Directing a Project (DP) is one of the seven core processes in PRINCE2 methodology that operates at the strategic level and runs from project initiation to project closure. This process provides the Project Board with key decision points on whether to initiate, continue, or close a project based on viability and justification. The Project Board, comprised of executive, senior user, and senior supplier representatives, is accountable for the project's success and has ultimate authority. Within the DP process, the Project Board sets direction, makes major decisions, provides resources, monitors via reports and controls, and ensures business justification remains valid throughout the project lifecycle. The process encompasses five key activities: authorizing initiation, authorizing the project, authorizing a stage or exception plan, giving ad hoc direction, and authorizing project closure. By strategically positioning decision-making at the end of each management stage, PRINCE2 enables the Project Board to exercise proper control while delegating day-to-day management to the Project Manager. This approach creates a balance between governance oversight and operational efficiency. The DP process ensures that appropriate leadership is provided to the project, accountability is clearly defined, and strategic decisions align with business objectives. While Project Board members maintain their authority and responsibility, they only engage at specific decision points or by exception, making efficient use of senior management time while maintaining strategic control over the direction of the project.

Controlling a Stage (CS) is a central PRINCE2 process that describes the day-to-day project management activities undertaken by the Project Manager. This process represents the core of project management effort and occurs throughout each management stage of the project. The CS process governs how each individual stage is controlled, including the way in which work packages are authorized and received. Through this process, the Project Manager maintains focus on delivering the products planned for the current stage by monitoring and controlling all work in progress. When deviations from the plan arise, the CS process provides mechanisms to react appropriately—either by taking corrective action within established tolerances or by escalating exceptions to the Project Board when tolerances are forecast to be exceeded. Key activities within the CS process include authorizing work packages, reviewing work package status, receiving completed work packages, reviewing stage status, reporting highlights, capturing and examining issues and risks, escalating issues and risks, taking corrective action, and escalating exceptions. The CS process integrates with other PRINCE2 processes, particularly Managing Product Delivery (MP), which focuses on creating the project's products. While the Project Manager is assigning work packages to teams through CS, those teams are accepting and executing them through MP. This integration creates a systematic approach to controlling project work while maintaining appropriate governance and oversight. The CS process embodies the principle of management by exception, allowing Project Managers to focus their attention where it's needed most while ensuring the Project Board remains informed of progress.

Managing Product Delivery (MP) is a critical PRINCE2 process that focuses on the creation and delivery of the project's products. This process forms the technical heartbeat of the project, bridging the gap between the Project Manager and the teams that will actually produce the project's deliverables. The purpose of the MP process is to control the link between the Project Manager and Team Manager(s) by formally establishing requirements and acceptance criteria for work packages. Within PRINCE2, there is a clear distinction between project management (controlled by the Project Manager) and product delivery (managed by Team Managers or delivery teams). The MP process provides the formal interface between these two aspects of the project. The process consists of three primary activities: accepting a work package, executing a work package, and delivering a work package. When accepting a work package, Team Managers confirm their understanding of requirements and agree on constraints. During execution, they perform the required work, maintain quality standards, and track progress. Finally, when delivering the work package, they obtain acceptance that the products meet criteria and are complete. The MP process implements several PRINCE2 principles, particularly "focus on products" and "defined roles and responsibilities." It emphasizes clear product descriptions with quality criteria and ensures everyone understands their role in product creation. The process also supports the "manage by stages" principle by focusing on one management stage at a time. MP connects with the Controlling a Stage process, creating a structured flow of work and information between management and delivery teams while maintaining appropriate levels of control and quality assurance.

Starting up a Project (SU) is the first process in the PRINCE2 methodology that occurs pre-project, designed to ensure that the prerequisites for initiating the project are in place. This process starts when a mandate (or project brief) exists that outlines a reason for the project and expected outcomes. The primary objective is to avoid poorly conceived projects by ensuring sufficient information exists to decide whether the project is worthwhile and viable before significant resources are committed. During SU, the Project Board considers fundamental questions: Is this a worthwhile project? Is it viable? Should we invest in creating a detailed plan? Key activities include appointing the Executive and Project Manager, capturing previous lessons, designing and appointing the project management team, preparing an outline Business Case, and creating the Project Brief. The process also involves planning the Initiation Stage, which sets out how the project team will develop the more detailed Project Initiation Documentation (PID). SU creates the project management team structure, establishes a project approach, and confirms project assumptions. A successful SU process ensures alignment with corporate, program, or customer strategies, establishes clear project objectives, assigns key roles, and sets realistic expectations. This process is critical for preventing project failure by ensuring proper preparation and evaluation before proceeding to full initiation, essentially acting as a gateway that protects organizations from committing resources to ill-conceived initiatives.

