PRINCE2 Foundation (PRINCE2) cheat sheet

The seven PRINCE2 principles are: continued business justification, learn from experience, defined roles and responsibilities, manage by stages, manage by exception, focus on products, and tailor to suit the project environment.

PRINCE2 principles are universal, self-validating, empowering, and applicable to every project; applying all seven is what makes a project PRINCE2.

Continued business justification requires a justifiable, documented, and approved Business Case that is reviewed and updated throughout the project.

Manage by stages requires at least two management stages: an initiation stage and at least one further management stage.

Manage by exception uses tolerances for time, cost, scope, quality, risk, and benefits; escalation occurs only when a tolerance is forecast to be exceeded.

Focus on products means defining products and their quality criteria before work begins; product descriptions drive planning and acceptance.

Tailor to suit the project environment means adapting practices and processes proportionately to size, complexity, risk, and context, without omitting principles.

Learn from experience requires lessons to be sought, recorded, and acted on throughout the project, supported by a lessons log and lessons reports.

Defined roles and responsibilities require clear accountability across business, user, and supplier interests, documented in the project organization.

PRINCE2 addresses people aspects including leading successful change, communication, motivation, stakeholder engagement, and team management.

A people management approach defines how the project will handle people aspects; it is tailored to the project and may form part of the project initiation documentation.

Stakeholder analysis identifies stakeholders and assesses their interest, influence, and attitude so that engagement and communication can be planned.

The communication management approach defines who needs what information, when, in what format, and through which channel.

Leadership sets direction and motivates people, while management plans, organizes, and controls resources; projects typically require both.

Team development stages are forming, storming, norming, and performing; recognizing the stage helps a project manager adapt support and communication.

Emotional intelligence includes self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills, and supports effective project leadership.

PRINCE2 does not prescribe a single leadership style or motivation theory; the approach is selected and tailored to the people and context.

The seven PRINCE2 practices are business case, organization, quality, plans, risk, change, and progress.

The business case practice establishes whether the project is desirable, viable, and achievable; outputs include the Business Case and benefits management approach.

The organization practice defines roles, responsibilities, and accountability across business, user, and supplier interests, including the project board.

The quality practice covers quality planning, quality control, and quality assurance, using product descriptions and a quality register.

The plans practice uses product-based planning and defines project, stage, team, and exception plans.

The risk practice uses a risk management approach and risk register; risks are identified, assessed, responded to, implemented, and communicated.

The change practice uses a change control approach, issue register, and change authority to assess, approve or reject changes and record decisions.

The progress practice uses checkpoints, highlight reports, end stage assessments, and exception reports to monitor performance against plans and tolerances.

Each PRINCE2 practice includes tailoring guidance so that its application is proportionate to the project's size, complexity, and risk.

The seven PRINCE2 processes are Starting up a Project, Directing a Project, Initiating a Project, Controlling a Stage, Managing Product Delivery, Managing a Stage Boundary, and Closing a Project.

Starting up a Project is a pre-project process that appoints the project manager and team, captures lessons, prepares the project brief and outline business case, and plans initiation.

Directing a Project is the project board process that authorizes initiation, the project, stage or exception plans, ad hoc direction, and project closure.

Initiating a Project establishes project controls and develops the project initiation documentation, business case, plans, and quality, risk, and change approaches.

Controlling a Stage covers authorizing work packages, monitoring and reviewing work, reporting progress, handling issues, and escalating exceptions.

Managing Product Delivery covers authorizing, accepting, and executing work packages, and confirming delivery and acceptance of products.

Managing a Stage Boundary prepares the next stage plan, updates the project plan and business case, reports stage end performance, and requests authorization to continue.

Closing a Project confirms product acceptance, prepares closure documentation, evaluates performance, reviews benefits, and captures lessons before closure authorization.