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From the Editor:

"And on the fourth instalment, they kept calling it PRINCE2® - with an addendum." - The Editor, to himself in a dream

Yes folks, the PRINCE2: 2009® refresh is here and it's clear that one of the more recognised project management tools will never be the same. How big is the refresh? What becomes of those prior qualifiers? While PRINCE2® still is one of the most attractive tools of qualification in the project management market, will the fourth version force a retraining of the old guard of PRINCE2® Practitioners?

These are our questions. We've brought in some people close to the matter to get you the answers.

That's why our valued clients deserve better when it comes to tracking down the best project management talent out there. It's always a good time to ramp up your project management knowledge, so keep reading Project Management News!

Dan Strayer, Editor

From the Editor

Arras People have been successfully awarded by both the Department of Health (DH) & the NHS Purchasing & Supply Agency (NHS PASA) for the supply of Commercial Resources in a national and regional capacity.

Headquartered in Heywood, Lancashire, Arras People is one of the awarded suppliers named on this framework who will work with the DH, its ALBs (Arms Length bodies) and NHS PASA to improve commercial capability through an increased emphasis on efficiency and value for money, specifically in a project and programme management capacity. Arras People is widely acknowledged for its expertise in project and programme management and the company will provide recruitment services and consultancy in the hiring (both for local and national NHS entities) of future non-permanent Project Manager, Programme Manager and Project Co-ordinator positions.

“The team at Arras are looking forward to engaging with the NHS and the Department of Health personnel. We feel that our inclusion recognises the value of professional project management and specifically the value that we can deliver as a knowledge-based, niche recruitment supplier," said John Thorpe, Managing Director of Arras People.

• For more information about the Commercial Framework Agreement with Arras People and NHS PASA, click here.
• For all Arras People News & Events, click here.
• For our post about the Commercial Framework Agreement at How to Manage a Camel, click here.

By Derek Bell

PRINCE stands for Projects IN Controlled Environments. Originally released in 1989 to enhance best practice in project management in the UK, it was replaced by PRINCE2® in 1996 and had a major update in 2005, however, the transformation into the 2009 version is a much greater change in line with its role as a more global standard.

The intent is twofold.

• To simplify the guidance by making the language more accessible and less wordy, resulting in the manual being reduced from 457 to 327 pages.
• To bring the guidance more in line with the latest project and programme management practices, particularly as found in the Office of Government Commerce's (OGC) Managing Successful Programmes (MSP™) and Management of Risk (MoR®) guidelines.

Previously PRINCE2® was based on the number eight! We had eight processes and eight components. Each process outlined the management activities to be carried out during the project and the components covered the major concepts to be applied.

Now the magic number is seven!

• Seven principles that underpin any PRINCE2® project.
• Seven themes which closely map to the former PRINCE2® components, except than configuration management is incorporated into the Change theme.
• Seven processes, which map to the former eight processes, with the planning process being covered in the Plans theme.

The final main section of the manual gathers together the tailoring aspects of PRINCE2®, which used to be split up throughout the manual, into a chapter in its own right. The seven principles are summarised as:

• Continued business justification
• Learn from experience
• Defined roles and responsibilities
• Manage by stages
• Manage by exception
• Focus on products
• Tailor to suit the project environment

• Organisation clarifies the separate Business, User, and Supplier Project Assurance requirements, along with the clearer role of the Change Authority. It also provides better guidance in stakeholder engagement and working with the corporate organisation.
• Risk has been brought much more in line with the OGC's Management of Risk (MoR®) principles.

Processes: PRINCE2® has done away with sub-processes! Strictly speaking, it has done away with the term sub-process and renamed them activities. They are not numbered any more, and have a diagram representing inputs and outputs rather than an 'information needs' table, along with clarification of responsibility for production, reviewing and approving each product.

The appendices have been modified with Risk Categories and Document Management being replaced by ones on Governance and a Product-based planning example.

To conclude: the 2009 version of PRINCE2® still adheres to the same fundamental concepts, but aims at being easier to understand and less proscriptive in its approach.

Derek Bell is a Project Management Consultant and Trainer for ESI. For more about ESI, click here.

For more PRINCE2: 2009 information, go to How to Manage a Camel to read Friday's exclusive PRINCE2: 2009 Twitter hour for a brief overview of the refresh with Andy Murray, lead author of the refresh.

