the top two priorities. The Business Case, created and strengthened in pre-project processes, outlines the cost and timeline, highlights benefits, and risks, and outlines the product’s quality requirements based on the customer’s expectations and acceptance criteria.

The Business Case and Scope are crucial to project success. The Business Case outlines the cost, timeline, benefits, risks, and quality requirements of the project product based on customer expectations and acceptance criteria. The scope defines the products and their requirements in the project. The Business Case answers “Why” the project is being done, while the scope specifies what the project delivers. As a Project Manager, it is essential to clearly define the project scope and avoid exceeding it to avoid project failure from added costs.

Cost of Foundation Examination

In Australia Aus. Dollar 700/=
India Rs 18000 to Rs25000/=
Europe £ 450.

Conclusion

Passing the PRINCE2 Foundation exam certifies you as a PRINCE2 Foundation professional, improving your career prospects and giving you the skills to manage projects in your organization. With this certification, you will be better at defining project objectives and scope, identifying project requirements and stakeholders, and breaking down the project into manageable components using the Product Breakdown Structure. Furthermore, you will be ready to take on the next level of PRINCE2 certification, the Practitioner Credential Exam.

 


Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

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How Should a Standard PRINCE2® Project Track Progress?

Posted on January 30, 2023January 30, 2023 by Marbenz Antonio

The definitive guide to website project management

PRINCE2® uses the “PROGRESS” theme to track project progress. This involves monitoring actual results and comparing them to planned objectives. It also includes forecasting the project goals and assessing the project’s continued viability, while taking corrective action for any unacceptable deviations.

Tolerances are used by PRINCE2® to monitor deviations. Tolerances are the acceptable variation from the goal of a plan for time, cost, and maybe quality, scope, benefits, and risk before senior management needs to be informed.

Progress control involves comparing actual progress to performance targets for time, cost, quality, scope, benefits, and risk. This information is used to make decisions such as approval of a stage or work package, escalation of deviations, and early closure of the project. The steps for tracking progress are:

  • Setup Project Controls for Delegations and Tolerance

The project manager utilizes the following management products to establish progress control baselines.

Project Plan – includes the project-level performance targets and tolerances.

Stage Plan – Includes the basis of the day-to-day control of the stage.

Exception Plan – The Project Board may request an Exception Plan in response to reviewing an Exception Report during the exception handling process. It outlines steps for addressing exceptional situations.

Work Packages – The Project Manager approves a Work Package, which outlines the details of the work to be completed by a team member or Team Manager during a stage.

Tolerances are set as below for each of the aspects of the project:

Tolerance area Project Level Stage Level Work package level Product Level
Scope  Project Plan Stage Plan Work Package N/A
Time  Project Plan Stage Plan Work Package N/A
Cost Project Plan Stage Plan Work Package N/A
Quality Project Product Description N/A N/A Product Description
Risk Risk Management Approach Stage Plan Work Package N/A
Benefits Business Case N/A N/A N/A
  • Dividing the project into management stages and approving each stage separately: PRINCE2® divides a project into multiple management stages, which are sections of the project with decision points. The Project Board approves each stage individually. A minimum of 2 management stages are required in a PRINCE2® project, determined by the Project Manager in consultation with the Project Board.
  • Report and review progress through Time-driven reports: There may be instances when the agreed limits for tolerances are exceeded in one or more areas.

An exception is a forecasted deviation beyond the agreed tolerance levels.

Exceptions can happen at three levels:

  • Work-Package-level exceptions
  • Stage-level exceptions
  • Project-level exceptions 

Depending on the severity of the exception, decisions are made by the appropriate authority. If the exception occurs at the work package level, the Project Manager will provide recommendations for corrective actions.

If the exception is at the stage level, the Project Manager will escalate the issue to the Project Board for decision-making.

 


Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

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Agile or Waterfall? Why it’s Incorrect to Ask That

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Marbenz Antonio

What is the Traditional Waterfall Model and Why does it Fail?

Many organizations spend too much time and resources considering whether to use the Agile or Waterfall methodologies for their new projects, instead of realizing that they can combine the two approaches to maximize their potential. Asking “Which one should we use: Waterfall or Agile?” is not the right question to ask.

Too many businesses are preoccupied with deciding between Agile and waterfall techniques. Why Waterfall or Agile? is explained in this article. ” this is the incorrect question.

