Define Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships is one of the seven PRINCE2 principles that ensures clarity in project governance and accountability. This principle establishes that every project must have clearly defined and agreed roles and responsibilities for the people involved in the project…Define Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships is one of the seven PRINCE2 principles that ensures clarity in project governance and accountability. This principle establishes that every project must have clearly defined and agreed roles and responsibilities for the people involved in the project, as well as a means of achieving effective communication between all stakeholders.
In PRINCE2 7, this principle recognises that projects bring together people from different business functions, organisations, and sometimes external suppliers. For the project to succeed, everyone needs to understand what is expected of them and how they relate to others involved in the project.
The principle addresses three primary stakeholder interests that must be represented in the project management structure: Business (ensuring the project delivers value and remains viable), User (specifying requirements and ensuring the solution meets operational needs), and Supplier (providing resources and expertise to create the project outputs).
PRINCE2 defines specific roles within its project management team structure, including the Project Board (comprising Executive, Senior User, and Senior Supplier), Project Manager, Team Manager, and Project Assurance. Each role has distinct responsibilities that contribute to effective project delivery.
Relationships between roles must be clearly established to facilitate decision-making, escalation paths, and communication flows. This includes understanding reporting lines, authority levels, and how different parties interact throughout the project lifecycle.
The principle also emphasises that roles may be shared or combined depending on the project size and complexity, but the responsibilities associated with each role must still be fulfilled. Effective application of this principle helps prevent confusion, reduces conflict, ensures accountability, and enables efficient project governance. Projects that fail to establish clear roles often experience delays, misunderstandings, and poor decision-making due to ambiguity about who is responsible for what.
Define Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships - Complete Guide
Why is Define Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships Important?
This principle is essential because projects involve multiple stakeholders, teams, and organizational structures that must work together effectively. When roles and responsibilities are unclear, projects suffer from confusion, duplication of effort, accountability gaps, and communication breakdowns. By clearly defining who does what, who makes decisions, and how different parties interact, PRINCE2 ensures that everyone understands their contribution to project success.
What is This Principle?
The Define Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships principle states that projects must have defined and agreed roles, responsibilities, and relationships. This creates a clear project organization structure that represents the interests of the business, user, and supplier stakeholders. These three primary interest groups must be represented in the project governance to ensure balanced decision-making.
Key aspects include: - Business interests: Concerned with value for money and achieving benefits - User interests: Those who will use the products or be affected by outcomes - Supplier interests: Those who provide resources and expertise to create products
How Does This Principle Work?
PRINCE2 establishes a project management team structure with four levels:
1. Corporate, Programme Management, or Customer - Commissions the project and sets constraints
2. Project Board - Provides direction and makes key decisions. Includes: - Executive (represents business interests, single point of accountability) - Senior User (represents user interests) - Senior Supplier (represents supplier interests)
3. Project Manager - Day-to-day management and delivery
4. Team Manager - Manages work package delivery
Supporting roles include Project Assurance and Project Support. The principle ensures accountability at every level and clear reporting lines.
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Define Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships
Key Points to Remember:
• The Executive is the single point of accountability for the project and represents business interests
• All three stakeholder interests (business, user, supplier) must be represented on the Project Board
• The Project Board is responsible for the project, while the Project Manager manages it on their behalf
• Roles can be shared or combined, but the three interests must remain separate
• Project Assurance cannot be delegated to the Project Manager
• Communication approaches should be established early to support relationships
Common Exam Scenarios:
- Questions about who is accountable versus who is responsible - Scenarios asking which role should perform a specific action - Questions about combining or delegating roles - Situations involving conflicts between stakeholder interests
Answering Strategy:
When faced with exam questions, first identify which stakeholder interest is involved (business, user, or supplier). Then match this to the appropriate role. Remember that the Executive owns the Business Case, Senior Users focus on benefits realization, and Senior Suppliers focus on product delivery. Always consider whether the question relates to direction (Project Board), management (Project Manager), or delivery (Team Manager) levels.