Chapter 19: Managing A Stage Boundary Flashcards
What is the purpose of the managing a stage boundary process
Enable PM with information to:
- review the success if the current management stage
- approve next stage plan
- review the updated project plan
- confirm continued business justification and acceptability of the risks
Context if managing a stage boundary
This process is predicated on dividing the project into management stages
A management stage needs to ensure that the products it creates will deliver the benefits being sought after, either in their own right or as part of a larger programme.
Also note projects can be affected by factors that invalidate business justification. An early identifier of potential failure is the PMs forecast that management stage tolerances are likely to be exceeded.
A positive decision to not proceed isn’t failure, however, providing insufficient information that prevents the project board from making an informed decision is itself a failure as it may lead to a wrong decision.
What are the activities involved in the managing a stage boundary process
Plan next management stage
Update project plan
Update business case
Report management stage end
Produce an exception plan
Plan the next management stage
Stage plan for the next management stage is produced near the end of the current management stage.
Closure activities should be planned as part of the stage plan for the final management stage
PM will need to consult with the project board, project assurance, team managers and possibly other stakeholders in order to create a viable plan
Prince2 recommends the following actions regarding: planning the next management stage
Review components of the PID. It may be necessary to consult with the project board regarding any required changes. Review:
- changes to customers quality expectations
- relevance and suitability of approaches and controls
Produce stage plan for next management stage:
- decide how plan can be best presented, given its audience
- review project plan to understand products required for next stage
- examine quality management approach for quality standards and procedures required
Create configuration item records for products planned to be produced in next stage
Update issue and risk register
Update quality register for planned quality management activities
Update the project plan
Project board uses the project plan to measure progress
Project plan is updated to incorporate actual progress from management stage that is finishing and to include forecast duration and costs from the exception plan or stage plan for the management stage to begin.
Details of any revised costs or end dates are used when updating the business case
Prince2 recommends the following actions regarding: update the project plan
Check that the current stage plan is up to date with actual progress
Revise the project plan to reflect:
- actual from the current stage plan
- forecast ps from next stage plan or impact of the exception plan
- changes to project product description
- the implications of any issues or risks
- any changes or extra products sanctioned by project board
- any changes within the PID
Update the issue register and risk register if any new issues or risks have been identified
Update the business case
Projects must have a continued business justification
Projects don’t take place in a static environment. The environment external to the project changes, as does the development of the project product. The business case needs to reflect these changes and must be reviewed and amended to keep it relevant to the project
PM should consult with the executive when reviewing and updating the business case and updating the business case in preparation for project board approval
Prince2 recommends the following actions regarding: update the business case
Check for changes to risk appetite and risk capacity of organisations involved and whether risk tolerances need to be redefined.
Update benefits management approach with results from any benefits management actions undertaken during management stage
Revise the business case and if necessary, the benefits management approach, ready for project board approval
Update risk and issue register
Report management stage end
Results of a management stage should be reported back to project board so that progress is clearly visible to project management team
Project manager gives a view in the continuing ability of the project to meet the project plan and business case, and assesses the overall risk situation. This activity should happen as close as possible to end of a management stage
Prince2 recommends the following actions regarding: report management stage end
For an exception plan:
- depending on the point within the management stage when the exception occurred, it may be appropriate to produce an end stage report for the activities to date
For a stage plan:
- review the status if updated business case and, in particular, the achievement of any benefits anticipated for the management stage.
- review the stage plan to ensure that the objectives of the management stage have been met and the project plan to ensure that the project activities are still achievable
- review team performance for the management stage
- review the product performance for the management stage by reference to the product status account
- review issues and risks raised during the stage
- seek approval from project board of the exception plan or stage plan
Produce an exception plan
If a management stage or the project is forecast to deviate beyond its agreed tolerances, it no longer has approval of project board
Exception plans are requested by the project board in response to an exception report. Although an exception plan will be produced prior to the planned management stage boundary, its approval by the project board marks a management stage boundary for the revised management stage
Planning isn’t an activity undertaken in isolation. The PM will need to consult with project board members, project assurance, team managers and possibly other stakeholders to create a viable plan
Prince2 recommends the following actions regarding: produce an exception plan
Update the issue register to record project boards request for an exception plan
Review and if needed, update the PID
Produce an exception plan
Create configuration item records for products to be produced by the exception plan
Update issue register and risk register if any new issues or risks have been identified
Update the quality register for planned quality management activities
Managing stage boundaries on a simple project
Some project may only have two management stages. The initiation stage and one delivery stage. In this case, the scope of managing a stage boundary could be reduced to the report management stage end activity
Plan the next management stage activity would not be needed if the project plan covered covered required detail. The project plan and business case would only have just been produced and wouldn’t need updating
Managing stage boundaries on a project from a supplier perspective
From a supplier perspective when working on work packages for a customers project, the suppliers input may be to help prepare any plans
From a suppliers project, stage boundaries would normally represent its own decision points within its own project lifecycle and delivery of work packages would need to match the stage boundaries in the customers project