 


Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

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Simple PRINCE2 2017 Software

Posted on December 29, 2022December 29, 2022 by Marbenz Antonio

12 Books to Read for a PRINCE2® Certification

In 2017, AXELOS released the updated version of PRINCE2 (PRINCE2 2017). They have previously written about this update on this blog. In this post, PRINCE2 will go beyond the theoretical aspects and discuss software options for PRINCE2 2017. If you are looking for tools to support your PRINCE2 training or implementation, this information will be useful for you.

Comprehensive PRINCE2 2017 Software

PIAB has been a pioneer in the field of PRINCE2 software since the beginning and has continuously updated its software to ensure compliance with each PRINCE2 refresh. They are excited to announce the launch of our new PRINCE2 2017 Method Template, which is licensed by AXELOS and incorporates content from the official manual under license.

The new PRINCE2 2017 Method template offers the highest quality authentic materials, presented in a user-friendly package.

  • PRINCE2 is pleased to offer you the full set of official PRINCE2 templates that they wrote for AXELOS and licensed back for your use. These 27 Word files come with guidance to assist you in completing them.
  • The only place where extended templates are offered is in this product. These key register versions, created by the same author as the official bundle, come in.xlsx and Planner formats. A complete set of Role definition templates, health checks, and a reminder of the principles are also included.
  • Records of events. Additionally, they have developed placeholders for all the important information you need to acquire.
  • using the process diagrams as a point-and-click interface. The PRINCE2 2017 program displays the products, events, and records required for the process when you click on the process diagram. You can focus on the procedure and save time by not having to search for things in the handbook.
  • Context guidance. You receive hover instructions on your duties for the things, activities, and documents relevant to the process you are in.

prince2 2017 software; PRINCE2; PRINCE2 methodology; prince project

These sources will be automatically launched into all of your new projects. This quickly sets up your project and helps in keeping you on schedule during delivery.

What are your PIAB product choices?

Users of our Community Edition tool, which is available for free, can add all of this for £25 plus VAT and make as many projects as they like.

The same content and price will be provided to Personal Edition buyers. They will discover that it also establishes the project’s reporting structure.

The cost of the PRINCE2 2017 Method Template, which can be used with the Small Team, Enterprise, or Live editions, is £100 plus VAT. For use by each user in your system, you can build an infinite amount of projects. Additionally, your method template will get you access to additional navigation and analysis features that our personal tools do not support.

prince2 2017 software; prince2 method template

Free PRINCE2 2017 software

Of course, we also provide free PRINCE2 2017 software because we are kind people. As a result, you can use a select number of the PRINCE2 2017 Community Edition resources for nothing at all.

 


Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

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Making The PRINCE2 Themes Specific

Posted on December 29, 2022December 29, 2022 by Marbenz Antonio

What Is PRINCE2 Project Management Methodology? Pros, Cons & More | CRM.org

The way in which the themes are implemented can be affected by customization.

The flexibility in the application of the themes may vary, from being strictly defined and specific to allowing the project management team a wide range of discretion in how they implement each theme.

All seven themes must be considered in a project, but their implementation should be adapted to the risk, size, characteristics, complexity, or simplicity of the project in question, always making sure that any required minimum standards specified in a theme are met.

A tailored PRINCE2 Theme should reflect any tailoring of the processes and terminology.

Customizing a theme does not necessarily involve changing the PRINCE2 theme itself. In most cases, the themes are implemented through the project’s risk, quality, change control, and communication management strategies.

These procedures should outline how the themes are implemented in practice for that specific project.

The level of control needed will affect the level of formality and the frequency of monitoring, reviewing, and reporting.

When implementing the themes, consider risk and any relevant external factors, such as corporate, portfolio, program, and customer policies and standards, and incorporate them into the project’s management approach, as illustrated in the following graphic:

Tailoring the PRINCE2 Themes

Many of the themes suggest that procedures may need to be established: PRINCE2 does not specify how these should be documented or disseminated.

Procedures can vary from a simple set of actions to a detailed process with a flowchart.

PRINCE2 includes a table of responsibilities for each theme; these may be reassigned as long as there is no conflict of interest, particularly between the roles involved in directing a project and those involved in managing a project.

The manual for each theme includes recommendations for various customization options for implementing the theme in practice, along with suggestions on how to handle some common scenarios.

Tailoring PRINCE2 Theme Rules

Customization allows the PRINCE2 themes to be adapted to create appropriate procedures and controls, as long as:

  • the PRINCE2 principles are upheld
  • the minimum requirements in each theme are satisfied
  • the purpose of each theme is not compromised.

