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 all true, up to a point. However, there is a belief in the business that PRINCE2® is the least appropriate of all recognised frameworks for delivering projects in the ‘real world’. This belief is based on the fact that PRINCE2® can be prescriptive and if applied in its entirety, rather longwinded. Clients running projects don’t always want to be constrained by its lengthy procedures.
Having said that, many organisations recognise the excellence of the qualification and request, if not insist, that their PM’s are PRINCE® accredited, and I am sure if a candidate holds the latest accreditation, PRINCE2: 2009®, then he/she will stand out.
However, the real test is how the framework is applied and whether the new version offers more obvious flexibility and can be adapted to suit the demand for efficient, fast-paced project delivery out in the commercial world.
There’s no doubt that PMs need to understand the principles of PRINCE2® (if their company project delivery approach is based on PRINCE®), but many organizations want a lean/light touch to their project management that they believe precludes the use of the PRINCE2® framework.
In certain vertical markets, particularly IT, telecoms and Web 2.0, other methods such as Agile seem to be preferred – it seems to suit their development project needs better. PRINCE2® seems like overkill – is PRINCE2: 2009® different? Does it REALLY suit the delivery of projects in 2009, or is it an antiquated approach that has some useful elements that should be utilised, but wrapped in a more versatile, leaner, lighter approach?
Going back to that press release, they claim that PRINCE2: 2009® has got it right. Richard Pharro, CEO, The APM Group, said:
“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 on the new PRINCE2: 2009® edition, email here at editor@pmlifeline.com.
This article was originally printed in the Arras People Monthly Newsletter in June 2009, to sign up as a subscriber click here
Image © Littledan77 and used with permission.
