Quality Planning

Quality Planning in PRINCE2: A Comprehensive Guide

Understanding Quality Planning in PRINCE2: A Comprehensive Guide

Why Quality Planning is Important

Quality Planning is a crucial component of the Quality theme in PRINCE2. It is important because:

• It ensures that products meet business expectations and user requirements
• It helps prevent costly rework and project delays
• It establishes clear criteria for acceptance before work begins
• It aligns all stakeholders on what constitutes "quality" for the project
• It provides a systematic approach to building quality into project products

What is Quality Planning?

Quality Planning refers to the process of identifying the quality requirements and standards for the project and its products, and determining how to satisfy them. In PRINCE2, Quality Planning involves:

1. Establishing quality expectations: Understanding what the customer and key stakeholders expect in terms of quality

2. Defining quality criteria: Establishing measurable attributes that products must meet to be considered acceptable

3. Setting quality methods: Determining the techniques and tools that will be used to achieve and verify quality

4. Creating quality responsibilities: Assigning roles and responsibilities for quality management activities

How Quality Planning Works in PRINCE2

Quality Planning in PRINCE2 follows a structured approach:

1. During Starting Up a Project (SU):
• Initial quality expectations are captured from the customer
• These are documented in the Project Brief

2. During Initiating a Project (IP):
• The Project Manager creates the Quality Management Strategy
• This document establishes the quality techniques, standards, and responsibilities
• Quality criteria for each product are defined in Product Descriptions
• The Quality Register is set up to track quality activities

3. Throughout the project:
• Quality criteria and methods are refined for each product in Stage Plans
• Team Managers use these to plan quality activities for their Work Packages
• The Quality Register is updated as quality checks are planned

Key Components of Quality Planning

1. Quality Management Strategy:
• Defines the overall approach to quality management
• Outlines quality standards, procedures, and responsibilities
• Explains quality assurance and control processes

2. Product Descriptions:
• Include quality criteria for each product
• Define the quality methods to be used
• Specify quality skills required
• Identify quality responsibilities

3. Quality Register:
• Records all planned and completed quality activities
• Includes details of quality checks, results, and actions

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Quality Planning

1. Know the key documents:
• Understand the role of the Quality Management Strategy, Product Descriptions, and Quality Register
• Remember that quality criteria must be measurable

2. Understand the timing:
• Quality Planning primarily occurs during the Initiating a Project process
• But it is updated throughout the project lifecycle

3. Remember the roles and responsibilities:
• Executive: Approves Quality Management Strategy and ensures business quality expectations are met
• Project Manager: Creates Quality Management Strategy and ensures implementation
• Team Manager: Plans quality activities for Work Packages
• Project Assurance: Provides independent verification of quality processes

4. Focus on the quality chain:
• Customer's quality expectations → Acceptance criteria → Product descriptions → Quality methods

5. Connect with other themes:
• Risk: Quality failures represent risks that need managing
• Change: Changes may impact quality requirements
• Plans: Quality activities must be built into plans

6. Common question scenarios:
• Questions may ask you to identify appropriate quality criteria for products
• You may need to select appropriate quality methods for specific situations
• Questions might test your understanding of who is responsible for quality planning activities

7. Remember that quality is built in, not inspected in:
• Focus on prevention rather than detection
• Quality Planning is about designing quality into products from the start

By thoroughly understanding Quality Planning, you'll be well-prepared to answer exam questions on this critical aspect of the PRINCE2 Quality theme.