The Format of the PRINCE2 Theme chapters

Each themed chapter has the following structure:

  • The theme Why the theme is important to the successful delivery of a project and the core concepts necessary to understand PRINCE2’s requirements for the theme
  • PRINCE2’s requirements for the theme What is required, as a minimum, to be following PRINCE2
  • Guidance for the effective use of the theme How to practically apply the theme to different organizations, environments, and delivery approaches
  • Techniques that can be used for the theme

 


Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

Posted in PRINCE2Tagged PRINCE2Leave a Comment on Making The PRINCE2 Themes Specific

PRINCE2 is Used to make Project Management Easier for Stakeholders

Posted on December 19, 2022 by Marbenz Antonio

Project Management News, Research, and Analysis | Toptal®

When starting a new project, PRINCE2 usually thinks about how to make project management easier for my stakeholders to understand and how they can adapt my role and responsibilities to help accomplish this goal.

In a dynamic organization where resources are scarce, you may be asked to lead initiatives that are outside of your expertise or areas of strength. How can you maximize your impact and ensure that your stakeholders receive ongoing support in this situation?

What strategies from a methodology like PRINCE2 can be useful in this situation?

  1. Documenting and Tracking Events: Writing minutes and organizing information may not be the most thrilling task, but it is crucial for ensuring that actions and decisions are documented, an audit trail is available, and that there is no confusion or ambiguity. In addition to these benefits, keeping everything documented can also help you learn more about the project and get more involved. It can also support the tracking of progress and demonstrate good governance for future reference. Moreover, having detailed records of decisions, events, risks, and issues, as well as lessons learned, can support the ongoing justification of the business by providing a clear record of what has occurred.
  2. Know your Stakeholder: To maximize the impact of stakeholders in a project, it is important to understand their expectations, motivations, and level of engagement. This can help you tailor your role to meet their needs. For example, by understanding their availability and expertise, you can ensure that they are only involved when necessary or when they can add value. This aligns with the communication management approach in PRINCE2, which outlines how often you should communicate with stakeholders, the profile of stakeholders, and the overall communication strategy.
  3. Facilitating and Unblocking Deadlocks: It can be challenging to work outside of your comfort zone, especially when you feel like you don’t have much to contribute. However, there are still things you can do to be effective in these situations. For example, you can focus on ensuring that communication is handled effectively and use your problem-solving skills to adapt to different environments. Communication is often a key factor in the failure of projects, so understanding how your organization or project team operates and how processes are followed can help you analyze each situation from an internal perspective and apply your experience to solve problems.
  4. Deep Dive into the Subject: It may seem obvious, but it is important to understand what the project aims to achieve. You have seen many cases where subject matter experts and senior stakeholders are unaware of or do not understand the scope of the work to be done. This is not necessarily due to incompetence, but rather because ambiguity is a common characteristic of projects. For example, people may come and go from an organization, requirements may be written in a confusing way, or the project may involve a completely new regulation, sanction, or technology. As a project manager, it is your responsibility to gather enough information about the initiative to give your project team the confidence and reassurance they need to deliver. This aligns with the roles and responsibilities and tailoring principles in PRINCE2. When there is significant ambiguity and the project team is not experienced or prepared, a project manager should not restrict responsibilities.

You don’t have to be an expert to help your team achieve its goals and simplify its work.

 


Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

Posted in PRINCE2, Project ManagementTagged PRINCE2, Project ManagementLeave a Comment on PRINCE2 is Used to make Project Management Easier for Stakeholders

Using ITIL 4 to Bridge the IT/Business Gap

Posted on December 12, 2022 by Marbenz Antonio

ITIL® 4 Certification Path - What Happens with my ITIL® v3 Certification -  ITCE

As more and more businesses and organizations transition to digital, there can still be a disconnect between IT and the business. Even though in 2023 it is expected that digital transformation and business/IT should be integrated, there may still be some organizations that hold onto more traditional ideas and strategies.

For instance, a company may want to expand its customer base and increase revenue but may view IT as simply a department responsible for maintaining technology and staying up to date with the latest developments in fields like AI and automation.

In the ideal situation, a company’s strategy would incorporate both business and IT, with IT being seen as a way to generate revenue, not just as a cost center. If there is a disconnect between business and IT, it can have a negative impact on the strategy and the ability to create value together.

Conflicting priorities

When an organization’s strategy focuses on increasing revenue and improving customer experience without taking into account the role of IT, investment in technology may decrease. This can lead to older technology infrastructure being used for customer platforms, which can ultimately result in reduced service availability and a breakdown in the co-creation of value. From what they have observed, it is common for organizations to talk about developing a comprehensive strategy, but in practice, they often prioritize one area, such as revenue, over others.