By Helen Moore

So, PRINCE2: 2009® has hit the streets, which is all very exciting, especially if you are a training company! PRINCE2® remains eternally popular with PMs who feel that it is an essential part of their professional training: it has become a ‘must have' in many circles and official figures say that the number of people taking PRINCE2® qualifications increases by 20% year on year.

The press release which landed in my inbox today quotes Nigel Smith, Chief Executive of OGC (Office of Government Commerce), as saying,

"PRINCE2® is extensively used in over 150 countries around the world and its take up grows daily. It is widely considered as the leading tool in project management, with over 20,000 organisations already benefiting from its pioneering and trusted approach. Complex projects today often involve several organisations working together in partnership or through contractual arrangements to achieve the objectives, and PRINCE2® provides a common language between organisations and with external suppliers."

"This is a very exciting time for the PRINCE2® (sic) Accredited Community. The new version of PRINCE2® (sic) makes it more accessible for all users and particularly for senior managers. Many of the criticisms that were made of the method have been addressed. "It is more appealing than ever to adopt it as a Best Practice Standard."

It will be interesting to hear the feedback from the market in the coming months. If anyone has any first hand experience of the new PRINCE2: 2009® product, I would be interested to hear.

Helen Moore is the editor of pmlifeline.com and has been a regular contributor to the Arras People family of newsletters. To give your feedback, email her at editor@pmlifeline.com

Dispensing the Finest in Ales and PM Advice Since 2009!

QUESTION: Does the project management job market change once you find yourself on the wrong side of age 60? - Anonymous

PM BARTENDER: I didn't want to dwell on last month's question, but one thing I've learned after years behind the bar is that people feel better sometimes drowning their sorrows out in the open.

Below are a few more responses I've culled to the gentleman's question. Names have been changed to protect anonymity. You might want to order a couple pints - like last month, we could be here awhile!

Mark* is an American CGC and PMP construction professional based in Miami who has worked with a variety of project managers of all ages. He is of the view that real-world knowledge, first-hand experience and a sincere willingness to take younger, eager PMs under the wing is a characteristic a company can't put a price tag on.

"Most of the 50+ PMs I have worked with have forgotten more than the younger PMs know," Mark said. "You can only get real experience after 10-15 years of real world work. You need to work under an experienced PM in order to understand how to use what you learned in school. Senior staff are the best mentors in the business. They can guide the young and they teach without the cost of errors, in judgment and in the field."

Mark added that the notion of over qualified and too much experience makes little sense, though their ability to accept the work climate demands of the day is essential in the hiring process.

"I do not buy into the over qualified and too expensive debate," he said. "How can anyone be over qualified or have too much experience? Older PMs have usually put money away and in these low economic times are willing to work for much less that they may have earned in the high times. Given an opportunity, they will show their value, and it won't cost much."

"This market is a real buying opportunity to hire high caliber PMs cheap. The company gets the advantage of knowledge, skills, experience and wisdom that cannot be taught, for the best price in many years. Many of these seniors will work till they are 70 or 75, and may work part time or on contract. They are usually stable and have good work ethics. They bring real value with them."

Lisa* is a renowned governance director for an architectural group who works in full-time/contract roles IT management, architecture and programme management. While she considers the matter a 'touchy subject', she comes down safely on the side of Mark's views about experience.

"There is value in being mentored by more experienced folks," Lisa said. "Experience adds to practical wisdom. The mark-to-market occurred with a round after the dotcom bust and people are going through it again, unfortunately. I would say, though, that there is a difference between fair market value and below-market-value."

The matter of "over qualification" is often viewed by the general public as a generalised excuse that has somehow gained traction and thus power. Sceptics of the phrase find it to be a cop-out for hirers who really mean to say 'too expensive': Others can't shake the notion that the very nature of the word is a positive that has somehow morphed into a negative coming out of the job application process.

Bryant* is a PMP-certified PM Consultant/Trainer who believes that contracting is the way to go in a market that is moving toward non-permanent hiring as a way to attract talent without adding the financial headaches of more long-term talent.

"I would think that getting a permanent position might be difficult as, for one, they may think you're overqualified and too expensive for a mid-level PM position," Bryant said. "However, seeking a contract position (6 months to a year) may be a good way to segue into an organization and let them know that you are a valuable asset for years to come."

I promise we'll move on to better things next month. The next one's on me!

E-mail careersadvice@arraspeople.co.uk with your questions for the PM Bartender.