Progress Theme

The Progress Theme in PRINCE2 Foundation is a crucial element that focuses on monitoring and controlling project execution. It establishes mechanisms for tracking actual achievements against planned targets, providing visibility into project status and enabling informed decisions. At its core, the Progress Theme addresses the question "Where are we now, where are we going, and should we proceed?" It implements controls to track progress, assess deviations from plans, evaluate impact on business case viability, and take corrective actions when necessary. PRINCE2 defines six tolerances for monitoring progress: time, cost, quality, scope, risk, and benefit. Project Managers receive authority to manage within these tolerances, escalating to the Project Board when tolerances are forecast to exceed limits. The theme utilizes several management products: Stage Work Packages describe work for teams, Checkpoint Reports provide team progress updates, Highlight Reports summarize stage progress for the Project Board, End Stage Reports review completed stages, Exception Reports address tolerance breaches, and End Project Reports evaluate the overall project. PRINCE2 employs management stages as the primary control mechanism. These represent Project Board commitment points and decision gates. Each stage must be authorized before work begins, with costs and resources allocated specifically to that stage. Event-driven and time-driven controls complement each other within the Progress Theme. Event-driven controls include issue handling, exception assessment, and quality verification. Time-driven controls involve regular checkpoint meetings, highlight reports, and end stage assessments. The Progress Theme integrates with other themes: Plans provide baselines for measurement, Risk informs tolerance management, Change addresses configuration control, and Quality ensures deliverables meet requirements. Effectively implementing the Progress Theme ensures projects remain viable and controlled throughout their lifecycle.

The Progress Theme in PRINCE2 Foundation is a crucial element that focuses on monitoring and controlling project execution. It establishes mechanisms for tracking actual achievements against planned …

Concepts covered: Progress Control, Event-driven and Time-driven Controls, Lesson Reporting, Project and Stage Planning, Highlight Reporting, Stage Boundaries, Tolerance Management, Escalation of Issues, Exception Management