In PRINCE2 7, the 'People' element is central to the method, recognizing that projects are planned, delivered, and used by people. Effective people management requires balancing diversity, capability, and competence.
**Diversity** in PRINCE2 extends beyond demographics to include cognitive diversi…In PRINCE2 7, the 'People' element is central to the method, recognizing that projects are planned, delivered, and used by people. Effective people management requires balancing diversity, capability, and competence.
**Diversity** in PRINCE2 extends beyond demographics to include cognitive diversity—different backgrounds, experiences, and ways of thinking. A diverse team mitigates 'groupthink,' enhances problem-solving, and improves risk identification. The project manager must foster an inclusive culture where psychological safety allows these diverse perspectives to be shared openly. This inclusion ensures that stakeholders' varying needs are understood and that the project solution is robust and fit for purpose.
**Capability** refers to the organizational level. It is the collective ability of the business to deliver projects and manage change. This encompasses the maturity of processes, the availability of resources, and the support structures (like a Project Management Office). The Project Board must ensure the organization has the capability to support the project’s scale and complexity. If organizational capability is low, the project management team must adapt the method, potentially adding more rigorous controls or assurance activities to compensate.
**Competence** focuses on the individual. It is the combination of skills, knowledge, experience, and behaviors required to perform a specific role effectively. PRINCE2 requires clearly defined roles and responsibilities, but defining a role is insufficient without an individual competent enough to fill it. The project manager must assess the competencies of team members against the requirements of the work packages. Where gaps exist, they must be addressed through training, coaching, or acquiring external resources.
Ultimately, success relies on appointing competent individuals to defined roles, supported by organizational capability, within a diverse team environment that drives innovation and better decision-making.
Diversity, Capability and Competence in PRINCE2 Practitioner v7
Introduction to People Management in Projects In PRINCE2 7th Edition, the 'People' integrated element is a significant addition, acknowledging that projects are delivered by humans, not just processes. Within this element, understanding Diversity, Capability, and Competence is critical for building effective teams and ensuring project success.
Why is it Important? Projects often involve cross-functional teams and stakeholders with varying backgrounds. Without managing these three aspects: 1. Diversity: You miss out on innovation and risk 'groupthink'. 2. Capability: The team may lack the resources or organizational backing to deliver. 3. Competence: Individuals may lack the specific skills required to execute tasks quality standards.
What is it? Definitions To answer exam questions correctly, you must distinguish between these terms:
1. Diversity This refers to the mix of people within the project ecosystem. It includes visible differences (age, gender, ethnicity) and invisible differences (cultural background, cognitive approach, experience). Key Concept: Diverse teams are generally more resilient and better at problem-solving, provided the culture is inclusive.
2. Capability This acts at a team or organizational level. It is the collective ability to perform project work. It involves having the right processes, tools, environment, and resource availability. Ask yourself: Does the organization have the capacity and maturity to support this project?
3. Competence This acts at an individual level. It is the combination of skills, knowledge, and experience (SKE) required to perform a specific role. Ask yourself: Does the Project Manager or Team Manager actually know how to do the job?
How it Works in Practice The Project Manager (PM) is responsible for assessing these factors continuously, particularly during the Initiating a Project process and stage boundaries.
Step 1: Analysis The PM analyzes the requisite skills vs. the available skills. This is often documented in the Project Management Team Structure descriptions.
Step 2: Strategy If there is a gap in competence, the PM must plan for training, coaching, or hiring external help. If there is a lack of diversity, the PM should seek stakeholders with different perspectives to review plans.
Step 3: Development Throughout the project, the PM focuses on cohesion and communication to bridge gaps in capability and culture.
How to Answer Questions on Diversity, Capability and Competence Practitioner questions are scenario-based. You will likely be presented with a project scenario where something is going wrong regarding the team dynamics or delivery quality.
Approach: 1. Identify the Gap: Is the issue that the person doesn't know how to do the job (Competence)? Is the issue that everyone thinks exactly the same way and missed a risk (Diversity)? Or is the issue that the team lacks the tools/time (Capability)? 2. Select the Intervention: PRINCE2 favors proactive management. Look for answers that involve training, coaching, changing the team structure, or updating the Management Strategy to reflect better communication methods.
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Diversity, Capability and Competence
Tip 1: Capability vs. Competence Do not confuse them. If the scenario says a Team Manager has no experience in Agile but is running an Agile work package, this is a Competence issue. If the scenario says the IT department is understaffed and cannot support the project, this is a Capability issue.
Tip 2: Diversity is a Risk Mitigator If a scenario describes a project failing because they failed to consider the user's perspective, look for answers related to improving Diversity in the stakeholder group or project board to ensure different views are represented.
Tip 3: The PID is Key Assessments of competence and capability should be reflected in the Project Initiation Documentation (PID). If a question asks where to record the training needs of a new team member, look for the Project Plan (resources) or the People management approach.
Tip 4: Soft Skills Matter PRINCE2 v7 explicitly values leadership and soft skills. An answer that suggests 'ordering' people to work harder is usually wrong. Answers suggesting 'coaching', 'mentoring', or 'facilitating workshops' to improve competence are usually correct.