Starting up a Project

Starting up a Project Process in PRINCE2: Complete Guide

Why the Starting up a Project Process is Important

The Starting up a Project (SU) process is the first process in PRINCE2 methodology and serves as the foundation for the entire project. Its importance lies in:

• It prevents poorly conceived projects from ever being initiated
• It ensures projects align with organizational strategies
• It clarifies the project's purpose and expected benefits
• It establishes how senior management will commit to the project
• It creates a foundation for detailed planning
• It helps identify and engage the right stakeholders from the start

What is the Starting up a Project Process?

The Starting up a Project process is a pre-project activity that occurs before formal project initiation. This process helps determine if a project is worth investing time and resources into before formally committing to it. The SU process results in the creation of the Project Brief, which forms the basis for the Project Initiation Documentation (PID) if the project proceeds.

Key outputs of this process include:
• The Project Brief
• The Business Case outline
• Project Approach
• Project Product Description
• Appointment of the Executive and Project Manager
• Project Management Team structure

How the Starting up a Project Process Works

The SU process consists of six activities:

1. Appoint the Executive and Project Manager - The first steps in establishing project governance

2. Capture previous lessons - Reviewing lessons from similar projects to apply relevant learning

3. Design and appoint the Project Management Team - Creating the project's organization structure and key roles

4. Prepare the outline Business Case - Establishing the business justification for the project

5. Select the project approach and assemble the Project Brief - Determining how the project will be delivered and documenting key information

6. Plan the initiation stage - Creating a detailed plan for the next stage of the project

The SU process happens once at the beginning of a project, triggered by a Project Mandate from corporate or programme management. It concludes with the submission of the request to initiate the project to the Project Board.

Responsibilities in Starting up a Project

• Corporate/Programme Management: Provides the Project Mandate
• Executive: Appointed early to oversee Business Case development
• Project Manager: Leads most activities in this process
• Project Board: Collectively decides whether to proceed to Initiation

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Starting up a Project

1. Know the triggers and timing: Remember SU occurs before project initiation, not after approval.

2. Understand what's NOT included: The SU process doesn't involve creating the Risk Management Strategy or Configuration Management Strategy - these come during Initiation.

3. Focus on key deliverables: Be clear about what outputs are produced during SU (Project Brief, outline Business Case) versus what comes later.

4. Role clarity: Pay attention to who's responsible for each activity - especially the distinction between Executive and Project Manager duties.

5. Sequence matters: Know the logical flow of activities - appointing key personnel happens first, then lessons learned, then team design, etc.

6. Understand the difference between Project Brief and PID: The Project Brief is an output of SU while the PID comes later from the Initiating a Project process.

7. Recognize boundary questions: Examiners often test boundaries between processes - be clear what belongs in SU versus IP.

8. Connect to principles: When answering scenario questions, consider how the SU process relates to PRINCE2 principles like Learning from Experience and Defined Roles and Responsibilities.

9. Tailoring awareness: Understand how SU might be scaled for different project sizes, with smaller projects potentially combining some activities.

10. Common pitfalls: Don't confuse the outline Business Case (from SU) with the full Business Case (from IP). Also, avoid assuming detailed planning happens in SU - only initiation stage planning occurs here.