Controlling a Stage Process

In the context of PRINCE2 7, the Controlling a Stage process represents the core of the Project Manager's day-to-day responsibilities during the project lifecycle. Its primary purpose is to assign work to be done, monitor such work, deal with issues, report progress to the Project Board, and take corrective actions to ensure that the stage remains within agreed tolerances. This process acts as the operational interface between the strategic direction provided by the Project Board (Directing a Project) and the technical delivery performed by the teams (Managing Product Delivery). The process is cyclical and involves several key activities. First, the Project Manager authorizes work by issuing Work Packages to Team Managers, clearly defining requirements, constraints, and reporting frequencies. As work proceeds, the Project Manager focuses on monitoring progress by reviewing Checkpoint Reports and assessing the quality of completed products to ensuring alignment with the Stage Plan. Management of issues and risks is central to this process. The Project Manager must continuously capture and examine issues and risks. If minor deviations occur, they take corrective action within their delegated authority. However, if an issue implies that stage tolerances (regarding time, cost, quality, scope, benefits, or sustainability) will be exceeded, the Project Manager must escalate the situation to the Project Board via an Exception Report. Throughout the stage, the Project Manager ensures stakeholders are informed by submitting regular Highlight Reports. As the stage concludes, the process transitions into Managing a Stage Boundary to plan the subsequent phase. Ultimately, Controlling a Stage ensures the project focuses on delivery while keeping the Business Case valid. In the context of PRINCE2 7, the Controlling a Stage process represents the core of the Project Manager's day-to-day responsibilities during the project lifecycle. Its primary purpose is to assign work to be done, monitor such work, deal with issues, report progress to the Project Board, and take c…