Chapter 14: Starting Up A Project

Question 1

What is the purpose of the starting up a project process

Answer 1

Ensures that prerequisites for initiating a project are in place.

• Do we have a viable and worthwhile project?
• The decision to start up the project must be explicit

This process prevents poorly conceived projects from ever being initiated as it’s about approving the initiation of viable projects

Question 2

What are some objectives of the starting up a project process

Answer 2

Ensure that:
- there is a business justification for initiating the project
- all necessary authorities exist for initiating the project
- sufficient information is available to define and confirm the scope of the project
- the various ways the project can be delivered are evaluated and the project approach selected

Question 3

Info regarding projects part of a programme

Answer 3

If the project is part of a programme, the programme itself should provide the project brief and will appoint some, if not all, members of the project board, thus eliminating much of the work required in the process

In such cases the PM should validate what is provided by the programme and if necessary, recommend modifications

Question 4

Look at diagram for - Overview of starting up a project

Answer 4

Look at diagram

Question 5

What activities within the starting up a project process are likely to be shared between corporate, programme management or the customer, the executive and the project manager

Answer 5

• appoint the executive and the PM
• capture previous lessons
• design and appoint the project management team
• prepare the outline business case
• select the project approach and assemble the project brief
• plan the initiation stage

Question 6

Info about executive and PM

Look at figure 14.2

Answer 6

A decision maker with appropriate authority is needed (the executive) who represents the interests of the business stakeholder(s). The appointment of the executive is a prerequisite to ensuring the project is justified

appointment of a PM allows for the project to be managed on a day to day basis on behalf of the executive.

Look at figure 14.2

Question 7

To appoint the executive, what must the commissioning organisation do?

Answer 7

• establish responsibilities for the executive
• prepare the role description for the executive based on the role description in Appendix C
• estimate the time and effort required for the executive role
• identify candidates for the executive from the projects stakeholders and select most appropriate person
• confirm the selected person’s availability, their acceptance of the role and their commitment to carry it out
• assign selected person to role of Executive
• confirm the appointment with corporate, programme management or the customer

Question 8

To appoint the project manager, what must the commissioning organisation do?

Answer 8

• establish responsibilities of the PM
• prepare a role description for the project manager
• estimate time and effort required for the PM role
• identify candidates for the PM role and select most appropriate person
• confirm the selected person’s availability, their acceptance of the role and their commitment to carry it out
• assign selected person to role of PM
• confirm the appointment with corporate, programme management or the customer

Question 9

Actions recommended by prince2 regarding capturing previous lessons

Answer 9

• create the lessons log
• review related lessons from similar previous projects to identify lessons that can be applied to this project (e.g. results of audits and project reviews)
• review lessons from corporate, programme management or the customer and external organisations
• consult with individuals or teams with previous experience of similar projects
• if appropriate, record any lessons identified in the lessons log

Question 10

Look at diagram 14.4

Shows inputs to, and outputs from, appointing project management team

Answer 10

Look

Question 11

What is in proofed in designing the project management team

Answer 11

• Prepare project management team structure
• create role descriptions for the remaining project board roles based on the role descriptions in appendix C
• assess if any members of project board are likely to delegate any of their assurance responsibilities and create the role descriptions for project assurance
• consider if separate people are needed as team managers or if PM will fill this role - if appropriate, create role descriptions for team manager
• consider if PM will do project support role of whether a separate person is required
• if appropriate, consider how Project management team structure will work if an agile approach is being used
• Confirm the reporting and communication lines within the role descriptions

Question 12

What is involved in appointing the project management team

Answer 12

• estimate time and effort required by each of the roles identified
• identify candidates for each roles, and propose the most appropriate people for them
• confirm the person’s availability, their understanding and acceptance of the roles, and their commitment to carry them out
• assign the selected people to each of the roles identified and confirm the appointment with corporate, programme management or the customer

