Quality

PRINCE2 Quality Practice: Mastering Quality for PRINCE2 Practitioner Exam

Introduction to PRINCE2 Quality Practice

Quality in PRINCE2 is a comprehensive approach focused on ensuring project deliverables meet stakeholder expectations, business requirements, and the criteria necessary for successful operation. This guide explores why quality matters, core PRINCE2 quality principles, and strategies for handling exam questions on quality.

Why Quality is Important in PRINCE2

Quality management is fundamental to PRINCE2 because:

• It ensures the end product is fit for purpose and meets business requirements

• It reduces expensive rework and prevents scope creep

• It builds stakeholder confidence and satisfaction

• It creates a shared understanding of what "good" looks like

• It aligns all project activities with delivering quality products

PRINCE2 Quality Components

1. Quality Planning
Quality planning involves establishing standards and methods for achieving quality. This includes:

• Creating the Quality Management Strategy
• Defining quality criteria for each product
• Developing quality methods
• Identifying quality responsibilities

2. Quality Control
Quality control ensures products meet their quality criteria through:

• Quality reviews and inspections
• Testing activities
• Progress monitoring against quality expectations

3. Quality Assurance
Quality assurance provides confidence that the project will meet quality requirements through:

• Independent reviews of processes
• Verification that standards are being followed
• Audits by the corporate/program quality assurance function

Key Quality Concepts in PRINCE2

Product Descriptions
These define each product's purpose, composition, quality criteria, and quality methods. The product description is central to PRINCE2's quality approach as it forms the agreement on what will be produced.

Quality Register
A log of all planned and completed quality activities, including inspections, customer reviews, and test results.

Customer Quality Expectations
Documented in the Project Brief and refined in the Project Initiation Documentation (PID), these express what quality means to the customer.

Acceptance Criteria
These measurable definitions of what must be done for the customer to accept the final product.

Quality Management Strategy
This document defines the quality techniques and standards to be applied and the responsibilities for achieving the required quality levels.

Quality Roles and Responsibilities

• Project Board: Approves the Quality Management Strategy and provides resources for quality activities

• Project Manager: Plans quality activities, maintains the Quality Register, and ensures quality reviews take place

• Team Manager: Implements quality methods within work packages

• Project Assurance: Verifies adherence to the Quality Management Strategy

• Project Support: Assists with quality documentation and administration

The Quality Review Technique

PRINCE2 endorses three types of quality reviews:

1. Quality Inspection: Technical verification of a specialist product

2. Quality Check: Informal review, often by the creator

3. Quality Review: Formal review with roles including Chair, Presenter, Reviewer, and Administrator

The quality review follows these steps:

• Plan the review and prepare participants
• Hold the review meeting to identify errors
• Follow up on corrective actions
• Verify product approval

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Quality

1. Understand the difference between quality criteria and acceptance criteria
Quality criteria are product-specific measurable attributes, while acceptance criteria are project-wide requirements for customer acceptance.

2. Remember the quality review roles
Be clear on the distinction between Chair, Presenter, Reviewer, and Administrator roles in formal quality reviews.

3. Connect quality to other themes
Quality links closely with Risk (quality failures are risks), Plans (quality activities must be scheduled), and Change (changes may impact quality).

4. Focus on customer quality expectations
Many exam questions test your understanding of how customer expectations translate into quality criteria and methods.

5. Know who's responsible for what
Be precise about which role performs specific quality-related activities.

6. Apply quality practices to scenarios
Practice identifying which quality activities would be appropriate in different project contexts.

7. Differentiate between quality planning, control, and assurance
Understand when each aspect of quality management applies.

8. Remember quality is proactive, not reactive
PRINCE2 emphasizes prevention over inspection – building quality in from the start.

Common Exam Question Types on Quality

• Identifying appropriate quality review methods for specific products

• Determining who should be involved in quality activities

• Selecting appropriate quality criteria for different product types

• Applying quality management to case study scenarios

• Identifying entries for the Quality Register

• Matching quality activities to project management stages

By mastering these key aspects of PRINCE2 Quality Practice, you'll be well-prepared to tackle the quality-related questions on your PRINCE2 Practitioner exam.