In the context of PRINCE2 7, documenting tailoring decisions is a critical activity that validates the application of the principle 'Tailor to suit the project'. Tailoring is necessary to ensure the project management method is appropriate for the project's scale, complexity, risk, and cultural con…In the context of PRINCE2 7, documenting tailoring decisions is a critical activity that validates the application of the principle 'Tailor to suit the project'. Tailoring is necessary to ensure the project management method is appropriate for the project's scale, complexity, risk, and cultural context. Documenting these decisions provides an audit trail, ensures governance, and communicates exactly how the project will be managed to the Project Board.
These decisions are formally recorded within the Project Initiation Documentation (PID). While high-level tailoring might be suggested in the Project Brief, the PID acts as the 'contract' for the project's management style. The documentation must explicitly cover:
1. **Adaptation of Roles:** For example, noting if the Project Manager is also performing the Project Support role, or if Project Board roles are combined.
2. **Modification of Processes:** Stating if processes like 'Starting a Project' and 'Initiating a Project' are being merged for a small, low-risk project.
3. **Management Products:** Specifying if documents (like the Risk and Issue registers) are being combined into a Daily Log, or if reports will be verbal rather than written.
4. **Terminology:** Mapping PRINCE2 terms to organizational standards.
Crucially, the documentation must explain *why* the tailoring is happening (the justification) to prevent 'PRINCE2 In Name Only' (PINO) or 'ROBOT' (mechanistic) application. While practices (themes) and processes are tailored, the seven Principles are never tailored or omitted; the documentation must show they remain upheld. The Project Board reviews and approves these tailoring decisions when authorizing the PID. Furthermore, these decisions are not static; they should be reviewed at stage boundaries and updated in the PID or Stage Plans if the project's external or internal environment changes.
Documenting Tailoring Decisions
What is Documenting Tailoring Decisions? In PRINCE2, tailoring is the act of adapting the method to the external environment (e.g., corporate standards) and the specific project factors (e.g., scale, complexity, risk, team capability). Documenting these decisions involves explicitly recording how the method is being applied and why specific changes were made. This ensures that the project management team and stakeholders understand the governance logic and that the project remains compliant with the universal principle: Tailor to suit the project.
Why is it Important? Documenting tailoring decisions is critical for several reasons: 1. Audit and Assurance: It provides an audit trail. Project assurance needs to know why certain steps or documents were omitted or combined to verify that the project is still under control. 2. Communication: It ensures all team members understand the agreed processes and their specific roles, preventing confusion caused by assuming 'standard' PRINCE2 practices apply when they have been modified. 3. Agreement: It formalizes the Project Board's approval of the management strategy. By approving the documentation, the Board agrees to the specific level of control and bureaucracy applied.
How it Works Tailoring decisions are primarily documented during the Initiating a Project process. The central repository for these decisions is the Project Initiation Documentation (PID). However, specific tailoring details are often distributed across the management approaches contained within the PID:
1. The PID: This is the main container. It should include a summary or a specific section outlining how PRINCE2 is tailored for the project. 2. Management Approaches: Detailed tailoring regarding specific disciplines is recorded in the relevant approach. For example, if the project will use Agile techniques for delivery, this is documented in the Project Product Description or the Work Package definitions, but the strategy for managing that scope is in the PID. 3. Registers and Logs: If a project decides to combine the Risk Register and Issue Register into a single 'Daily Log' (common for small projects), this decision must be documented in the PID to explain why the standard separate registers do not exist.
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Documenting Tailoring Decisions In the PRINCE2 Practitioner exam, you will be presented with a scenario and asked to evaluate whether the application of PRINCE2 is appropriate. Here is how to tackle questions about documenting tailoring:
1. Look for the PID: If the question asks where the tailoring of the project controls should be recorded, the answer is almost always the Project Initiation Documentation (PID). Do not confuse this with the Project Brief (which is too early for detailed tailoring) or the Benefits Management Approach.
2. Justification is Key: A correct answer often involves checking if the tailoring is justified. It is not enough to say 'we removed the Highlight Report'. The documentation must say 'we removed the Highlight Report because the project is small and the Project Board meets weekly'.
3. Check for 'Missing' Products: Questions may describe a scenario where a standard PRINCE2 product (like an Issue Report) is not used. You must identify that this is acceptable only if the decision is documented in the PID and an alternative method (like a verbally delivered report recorded in the Daily Log) is agreed upon.
4. Terminology Mapping: If the scenario uses corporate terminology (e.g., calling the 'Project Manager' a 'Delivery Lead'), the exam requires you to confirm that the PID records this mapping so that everyone knows the 'Delivery Lead' fulfills the responsibilities of the PRINCE2 Project Manager role.
5. Beware of 'Robotic' Application: Avoid answers that suggest using every template without change. The correct answer usually favors an approach where documentation is scaled down to match the project's risk and complexity, provided that the decision is recorded.