Initiating a Project (IP) is the PRINCE2 process that follows after Starting up a Project has been completed and the Project Board has authorized project initiation. This critical process establishes solid foundations for the project by creating the Project Initiation Documentation (PID), which serves as the main reference and baseline document throughout the project lifecycle. During IP, the project management team develops a detailed understanding of the work required, establishing controls and plans that will enable successful delivery. Key activities include establishing project management strategies for risk, quality, communication, and configuration management. The team prepares the project plan, refines the business case, and sets up project controls. IP also involves assembling all the components of the PID, which includes defining project approaches, team structure, role descriptions, and quality expectations. The process clarifies how benefits will be realized and measured, how the project will be controlled, and what will constitute project success. A well-executed IP process ensures all stakeholders understand what the project aims to achieve, how and when it will be done, and who is involved with what responsibilities. It provides the Project Board with sufficient information to decide whether the project is viable and worth investing in further. The comprehensive planning during IP reduces uncertainty and establishes a stable platform from which the project can be effectively managed. This process concludes when the Project Board approves the PID and authorizes the project to proceed to the first delivery stage.

Closing a Project (CP) is the final process in PRINCE2, focused on ensuring a controlled and structured project closure. This process verifies that project objectives have been achieved (or that the project can provide no further benefits) and formally recognizes that no more work is required. CP includes activities to hand over final products to operational and maintenance teams, ensuring they can support these deliverables effectively. The process evaluates project performance against original targets and success criteria documented in the Project Initiation Documentation. Project managers identify and document lessons learned throughout the project lifecycle, which become valuable organizational assets for future initiatives. CP involves preparing closure recommendations for the Project Board, including any follow-on action recommendations and a plan for benefits reviews that may occur after the project ends. The process ensures all project information is appropriately archived, and temporary resources, systems, and facilities are decommissioned. Project closure also includes formal notification to stakeholders and suppliers that the project is ending and their resources can be released. A well-executed CP process provides assurance that the operational environment is ready to support the project's products, identifies any open issues or risks that need to be transferred to other parties, and ensures project evaluation is comprehensive. This structured approach to closure prevents the common problem of projects fading away without proper conclusion, leaving uncertainty about responsibilities and outstanding work. The process creates a clear end point, enabling the organization to redirect resources to new priorities and formally recognize the project team's achievements.

Managing a Stage Boundary (SB) is one of the seven core processes in PRINCE2 methodology that focuses on the transition between project stages. This process provides the Project Board with key decision points on whether to continue with the project based on its continued viability. The SB process is triggered at the end of each management stage except the final one, where the Closing a Project (CP) process is used instead. The primary purpose of Managing a Stage Boundary is to provide the Project Board with sufficient information to assess the success of the current stage, approve the next stage plan, review the updated project plan, and confirm continued business justification and acceptability of risks. During this process, the Project Manager prepares a detailed plan for the next stage, updates the project plan, risk register, and business case, and records any lessons learned from the current stage. The SB process ensures that all products planned for the current stage have been completed and approved, and that any project issues and risks associated with completing these products have been addressed or mitigated. It also focuses on providing updated information about the project's business case to ensure the project remains viable and aligned with organizational objectives. This boundary management provides a controlled way to move from one stage to another, allowing for careful consideration of progress, risks, and continued business justification before committing resources to the next stage. By implementing this process effectively, organizations can maintain control over their projects and make informed decisions about continued investment.

Managing Project Risks is a fundamental theme within PRINCE2 that runs throughout all processes and activities of the project lifecycle. This theme ensures that risk management is performed systematically, helping projects remain viable and achievable despite uncertainties. The PRINCE2 approach to risk management follows a continuous cycle that involves identifying, assessing, planning, and implementing risk responses. The process begins with establishing a risk management strategy that defines the specific procedures and responsibilities for managing risks within the project. This includes creating and maintaining a risk register that documents all identified threats and opportunities. PRINCE2 risk management encourages early risk identification and continues throughout the project as new risks emerge or existing ones change. Each identified risk undergoes analysis to understand its probability and potential impact, allowing for prioritization based on severity. The framework promotes developing appropriate responses to risks through various strategies: for threats, these include avoiding, reducing, transferring, sharing, or accepting the risk; for opportunities, responses focus on exploiting, enhancing, sharing, or rejecting them. Risk management in PRINCE2 is not a standalone activity but is integrated into regular project management activities. It requires ongoing communication with stakeholders about risk status and regular reviews of the effectiveness of risk responses. The Project Board receives summarized risk information to make informed decisions about project viability, while the Project Manager maintains detailed risk information for day-to-day management. This proactive approach to uncertainty helps minimize project disruptions, reduces the likelihood of project failure, and increases the probability of achieving project objectives within defined constraints.