In the context of the PRINCE2 7 Managing a Stage Boundary process, the 'Plan next stage' activity is fundamental to the principle of 'managed by stages.' Its primary objective is to provide the Project Board with sufficient information to approve the next phase of the project. The Project Manager i…In the context of the PRINCE2 7 Managing a Stage Boundary process, the 'Plan next stage' activity is fundamental to the principle of 'managed by stages.' Its primary objective is to provide the Project Board with sufficient information to approve the next phase of the project. The Project Manager is responsible for creating a Stage Plan that offers the granularity required for day-to-day control, distinct from the higher-level Project Plan.
This activity relies heavily on product-based planning. The Project Manager defines the products to be delivered in the upcoming stage, drafts their Product Descriptions, and determines quality criteria. Based on these products, the necessary activities, dependencies, and resource requirements are estimated to establish the stage's schedule and budget tolerances.
Crucially, this planning affects the wider project documentation. The Project Plan must be updated to incorporate the actuals from the current stage and the detailed forecasts from the new Stage Plan. This provides a renewed baseline for the project's completion time and cost. Consequently, the Business Case must be reviewed; if the next stage is predicted to be more expensive or time-consuming than originally thought, the project's viability, desirability, and achievability may be impacted.
Furthermore, the Risk Register is updated to address specific threats and opportunities associated with the next stage's work. The output of this activity—the Stage Plan—forms the core of the request to the Project Board for authorization to proceed. It ensures that resources are committed only for a foreseeable duration and that the project remains aligned with business objectives before significant funds are spent.
Plan Next Stage: A PRINCE2 Practitioner v7 Guide
What is 'Plan Next Stage'? In PRINCE2, the activity Plan Next Stage takes place within the Managing a Stage Boundary (SB) process. It is the activity where the Project Manager looks ahead to the upcoming management stage and creates a detailed plan for the work required. It bridges the gap between the high-level Project Plan and the day-to-day execution.
Why is it Important? This activity is crucial for the principle of Continued Business Justification and Manage by Stages.
1. Rolling Wave Planning: It is inefficient to plan a whole project in detail at the start. 'Plan Next Stage' allows for 'just-in-time' detailed planning, utilizing knowledge gained from the current stage to accurately forecast the next. 2. Authorization: The Project Board cannot authorize the next stage without seeing a viable plan. This activity provides the data required for the 'End Stage Assessment'. 3. Baseline for Control: It creates the Stage Plan, which becomes the baseline against which the Project Manager monitors progress in the next stage.
How it Works During this activity, the Project Manager—often in collaboration with Team Managers and Subject Matter Experts—performs the following:
1. Review the PID: Check the Project Initiation Documentation components (like the Quality Management Approach or Change Management Approach) to ensure they are still fit for purpose. 2. Produce Product Descriptions: Create or update descriptions for the products to be delivered in the next stage. 3. Create the Stage Plan: Define the activities, resources, costs, and timescales required. This involves applying the Product-Based Planning technique. 4. Update the Project Plan: Incorporate the actuals from the current stage and the detailed forecast from the new Stage Plan into the overall Project Plan.
How to Answer Questions on Plan Next Stage In the Practitioner exam, questions will be scenario-based. You must determine if the actions taken are appropriate for the specific context.
1. Context is King: Look at the scenario. Is the project agile? If so, the 'Stage Plan' might be a collection of release backlogs or a timebox plan. Is the project simple? The plan might be a simple schedule. Ensure the format of the plan matches the complexity of the scenario.
2. Identify the Trigger: Ensure the scenario actually describes the end of a stage. If the project is in the middle of delivery and things are going wrong, you should be looking at Managing a Stage Boundary to create an Exception Plan, not a standard 'Plan Next Stage' activity.
3. Check the Input/Output: Input: Progress info from the current stage, Project Plan, PID. Output: Draft Stage Plan for next stage, updated Project Plan. If a question suggests the Project Manager is creating a Team Plan, this is incorrect (Team Managers create Team Plans in Managing Product Delivery).
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Plan Next Stage
Tip 1: Do Not Confuse Process with Technique Plan Next Stage is the activity (part of the SB process). Planning is the technique (defining and analyzing products, identifying activities, scheduling). If a question asks when you do it, it's the SB process. If it asks how you do it, it's the Planning technique.
Tip 2: The 'Exception' Trap Read carefully. If the Project Board requested a plan because the current stage went out of tolerance, the activity is formally 'Produce an Exception Plan', not 'Plan Next Stage', although the steps are very similar. In a multiple-choice question, selecting 'Plan Next Stage' when the scenario describes a breach of tolerance is a common error.
Tip 3: Collaboration (v7 Focus) PRINCE2 v7 emphasizes people and collaboration. If an option suggests the Project Manager sits alone in a room to write the plan, it is likely wrong. The correct answer usually involves the Project Manager facilitating the planning with Team Managers to ensure buy-in and realistic estimates.