PRINCE2® to Practical

Duration 3 Days (plus some evening work)

Many people learn the popular PRINCE2® project management methodology by attending an exam orientated training course. While this is an excellent way to learn the best practice approach that PRINCE2® adopts the flexibility and practical implementation of the method is necessarily sidelined. The PRINCE to Practice course take up were your exam preparation stopped and will help you to answer the following questions:

- How do I choose and build my organization? (including a look at people management)
- In real life should my Business Case? (including simple Investment Appraisals)
- How should I implement controls to make sure my project is as robust as possible? (including how to write
Strategies and how to handle Risks & Issues)
- Project Assurance is all very well but how can I use it without breaking the bank?
- Why is the method so bureaucratic? (ps it’s not if used properly - we’ll show you how)
- How can I create a simple plan and is it possible to make sense of product based planning? (Yes you can - we’ll
give you some practice!)

You will spend three days in an interactive workshop working with two scenarios to develop the tools and techniques to tailor PRINCE2® properly. The course has been designed to allow ample time for practice, discussion and peer review, much of the time is devoted to the hands-on exercises were you will practice the skills each section describes. Practical work will focus on two projects: a very small one and a larger more complex change. You will consider both scenarios as you perform the exercise thus developing a view of how the method can be tailored to meet the needs of a project. The scenarios will be presented by your Course Tutor and have been designed to evolve in response to the class thus mimicking real life projects. Some evening work may be given by the Course Tutor and it is important to make time to review the class work each evening and reflect on what you have discovered.

Course Content

Introduction
What are we here for?
Hello who are we?
What have I forgotten? - a quick review of the PRINCE2® method
Exercise: Several exercises will be used during the introduction as you recapture what you have previously learned
Introduction to the two scenarios:
The New Bathroom
The Office Move
Useful tools for the PM (Summary)
Tailoring the Method
Exercise: Tailoring the method for the two scenarios
Presentation & Feedback

Controlling Your Project
Summary & review of controls
No meetings???
Using Strategies
Sorting out Management Stages
Controlling Issues & Risks
Exercise: Writing Strategies
Presentation & Feedback

Practical Business Cases
Understanding the Business Case (why it is needed, who is it for)
What should I put in: Content in practice
Stating and measuring benefits in practice
The investment appraisal: Costs, Timescales, Risks & Benefits
Exercise: Writing Business Cases
Presentation & Feedback

Getting organised
Remember the roles?
Practical rules
Alternatives to the Board - Project Sponsors & Steering Groups
Dealing with Board roles
Why the Board need Project Assurance but how to make sure it is effective and does not cost an arm and a leg!
Selecting & motivating your team - a lightening overview of leadership and people management skills
Exercise: Specifying the Team
Presentation & Feedback

The care & feeding of Team Managers
Checkpoint Reports and other communication channels
Tolerance - would you give it to Team Managers?
Practical Workpackages
Exercise: Writing Workpackages
Presentation and Feedback

The Joy of plans
What goes in
Planning plans
A good project plan
A great stage plan
Yes you do need Product Descriptions - but not as many as you might think, identifying when you need a product description and when you don’t (hands-on Product Based Planning)
Exercise: Practical plan creation(includes identifying & creating product descriptions, creating a Project Plan and creating a Stage plan)
Presentation & feedback

Wrapping up
So what have we achieved?
Were do we go from here?

Who is the course suitable for?
This course assumes that attendees are conversant with the PRINCE2® methodology to at least Foundation level. The course is compatible with the 2009 version of the method - attendees who know only earlier versions are advised to study the differences before attending.

This course will not teach you the PRINCE2® method from the ground up but focus on the specific areas that Project Managers usually need to understand practically once they have developed a theoretical understanding of the standard best practice model.

Course Documentation

There is an excellent manual for the method and you will have been given it when you attended your exam training. PRINCE to Practice is focused on your next stage of development so documentation is kept deliberately light as we wish to encourage you to develop and record your own experience applicable to your work environment. You will receive a copy of the slides, exercises and any other material which may be of use to you.

PRINCE2® Foundation

So knowledgeable he was a true expert and professional at all times. Pace really worked well for me. Brilliant learning - stretched my mind and added logic to approach

Homeserve

PRINCE2® Practitioner

Excellent. A lot to cram into 4 days and Andy did a sterling job.

Axa LM

PRINCE2® Foundation

A very enjoyable experience with a wonderful trainer who is warmly thought of by entire group

Homeserve

PRINCE2® Foundation

Sound, thorough knowledge, provided good tools and techniques to learn subject and help with examinations

Suffolk Constabulary

PRINCE2® Foundation

Excellent course instructor who helped me to understand the course content with his real-world examples from his previous experience in various industries and sectors. It really helped me to apply the course content. On the whole a very positive experience!’

Muntons

PRINCE2® Practitioner

Excellent Instructor – Extremely Knowledgeable. Very rewarding experience.

Thetford Academy

PRINCE2® Foundation

1^st Class Course.

Willis