PRINCE22024-02-26T16:17:24+11:00

Project Management Best Practice: PRINCE2®

What is PRINCE2?

PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is the world’s most widely-adopted project management method, used by people and organisations from wide-ranging industries and sectors. It has been adopted by many agencies across the Australian Public Sector (APS) for many years.

It is a flexible method that guides you through the essentials for managing successful projects, regardless of type or scale. Built upon years of experience from practitioners from across the world, the method comprises of seven principles, practices, and processes. It has been specifically designed to be tailored or adapted to meet any project professionals’ requirements.

PRINCE2 is supported by an accredited training and qualification offering which teaches practitioners the fundamentals of the method. It is highly recommended that practitioners seek further guidance on how to apply and embed the method in their organisation with coaching and consulting from experienced professionals such as Tanner James.

PRINCE2 is owned by AXELOS Global Best Practice, who are responsible for maintaining and updating the method. In 2015 AXELOS launched PRINCE2 Agile, a new guide which offered in-depth guidance on how to tailor the mthod for agile projects.

The benefits of using PRINCE2

Further information

The PRINCE2 method can be used by any organisation for any project regardless of the size or complexity of the piece of work. The effective use of PRINCE2 requires experienced professionals who have an understanding of how to tailor the method to a particular project, organisation or context.

Tanner James has supported the implementation of PRINCE2 in a range of settings and contexts. This includes the:

  • Coordination of a Policy Reform Package – from establishing an evidence base to public consultation, drafting and implementation.
  • Transitioning local area service arrangements based upon a standard model to a new business model driven by locally determined priorities.
  • Enabling an Enterprise PMO to manage a capability improvement project to address issues raised by a best practice comparison. The project was used to create a best practice exemplar approach, which other projects could seek to replicate.
  • Upgrade of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System to address the critical stakeholder segments and appropriate messages as part of an integrated communications strategy.
  • Integration of multiple work packages to be delivered on multiple sites as part of a single project to ensure quality of configuration and installation.
  • Coaching of Project Executives to have clarity of the roles they should be playing, the information they should be receiving / understanding and the decisions they should be making.

The PRINCE2 certification and training scheme has been designed for any professional working in a project environment. Depending on the level of involvement in the day-to-day management of the project there are various options as detailed below. It is though important that anyone working in a PRINCE2 project environment understands the basic language and workings of PRINCE2 in order to avoid confusion and misuse of the method.

There are a number of different certification and training options to cater for each organisation and individual need.

PRINCE2 is comprised of two main certification levels; Foundation and Practitioner.

Foundation is typically offered as a 3-day course and Practitioner as a 2-day offering. Both are typically delivered within the same week, with those who take and pass the Foundation examination progressing to the Practitioner level.

The Foundation exam is comprised of:

  • 60 multiple choice questions per paper
  • 36 marks or more required (out of 60 available) to pass: 60%
  • One hour (60 minutes) duration
  • Closed book.

The Practitioner exam is comprised of:

  • All questions are ‘multiple choice’
  • 70 (part) questions per paper
  • 42 (part) marks or more required to pass: 60%
  • Two-and-a-half hours (150 minutes) duration, no additional reading time
  • Open book. Only the official PRINCE2 7 Managing Successful Projects manual is allowed, no other material can be used.

In order to take the Practitioner exam you must provide proof of achieving one of the below:

  • PRINCE2 7 Foundation exam (recommended)
  • PRINCE 6 Foundation or Practitioner
  • Project Management Qualification (PMQ)
  • Project Professional Qualification (PPQ)
  • Project Professional Professional (PMP)
  • Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
  • IPMA Levels A, B, or D.

You can still attend the PRINCE2 7 Practitioner Course, however you will not be permitted to sit the exam until you provide proof of one of the above.

Tanner James offers PRINCE2 coaching and consulting services to support organisations who wish to apply and embed elements of the method into their projects and organisations. Tanner James coaches work alongside your staff to building their capability to effectively leverage the method.

Tanner James is an official AXELOS Consulting Partner (ACP) and has extensive experience in successfully helping the APS to embed best practice in their department.

Visit the Tanner James coaching and consulting services page to find out more about the service.

Tanner James offers executive briefings in PRINCE2 for Senior Executive Service (SES) members to provide a succinct overview of PRINCE2, as well as providing executives with the information that they need in order to support staff using the PRINCE2 method.

To find out more, please contact us directly.

The PRINCE2 guide contains a detailed description of the method and is strongly recommended to be taken into the Practitioner exam as support.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the PRINCE2 guide, you can do so by contacting us for a quote.

Tanner James offers public training courses in PRINCE2 every in both Foundation and practitioner every month in our centrally located training rooms in Canberra.

Participants do not have to take the exam at the same time as training, as Tanner James offers flexible exam options.

See our for the next available dates.

Tanner James offers clients the ability to run an in-house training course for both PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner. We would highly recommend the in-house delivery if you are considering investing in more than six staff members taking the course.

In-house training enables Tanner James to provide organisation specific examples, to really bring PRINCE2 to life in the classroom.

Each in-house delivery also includes;

  • A free workplace implementation pack
  • A free executive briefing.

To find out more about Tanner James in-house training delivery, visit our in-house delivery page.

Offered as an in-house course, the one-day overview will provide you with a sound understanding of the PRINCE2 method and is designed to equip you with enough knowledge of PRINCE2 to enable you to work within a project environment following the method.

To find out more, please contact us directly.

PRINCE2 blog posts

Go to Top