For companies that want to prioritize digital initiatives, it is important to have a holistic view and recognize that digital transformation comes at a cost. To effectively manage a mix of on-premises, hybrid, and cloud architecture, companies must be willing to invest in technology. While the cost of these investments can be intimidating, it is important to have strategic conversations and carefully consider the true cost involved. Some organizations may be tempted to take shortcuts, but these can ultimately lead to problems down the line.

ITIL 4 provides guiding principles that can help organizations think holistically about their goals and the factors driving their decision-making. For example, an organization may need to consider whether they need investors, new employees, or different skills to achieve their goals.

ITIL 4 also emphasizes the importance of effective communication and understanding how each part of the business fits into the service value chain in order to drive value co-creation. While it is natural for different parts of the organization to have their own priorities and objectives, delivering the services and value that the organization desires requires setting aside individual agendas and focusing on what is best for the customer.

Adopting ITIL 4

The businesses that are most successful at bridging the gap between business and IT often have a culture that encourages open communication and a willingness to adopt new ways of working. Adopting the ITIL 4 guiding principles, such as progressing iteratively with feedback and thinking holistically, can help organizations move away from siloed working and towards a more collaborative and value-focused culture.

If your organization is not currently operating in this way, a good first step might be to focus on improving communication and collaboration within the organization.

ITIL 4’s continual improvement model provides both a sensible starting point and a way to progress iteratively, asking:

  • What is the vision?
  • Where are we now?
  • Where do we need to be?
  • How do we get there?

Then:

  • Take action
  • Did we get there?
  • How do we keep the momentum going?

It is not important if an organization has a low level of maturity at the outset; once you understand your starting point, using a model for continual improvement can help bring people on board with the process.

Having a framework like ITIL 4, which is not limited to IT, allows it to be applied to any part of the organization. This can help break down barriers, improve collaboration, and promote a shared understanding of how to deliver value together.

 


Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

Posted in Agile, DevOps, ITIL 4, Lean, PRINCE2Tagged #Agile, DevOps, ITIL 4, Lean, PRINCE2Leave a Comment on Using ITIL 4 to Bridge the IT/Business Gap

The challenging journey given output takes to become outcomes and benefits

Posted on November 10, 2022 by Marbenz Antonio

Article: Rewind 2020: The year of change, learnings, and HR — People Matters

The cost of living is out of control for your customers and service users in the high-inflation environment of today.

The same price increases that affect your clients will also affect your business, from greater utility costs to higher pricing for raw goods. To maintain profit margins, there is pressure to increase rates, which puts further pressure on your customers.

Is there anything you could do in its place, though? In my experience working with thousands of companies, Usually see investments in initiatives and programs being wasted because the advantages are not completely realized.

To ensure that outcomes are met, benefits are realized, and what has to be monitored, when, and how, both PRINCE2 and Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) recommend creating a benefits management approach that includes actions and evaluations.

From developing skills to introducing new methods of operation

Make sure a project or program produces the correct outputs to get the most out of your investment in change. When these outputs are combined, they produce the capabilities that will be put to use in operations.

However, this is usually where businesses go astray. Benefits, or measurable increases in business performance, won’t be attained unless operational staff uses these capabilities as planned and in an efficient manner. To achieve a smooth transfer of what the business wants, when the business wants it, to operations, the project or program manager must collaborate closely with the business representatives (senior user or business change manager).

The company must have had enough time to get ready in terms of communication, training, handling resistance from affected employees, changing terms and conditions, and winning over customers. The new capabilities will be adopted and become results if the firm is well-prepared. This is the point at which the operational methods of operation have been changed to meet the new standards.

But does it all measure up?

However, the project or program’s work is not yet finished. Before the capabilities go live, an accurate baseline or measure of company performance is required for measuring the benefit and demonstrating the difference you have achieved. To ensure that the baseline is correct and not merely a “blip,” it might be necessary to measure current performance over a long time (either higher or lower than the average).

The improvement must also be measured once the goal has been reached. If the benefit is achieved during a program, when staff from the program is available to carry out this activity, it is quite easy. Benefits, however, usually don’t appear in full until the project or program is over.

A benefit profile that outlines each benefit, what needs to be measured, how, when, and who is in charge of achieving the benefit is required by MSP. Early in the lifecycle of the project or program, these documents should be generated and updated continuously. This ensures that these records can be given to the portfolio office if one exists, or to the finance/performance management departments for follow-up when the project is completed.

It is best practice to form a small team with members from operations, finance, and project/program management to measure the benefits after initiative closure. To choose what to measure, how to measure it, and who to include, this team will use the benefits management approach and benefit profiles.

