In PRINCE2 7 Practitioner and the Applying PRINCE2 Practices framework, Plans are fundamental components that outline how a project will be executed, monitored, and controlled. They provide a structured approach to achieving project objectives by detailing activities, resources, timelines, and resp…In PRINCE2 7 Practitioner and the Applying PRINCE2 Practices framework, Plans are fundamental components that outline how a project will be executed, monitored, and controlled. They provide a structured approach to achieving project objectives by detailing activities, resources, timelines, and responsibilities. PRINCE2 categorizes Plans into several types to address different levels of project management.
The **Project Plan** offers an overarching view of the entire project, summarizing all Stage Plans and providing a timeline for the project's lifecycle. It includes key deliverables, milestones, and resource allocations, ensuring alignment with strategic goals. The Project Plan is crucial for stakeholder communication and serves as a reference point for progress tracking.
**Stage Plans** break down the Project Plan into manageable segments, typically corresponding to distinct phases or stages of the project. Each Stage Plan outlines specific tasks, resources required, and timelines for that particular stage. This division allows for better control and flexibility, enabling adjustments based on performance and changing circumstances without disrupting the entire project.
**Team Plans** are developed by individual teams responsible for delivering specific products or components of the project. These plans detail day-to-day activities, resource assignments, and short-term objectives, ensuring that each team’s efforts are aligned with the broader Project and Stage Plans.
Effective Planning in PRINCE2 emphasizes the importance of basing plans on the best available information, maintaining clarity and simplicity, and ensuring that plans are realistic and achievable. Plans are also subject to regular review and updating, reflecting any changes in project scope, resources, or external factors. By providing a clear roadmap, Plans facilitate coordination among stakeholders, enable proactive risk management, and support the successful delivery of project outcomes. Overall, Plans in PRINCE2 serve as the backbone of project management, ensuring that every aspect of the project is thoughtfully considered and systematically executed.
PRINCE2 Plans Practice: A Comprehensive Guide
Why PRINCE2 Plans Practice is Important
The Plans theme is a core component of PRINCE2 methodology because planning is essential for project success. Effective planning helps:
• Define what needs to be delivered and how • Establish reliable time and cost estimates • Secure stakeholder commitment • Enable monitoring and control throughout the project • Provide a baseline for measuring progress • Facilitate communication with stakeholders
What is the PRINCE2 Plans Practice
PRINCE2 recognizes that planning is not just a one-time activity but an ongoing process throughout the project lifecycle. The Plans theme defines a multi-level approach to planning:
1. Project Plan: High-level overview covering the entire project 2. Stage Plans: Detailed plans for each management stage 3. Team Plans: Focused plans for specific work packages 4. Exception Plans: Created when a plan needs significant revision
Each plan contains: • Products to be delivered • Activities required to create those products • Resources needed • Timeline and dependencies • Tolerances for time, cost, quality, scope, risk, and benefits • Controls and monitoring mechanisms
How PRINCE2 Plans Practice Works
PRINCE2 recommends a product-based planning technique with these steps:
1. Design the plan • Understand the context and requirements • Select the planning format and tools • Determine planning horizons and timescales
2. Define and analyze products • Create a Product Breakdown Structure (PBS) • Write Product Descriptions • Create the Product Flow Diagram (PFD)
3. Identify activities and dependencies • Identify activities needed to create each product • Determine dependencies between activities
4. Prepare estimates • Estimate effort required for each activity • Estimate resources needed
5. Prepare schedule • Calculate start and end dates for activities • Identify critical path • Optimize resources
6. Document and analyze risks • Identify and assess potential risks to the plan • Implement risk responses
7. Complete the plan • Finalize and document the plan • Get necessary approvals
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Plans
Common Question Types:
1. Matching questions - Connecting planning terms with their definitions or purposes 2. Scenario-based questions - Applying planning principles to a project scenario 3. Multiple-choice questions - Testing knowledge of planning principles and techniques
Key Areas to Focus On:
• Levels of planning - Know the differences between Project, Stage, Team, and Exception Plans • Product-based planning - Understand PBS, product descriptions, and PFD • Planning steps - Know the sequence and components of the planning process • Roles and responsibilities - Understand who is responsible for creating and approving different plans • Relationship with other themes - Particularly with Progress (monitoring against plans) and Change (impact on plans)
Strategies for Success:
• Memorize the product-based planning technique steps • Understand how tolerance levels apply to different plans • Know when different types of plans are created and updated during the project lifecycle • Recognize how management products related to Plans (like Product Descriptions, Configuration Item Records) are used • Practice applying planning principles to different scenarios • Be familiar with planning tools and techniques mentioned in PRINCE2
Remember that PRINCE2 emphasizes the scalability of planning - adjusting the formality and detail based on project complexity and organizational context. This principle is often tested in exams, so be prepared to demonstrate your understanding of how planning might be scaled for different scenarios.