Origins
of the PRINCE2 Method.Origins
of the PRINCE2 Method.The PRINCE Methodology is a development of the PROMPT Methodology (Project Resource Organisation Management Planning Technique) originally formulated in the mid 1970s.
A private sector company, Simpact Systems Limited, evolved the PROMPT Methodology to provide a suitable framework within which to manage the strategy, feasibility study, development and support of Information Technology systems through a structured project management approach.
The PROMPT Methodology comprised five major components:
In the early 1980s, the UK Government published a requirement for a project management method to improve the management and control of government IT projects. Many different methods were proposed and evaluated, and the contract to license the use of the Method was awarded to Simpact Systems Limited.
CCTA (Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency) acting for the UK Government commissioned some changes in the basic methodology. Chief amongst these was the incorporation of the quality assurance aspects into the PROMPT II Methodology to provide a product that was to become referred to as Government PROMPT. Although CCTA licensed all the PROMPT Methodology, PROMPT II was the only element fully implemented.
The belief was that Government Departments were already well supported in the production of strategic plans, and that maintenance and enhancement aspects would be easily handled provided development systems were properly supported by development and quality assurance documentation.
PROMPT II was therefore considered to be the key ingredient for success. Government PROMPT, incorporating PROMPT II principles only was introduced into the major UK Government Departments in Spring 1983.
Government PROMPT had a number of deficiencies from the start; for instance, a pre-defined lifecycle provided the backbone for a PROMPT II project, but this caused some problems with its view that IT projects broke down into six standard stages of work addressing Initiation, Specification, Design, Development, Installation, and Operation. Many projects did not conform to this formula and inconsistencies were encountered.
The PROMPT II Method made no mention of Project Managers, instead relying on a series of Stage Managers, each responsible for a pre-defined stage within the standard six stage lifecycle.
The philosophy was that this left the way open to appoint the most appropriate individual to manage each Stage of the project. The Specification Stage managed by a User/Customer, the Design Stage by a Designer/Analyst, the Development Stage by a Technical Programmer and the Installation and Operation Stages by User/Customers.
The Initiation Stage was typically managed by someone with sufficient technical expertise to understand and plan the whole of the project.
The Government PROMPT Methodology also made no mention or use of Critical Path Analysis, which was (and still is) used extensively in major projects. In practice these omissions did not cause real problems as training courses and consultancy support filled the gaps. However the methodology was perceived as being not quite complete, or indeed, relevant to many projects.
During 1987, CCTA determined to update the Methodology by reflecting the actual usage of PROMPT II and by introducing modern project management ideas. These elements were Product-based planning, formal Project Initiation procedures, a Project Manager role, sharper focus on Quality Management, and Open Life-cycle planning.
Leading consultancy companies in project and quality management were contracted to work with the PROMPT User Group and CCTA to incorporate the changes.
CCTA were keen to place the enhanced method into the public domain, as an open method, in order to enable suppliers of major IT systems (and their component parts) to adhere to consistent standards when fulfilling UK Government contracts.
The overall objective was to provide a high-level of consistency throughout government projects and to improve project management generally.
Meanwhile, LBMS (Learmonth & Burchett Management Systems) a major management consultancy company, who had developed SSADM (Structured Systems Analysis and Design Methodology) under a CCTA contract, had acquired the PROMPT products and name from Simpact Systems (which had ceased its commercial operations) and was licensing the methodology successfully to the public and private sectors.
LBMS obviously could not agree to an enhanced version of PROMPT II being placed in the public domain in direct competition with their own proprietary method, and negotiations provided that the enhanced method be re-named PRINCE (Projects in Controlled Environments) to meet this point.
PRINCE was introduced in April 1989 with full documentation and formal entry into the public domain in January 1990. The PRINCE Methodology is now the UK Government Standard for managing major projects.
It has been widely adopted by private sector companies both for use in government projects, and in many cases for their own internal use. CCTA, with its collaborative partners, The Association for Project Management Group and The Stationery Office continues to pursue the acceptance of PRINCE as best practice project management within the UK, Europe and worldwide.
PRINCE2 has been developed, funded by CCTA and following extensive consultation with users and organisations over a two year period. PRINCE2 is Process-driven (ie "what" and "why" but little in the way of "how") addresses a wider base of projects (IT and non-IT), Programmes of Work, Smaller Projects, Customer:Supplier issues and introduces changes to the PRINCE version 1 Organisation component.
PRINCE2 was formally launched by CCTA in London on 1 October 1996.
CCTA are working in collaborative partnership with a number of organisations in particular, The Stationery Office and the Association for Project Management) to promote PRINCE.
With PRINCE2, CCTA has launched an accreditation and certification scheme providing a vehicle for assuring users of PRINCE2 that training and consultancy providers are registered as competent and that training courses reflect a common syllabus with an examination and certification at its conclusion.
The CCTA re-organised and re-named itself as the OGC (Office of Government Commerce) in mid-2001. OGC continue to support and develop the PRINCE2 Method and a contribution is levied from all those taking the APM Group Professional Examinations and registered PRINCE2 Practitioners.
Future plans include companion volumes covering the softer aspects of project management (leadership, delegation, appraisal etc) and Programme Management, Risk Management and possibly implementation.
Further information can be obtained from OGC Help Desk on telephone UK (+44) (0) 1603 704 567.