Defined Roles and Responsibilities

Defined Roles and Responsibilities Principle in PRINCE2

What is the Defined Roles and Responsibilities Principle?

The Defined Roles and Responsibilities principle is one of the seven fundamental principles of PRINCE2. It states that a PRINCE2 project must have clearly defined and agreed roles and responsibilities within an organization structure that engages the business, user, and supplier stakeholder interests.

Why is this Principle Important?

This principle is crucial because:

• It ensures everyone involved in the project understands who is responsible for what
• It prevents tasks from being overlooked or duplicated
• It facilitates clear lines of communication and decision-making
• It enables proper accountability at all levels
• It helps engage all three primary stakeholder interests: business, user, and supplier
• It reduces conflicts and confusion during project execution

How the Principle Works in Practice

The principle is implemented through the PRINCE2 project management team structure, which consists of:

1. Project Board - Responsible for the direction and overall success of the project, representing the business, user, and supplier interests

2. Project Manager - Manages the project on a day-to-day basis within constraints set by the Project Board

3. Team Manager(s) - Responsible for delivering the project's products to an agreed specification and timeframe

4. Project Assurance - Provides independent monitoring of all aspects of project performance and products

5. Change Authority - Approves changes within delegated limits set by the Project Board

6. Project Support - Provides administrative support and specialist functions

Each role has specific responsibilities detailed in PRINCE2, and these can be combined or split according to the project's scale and needs.

Key Aspects of the Principle

• The three stakeholder interests (business, user, supplier) must be represented in the project management team
• The project management team structure is separate from organizational structures
• Roles can be shared or split according to project size and complexity
• All roles must have formally documented responsibilities
• The structure must account for the four levels of management: corporate/programme management, directing, managing, and delivering

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Defined Roles and Responsibilities

1. Know the key roles inside out
Be able to identify who is responsible for what in various scenarios. Remember that the Project Board consists of Executive (business), Senior User, and Senior Supplier.

2. Understand role combinations
Recognize which roles can be combined and which should remain separate. For example, Project Assurance and Project Manager should never be combined.

3. Focus on accountability vs. responsibility
The Project Board is accountable for the project's success, while the Project Manager is responsible for day-to-day management.

4. Identify correct delegation patterns
Understand how authority can be delegated (e.g., Project Board to Change Authority) and the limits of delegation.

5. Apply the principle to scenarios
Practice relating the principle to various project situations. Consider who should be involved in different types of decisions.

6. Look for stakeholder representation
In case studies, check if all three key stakeholder interests (business, user, supplier) are properly represented.

7. Recognize when roles are unclear
Be able to identify situations where roles and responsibilities are not properly defined, as this violates the principle.

8. Link to other principles and themes
Understand how Defined Roles and Responsibilities connects with other principles like Continued Business Justification and the Organization theme.

Remember that exam questions often present scenarios where you need to identify the correct role for a particular responsibility, or recognize when responsibilities have been incorrectly assigned.