Apply progress monitoring, reporting, and digital data management.
Covers progress reports (checkpoint, highlight, end stage, end project, exception), daily log, lessons log and report, and the V7-introduced digital and data management approach. Focuses on tolerances for progress control, event-driven and time-driven controls, forecasting, escalation procedures, and the use of data and systems in modern progress management.
5 minutes
5 Questions
In PRINCE2 7, the Progress practice establishes the mechanisms to monitor and compare actual achievements against those planned, provide a forecast for the project objectives, and control any unacceptable deviations. Its primary purpose is to determine whether the project should proceed, serving as the operational engine for the 'Manage by Exception' principle.
Central to this practice is the concept of **tolerances**—the permissible deviation from a plan’s target without necessitating escalation. These targets cover Time, Cost, Quality, Scope, Benefits/Sustainability, and Risk. Tolerances cascade through the project hierarchy: Corporate/Programme Management sets project tolerances, the Project Board sets stage tolerances for the Project Manager, and the Project Manager sets work package tolerances for Team Managers.
Control is maintained through two types of mechanisms:
1. **Event-driven controls:** These are triggered by specific occurrences rather than the calendar. Examples include the Project Initiation Documentation (PID) approval, End Stage Reports, and—crucially—Exception Reports. An Exception Report is generated immediately when a forecast indicates that agreed tolerances will be exceeded.
2. **Time-driven controls:** These are periodic reports agreed upon during planning. They include Checkpoint Reports (from Team Manager to Project Manager regarding Work Package status) and Highlight Reports (from Project Manager to Project Board regarding Stage status).
For a Practitioner, the critical application involves analyzing data to forecast future performance. It is not enough to report that a limit has been breached; the Project Manager must escalate as soon as it is *forecast* that a tolerance is likely to be breached. This ensures the Project Board can make informed decisions—such as approving an Exception Plan or closing the project—to safeguard the Business Case.In PRINCE2 7, the Progress practice establishes the mechanisms to monitor and compare actual achievements against those planned, provide a forecast for the project objectives, and control any unacceptable deviations. Its primary purpose is to determine whether the project should proceed, serving as…