Question 13

Look at figure 14.5

Shows how to prepare the outline business case: activity summary

Answer 13

Look at figure 14.5

Question 14

What must the executive do to draft the outline business case

Answer 14

They will need to:
- understand the objectives of, and the reasons for, the project as defined in the project mandate
- understand how the project will contribute towards corporate, programme management or customer objectives
- understand how the project will be funded
- review the lessons log for lessons related to business justification
- check for any standards mandated for the format and presentation of the business case

Question 15

What actions are involved in creating the project product description

Answer 15

This action should;
- capture the customers quality expectations
- capture and agree the projects acceptance criteria
- check feasibility if the timescales from the project mandate or as required by the outline business case
- determine any key milestones

Question 16

How should evaluation of delivery solutions and project approach be done

Answer 16

• review the lessons log for lessons related to the project approach
• consider any corporate, programme management of customer strategies that are relevant, and put the project in context with any other work or initiatives by establishing external dependencies and prerequisites
• consider any corporate, programme management or customer standards or practices that should apply
• consider the current thinking about the provision of solutions within industry sectors and specialist skill areas involved
• define the operational environment into which the solution must fit and how the project product can be brought into that environment
• consider possible delivery approaches and their suitability for use by the project
• consider training needs for users

Question 17

Look at figure 14.6

Shows how to select the project approach and assemble the project brief

Answer 17

Look at figure 14.6

Question 18

How is the project brief assembled

Answer 18

Define the project
- confirm the current status of the project
- confirm objectives and desired outcomes
- confirm project scope and exclusions
- identify constraints and assumptions
- identify project tolerances
- identify users and any other known interested parties
- identify the interfaces that the project must maintain

Incorporate the outline business case
Incorporate project product description
Incorporate the project approach
Incorporate the project management structure and role descriptions

Question 19

Info regarding planning the initiation stage

Answer 19

initiating a project takes time and consumes resources. the work should be planned and approved to ensure that initiation is not aimless and unstructured. if the project is part of a programme, the end date for the initiation stage should be checked against that held in the programme’s plans. the stage plan for the initiation stage will also give the program management team warning of any requirements from the program

Question 20

Prince2 recommends the following actions regarding planning initiation stage

Answer 20

Based on the project approach, decide upon suitable management controls for the project sufficient for it to be initiated:
- review the lessons log for lessons related to project controls
- define the reporting and control arrangements for the initiation stage

• identify any constraints in time and cost for initiation stage and produce the stage plan for this management stage
• review any risks in the daily log and assess their impact on the stage
• if any new risks are identified, update the log
• request authorisation to initiation the project

Question 21

Look at figure 14.7

Shows responsibilities of planning initiation stage

Answer 21

Look at figure 14.7

Question 22

What are the tailoring guidelines for each of these management products

• lessons log
• project brief (comprising outline business case and project product description)
• stage plan (initiation stage)

Answer 22

Tailoring guidelines for:

Lessons log
- capturing of previous lessons is required as part of the prince2 principle of learn from experience, although it may vary in respect of the formality used

Project brief (comprising outline business case and project product description):
- project brief may be a single document and it may reference corporate, portfolio, programme or customer documentation or reports, such as a feasibility report. It may range from being a simple statement describing the project to a fuller description
- the outline business case may range from being a simple statement of why the project is needed to a more detailed analysis and description

Stage plan (initiation stage)
- the plan may include components in any format commensurate with the complexity of the project , with views such as a simple list of accountabilities, products, activities and dates or Gantt chart

Question 23

I for regarding tailoring roles in starting up a project

Answer 23

If a PM has not been appointed at the start of this process, the required management products may be created by the executive or anyone appointed by them.
Similarly the executive doesn’t need to create the outline business case personally but may have another person create this. The single point of accountability for each roles duty should be maintained

Question 24

Info about starting up a simpler project

Answer 24

If the risks are acceptable, the starting up a project process may be handled in a less formal manner than for larger, more risky projects. The executive and project manager should, however, not bypass it altogether.

The project brief, and it’s component parts, may simply be an elaboration of the mandate, with confirmation of the business problem to be addressed, roles and an initiation stage plan, outlining expectations for the duration and effort for undertaking the first stage of the project