Design and Appoint Project Management Team is a crucial activity within the Starting Up a Project process in PRINCE2 7. This activity ensures that the right people are in place to manage and deliver the project effectively before significant resources are committed.
The purpose of this activity is…Design and Appoint Project Management Team is a crucial activity within the Starting Up a Project process in PRINCE2 7. This activity ensures that the right people are in place to manage and deliver the project effectively before significant resources are committed.
The purpose of this activity is to establish an appropriate project management team structure and secure the commitment of individuals to fulfill their designated roles. The Project Board, which includes the Executive, Senior User, and Senior Supplier, must be identified and appointed first, as they provide overall direction and accountability for the project.
The Executive takes the lead in designing the project management team structure, working with corporate or programme management to determine what roles are needed based on the project's size, complexity, and risk profile. For smaller projects, individuals may combine multiple roles, while larger projects might require additional layers of management or multiple people sharing a single role.
Key considerations during this activity include ensuring all three primary interests are represented: business (value for money), user (fitness for purpose), and supplier (technical feasibility). The team structure must reflect the organization's governance requirements and the specific needs of the project.
The Project Manager is typically appointed during this activity, and they may then assist in identifying other team members such as Team Managers and Project Assurance roles. Role descriptions should be created to clarify responsibilities, authority levels, and reporting relationships.
This activity produces the project management team structure as part of the Project Brief documentation. Securing genuine commitment from appointed individuals is essential, as nominal appointments can lead to poor decision-making and project failure. The resulting team forms the foundation for all subsequent project management activities throughout the project lifecycle.
Design and Appoint Project Management Team - Complete Guide
Why is Design and Appoint Project Management Team Important?
This activity is crucial because it establishes the foundation for project governance and ensures the right people with appropriate skills and authority are in place to manage the project effectively. A well-designed project management team structure provides clear accountability, defined roles, and establishes communication channels that will be used throughout the project lifecycle.
What is Design and Appoint Project Management Team?
Design and Appoint Project Management Team is one of the key activities within the Starting up a Project process in PRINCE2. This activity focuses on:
• Determining the structure of the project management team • Identifying the skills and experience required for each role • Appointing individuals to fill these roles • Creating role descriptions that define responsibilities and authorities • Establishing reporting lines and decision-making processes
How Does This Activity Work?
The process follows these steps:
Step 1: Understand the project context - Review the project mandate and any existing organizational structures or constraints.
Step 2: Design the team structure - Based on project size, complexity, and organizational requirements, determine which roles are needed and how they will interact.
Step 3: Define role descriptions - Document the responsibilities, authorities, and skills required for each position within the project management team.
Step 4: Identify candidates - Work with corporate or programme management to identify suitable individuals for each role.
Step 5: Make appointments - Formally appoint individuals to their roles, ensuring they understand and accept their responsibilities.
The Executive is responsible for designing and appointing the project management team, though they may delegate aspects of this to the Project Manager once appointed.
Key Roles to Consider
• Project Board - Executive, Senior User(s), Senior Supplier(s) • Project Manager • Team Manager(s) - if required • Project Assurance - may be delegated or retained by Project Board • Project Support - if required • Change Authority - if delegated
Outputs from This Activity
• Role descriptions for the project management team • Appointments made and agreed • Input to the Project Brief regarding organization structure
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Design and Appoint Project Management Team
Tip 1: Remember that this activity occurs during Starting up a Project, not Initiating a Project. Questions may try to confuse these processes.
Tip 2: The Executive is accountable for this activity. If a question asks who designs and appoints the team, the Executive is the correct answer.
Tip 3: Understand that the Project Manager may be involved in designing the team structure but must first be appointed themselves.
Tip 4: Remember the principle of Defined roles and responsibilities - this activity is where that principle is put into practice.
Tip 5: Questions may ask about combining or sharing roles. Know that some roles can be combined (e.g., Executive and Senior User in small projects) but certain combinations are prohibited (e.g., Executive and Project Manager).
Tip 6: Pay attention to questions about Project Assurance - it can be delegated but responsibility remains with the Project Board.
Tip 7: The output feeds into the Project Brief, which is then used in the Initiating a Project process to create the full Project Initiation Documentation.
Tip 8: Look for keywords in questions such as 'first', 'initial', or 'before the project starts' which indicate Starting up a Project activities.