Managing A Stage Boundary

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

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Advanced Project Management

Prince 2

B00212107

4/7/2013

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Contents

1. One of the first projects due to commence is the design, manufacture and installation of a gas fired heating system for a new £3m Centre for Engineering Excellence for Ayr College campus. The contract start date is June 2013 and the system must be completed and commissioned in 125 weeks.

1.1. In relation to the Ayr Project, outline the seven PRINCE2 management processes that cover the activities from setting the project of on the right track through managing the project’s progress to the completion of the project.

1.1Seven Prince2 management processes

Starting up a Project (SU)

The most important question to ask when beginning a project is will this project be viable and worthwhile? The basis of which will be the supporting information that constitutes the business case, with reference to the air campus heating project this will be based on demand for placements shown by an increase of applications over a period of two or three years that may have led to missed opportunities by the university. The project will increase the capacity of the number of students allowing the university to meet the demand for placements.

During the start-up stage of a project a business justification must be prepared; enough information must be gathered to be able to produce a project scope, a project approach is chosen, key roles are allocated to members of management, for example the executive and project manager and the project initiation is planned.

The start-up stage of a project ensures no time is wasted planning and beginning a project with unrealistic timescales, costs and expectations.

There are six activities involved in Starting up a Project:

Appoint the Executive and the Project Manager

Capture previous lessons

Design and appoint the project management team

Prepare the outline Business Case

Select the project approach and assemble the project brief

Plan the initiation stage

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Initiating a Project (IP)

The initiation stage of a project allows everyone involved in the project to understand what work is required in order to meet the deliverables of the project. Each party within the project should understand what the risks, expectations are and benefits are. The initiation process should detail who will be involved in the decision making and who the stakeholder representatives are and the delivery dates and costs of the project, the quality required and how this will be achieved, the monitoring system for progress updates, baselines and any issues or risks that may arise through-out the project.

The objectives for this stage are as follows:

• To establish the benefits which will be gained from doing the project and detailing any possible risks that may occur

• A clear scope will be drafted of what work is require to be done, how the final product will be produced and at what cost

• A detailed summary of who will be authorised to make decisions though-out the project

• How the quality will be maintained and how any possible risks will be reduced or contained

• A detailed explanation of how progress will be monitored and how information will be passed between each level of management

Directing a Project (DP)

The direction of a project phase starts on completion of the starting up a project process and is initiated by the by the initiation of a project, the purpose of this process is to allow the project board to be accountable for the success of the project by delegating any of the key decision making responsibilities to the board and allowing the project manager to be accountable for the daily decisions

Controlling a Stage (CS)

Often projects are separated into smaller manageable sections. These sections are detailed and monitored individually and reports are drafted at the end of each of these stages. The second stage cannot begin until the first stage has been completed and the project manager is happy with the results and allows the stage to be signed off. If any delays or issues occur within a stage the project manager will be notified through an issues report or an exception report depending on the possible implications of the delay. It is then the project managers responsibility to inform the project board when required and ensure a suitable solution be found to keep the project on schedule.

The objects for stage control are as follows:

To ensure each of the products are delivered on time and to cost as planned

Possible risks or issues are documented and kept within control limits

Managing a Stage Boundary (SB)

In order to create regular control points for the Project Board, a PRINCE2 project must be divided into management stages, at the boundaries of which the Project Board reviews project progress and decides whether or not to commit further resources to the project.

The purpose of the Managing a Stage Boundary (SB) process is for the Project Manager to prepare for the next management stage, by providing the Project Board with relevant and accurate information for making a decision about the project’s continued viability. This includes creating a Stage Plan (or an Exception Plan), and updating the Project Initiation Documentation.

The SB process involves six activities, which the Project Manager must perform once during each stage. These activities are also carried out when the project goes into exception and an Exception Plan is required.

Plan the next stage

Update the Project Plan

Update the Business Case

Consults & up-date the Risk Register,

Report Stage End

Managing Product Delivery (MP)

Managing product delivery ensures communication between the team manager and the project manager. This stage provides a link between the two members as requirements are set on the accepting, executing and delivering of project work. The team manager plays a vital role in this stage as he/she coordinates the production of a specified product that may be an internal or external to the customer’s needs.

The objectives of product delivery are as followed:

The work allocated to each of the teams are authorised and agreed by both the team manager and the project manager

All of the members involved are aware of the products that are required to be produced and what the limitations are for example the time and cost limitations.

All of the work completed meets the pre-determined requirements

All progress made is documented and passed on to the project manager.

•Closing a Project (CP)

The purpose of the closing stage of a project is to hand over the finished product. At this stage all of the initial objectives are reviewed to ensure the final product meets all of the customer’s requirements. Any issues that have arisen during the project can also be gathered together and documented in a final lessons learned report which can be used in the planning stage of future similar projects. The objectives of this stage are as followed:

Gain approval and hand over the final product to the user

Guarantee the products validity and ensure it performs the job it is required to do as per the project brief

Asses the performance of the project, in terms of comparing any estimated completion dates and costs with actual completion dates and costs

Determine a procedure to monitor and correct any open issues or risks that may still be on going in the project

1.2. In starting up the project phase, discuss the development and appointment of the project management team including the Project Board, Project Assurance, Project Support and team management.

1.3. Define the role of each of these in the context of this particular project and draft a job description for the Project Manager. To assist in the selection of a suitable candidate, indicate the preferred qualifications, background and character traits for this individual.