Prince2

PRINCE2 is a process-based project management method that provides a structured approach to planning, executing, and delivering projects. It emphasizes clear roles and responsibilities, staged supervision, and consistent product-focused planning to enable controlled change and risk management.

Origin and scope: PRINCE2 stands for Projects IN Controlled Environments. It originated in the United Kingdom through the CCTA and was later managed by the Office of Government Commerce and then AXELOS. It evolved from PROMPT and has become widely used across public and private sectors worldwide. It is designed to be scalable and applicable to projects of any size and type.

Core components: The method rests on three interrelated elements: principles, themes, and processes. It promotes continued business justification, manage by stages and by exception, defined roles and responsibilities, and a focus on outputs rather than activities. It also supports tailoring the method to the project environment.

Principles: Seven guiding propositions underpin PRINCE2: continued business justification, learn from experience, defined roles and responsibilities, manage by stages, manage by exception, focus on products, and tailor to the project environment.

Themes: There are seven thematic areas that must be addressed throughout the project: business case, organization, quality, plans, risk, change, and progress.

Processes: PRINCE2 defines seven processes that cover the project lifecycle: starting up a project, initiating a project, directing a project, controlling a stage, managing product delivery, managing stage boundaries, and closing a project.

Certification and adoption: Training and certification are available at Foundation (basics) and Practitioner (application) levels. The method is administered by AXELOS and is widely taught by accredited training organizations. It is used across industries and geographies to improve governance, accountability, and consistency in project delivery.