Prince2 7 Principles May 2026

Define each deliverable in detail before you build it. Quality is built in from the start, not inspected in at the end. 7. Tailor to Suit the Project Environment (No Silver Bullet) The Story: David reads the official PRINCE2 manual. It says to create 26 different documents. For a 6-month, 8-person project, that is overkill.

"How did you avoid all the disasters of our last project?"

Senior management sets boundaries (time, cost, quality, scope). The project manager stays within them. Only break the glass when a boundary is crossed. 6. Focus on Products (Outputs, Not Activities) The Story: Most teams focus on tasks: "Write code," "Test login," "Deploy server." David forces the team to focus on products (deliverables). prince2 7 principles

The project must make sense financially and strategically from start to finish. No blind loyalty to a sunk cost. 2. Learn from Experience (Don't Reinvent the Wheel) The Story: On Day 1, David doesn't start planning. He visits the company's "Lessons Log" from a failed IT project three years ago. He reads: "We failed because we didn't test with real customers until the end."

He also calls a former project manager, Chloe, who tells him: "Don't let marketing change requirements mid-sprint without approval. It killed our timeline." Define each deliverable in detail before you build it

The auditor later commends David: "You followed the spirit of PRINCE2, not just the paperwork."

However, he keeps the and Product Descriptions formal because those are critical for a high-risk project. Tailor to Suit the Project Environment (No Silver

Maria chooses option 2. David continues. Maria only hears about problems when tolerances are breached. She is not bothered with daily status updates. She manages the project by exception .