This effort should be overseen by the senior user/business change manager to ensure that benefits are appropriately recorded to demonstrate whether expenses have decreased or sales have increased. To continue making a profit and learn from their mistakes, your company can do this. This will help them be even more successful at turning change projects into actual business value.

 


Here at CourseMonster, we know how hard it may be to find the right time and funds for training. We provide effective training programs that enable you to select the training option that best meets the demands of your company.

For more information, please get in touch with one of our course advisers today or contact us at training@coursemonster.com

Posted in PRINCE2Tagged PRINCE2Leave a Comment on The challenging journey given output takes to become outcomes and benefits

Using Agile and PRINCE2 in Hybrid Projects and Programs

Posted on November 10, 2022 by Marbenz Antonio

PM Methodologies: Waterfall, DAD, SAFe, LeSS, Scrum@Scale | Toptal

What possible benefits can projects and programs experience by using Agile methods?

Organizations can prioritize strategically when they are agile, chunking tasks and objectives into time periods that are long enough to produce something of value but short enough to undo if necessary. With agile approaches, you can reorder priorities or even put projects on hold altogether, providing you more flexibility to respond to customer and business needs.

Despite the advantages of the Agile method, there is also value in developing so-called hybrid work conditions in change initiatives.

Using hybrid project and program approaches

Agile for “Agilistas” is a way of life, yet more traditional project management methods like PRINCE2 are still needed.

For large-scale Government contracts, for example, a more “waterfall” strategy usually works well. To deliver government projects, at least in the UK, the PRINCE2 methodology and qualified personnel are usually needed by contracts.

The business needs to decide the best technique or approach to use that can work effectively with a primarily waterfall-driven organization working with ad hoc Agile pockets of excellence, for example in digital transformation.

The problem arises when a company has numerous initiatives going at once, some of which are using the Agile method, others PRINCE2, or a hybrid of the two.

So, how can you manage hybrid working methods inside the same organization?

New approaches to providing benefits and working

One strategy is to develop and implement a longer-term, multi-year roadmap for change in quarterly increments, but with a more conventional waterfall governance structure overlay.

In addition to a program board focused on the delivery plan and managing resources, costs, quality, risk, and scope on a monthly cycle, this may also include a steering group to agree on strategic priorities and release investment each quarter.

In this way, regardless of the method used by specific initiatives, organizations can create a consistent and repeatable governance framework across their portfolio.

Reaching the tipping point where the organization’s innovators, early adopters, and the early majority know enough to see the approach will work and that it’s worthwhile to do, and managing disruption to initiative delivery while transitioning to the new model, are key challenges in adopting a hybrid approach.

Developing knowledge and skills for hybrid projects and programs

Some senior managers believe switching to Agile or hybrid working paradigms will be as simple as flipping a switch. Sadly, no, it doesn’t.

Instead, businesses should invest in educating key staff members about the agile method and offering corporate coaching. They can’t lead what we don’t understand, after all!

People are more likely to understand the benefits of the new business model, be able to contextual it for the organization, and realize that their employer is investing in their abilities, professional growth, and ability to contribute to the organization’s future if this occurs.

In the end, it’s important to establish the proper mindset, culture, and idea of a learning business where everyone aspires to be highly effective.

And those in positions of leadership need to show this. As the director of the transformation program, for instance, they must develop a learner’s mindset to comprehend the new change model we are adopting and set an example for the culture and mindset of constant learning that is a characteristic of high-performing teams.

Scaling up Agile in an organization

Agile-working efforts usually begin small, for instance, with a covert Agile team developing a digital product.

Instead of attempting a wholesale adoption of Agile methodologies, you may road-test the strategy, demonstrate what works, gain experience, and improve/adapt as you go. This not only gives the project team and senior management the assurance that the strategy will be successful, but it also develops a repeatable model to test out on additional initiatives.

As a result, it shifts away from a “big bang” strategy and toward evolution.

If you do it well, it will encourage staff and boost morale. The possibility that the organization’s appetite will be awakened before it is truly prepared and before senior leadership is certain that an Agile strategy is sound must also be managed.

Stephen Covey, a management author, uses the phrase “sharpening the saw” to describe the idea of investing in oneself, picking up new abilities, keeping one’s edge, and practicing. These are necessary for thriving in an Agile or hybrid workplace.

 


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Posted in Agile, PRINCE2Tagged #Agile, PRINCE2Leave a Comment on Using Agile and PRINCE2 in Hybrid Projects and Programs

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