As a professional business manager, I have often experienced the fact that the essential success of any organization ultimately rests on the rudimentary aspect of completing projects successfully. I have handled several projects for my organization, a majority of which have been largely successful. So, when I happened to glance at a PRINCE2 training course, a natural question that sprung up was why another training programme? After all, having been in the field for quite some time and I was more then familiar with most aspects of how to run a project.



The key factor that lured me into going for the course was the ever-increasing need in the present-day business world to define general processes for any project. To work out a successful strategy for every project is increasingly unfeasible, with time being a massive constraint. So here was a training program that promised a generic and simple method that can be tailored for any given project. Developed by the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), Government of UK, primarily to address IT project management, PRINCE2 has enveloped a vast array of non-government and non-IT sectors in modern times, chiefly owing to its robustness.

As any project manager would readily agree, a project involves a blending of resources and skills with technology and ideas, and ensuring good product delivery. All of this operates within the twin constraints of time and risks. The framework of PRINCE2 addresses all these concerns effectively. It is an essentially process-oriented method that breaks up a project into manageable chunks of work with resource prioritization and role allocation being well defined. Another immense strength is the change that could be engineered in a project, midway, if warranted. Once I had finished reading what PRINCE2 had to offer me, I booked onto the course straight away.

At the training, I had a wonderful learning experience getting to know about the algorithmic approach of PRINCE2. Starting from the project launch, where a project team is formed and a direction is established, there is a clear sense of purpose that is inherent in the methods. Planning and initiating a project, the crucial ideas of directing it and controlling its constituent stages, and finally ensuring a fine work-package delivery are all elaborated upon in fine detail, supplemented by suitable case studies. Even for a reasonably seasoned manager like me, there were some facets that sounded exciting and novel.

Since the training, the difference I have observed in my workplace is remarkable. A definite improvement in the way projects are handled has resulted in much better results. It is not said without reason that there has to be a prefect balance between planning and execution for a project to succeed. With PRINCE2, the methods are largely simplified, owing to its well-directed layout, and things fall into place. The specifications of key inputs and the desired outputs with specific plans and activities to be performed - all have an inbuilt self-adjusting mechanism in case the project needs to be changed midway.

The training and accreditation can be undertaken in two ways. For managers already well into their job, there is the option of self-study and then sitting the exam. Or there are training organizations that provide the required training and examination.

On the whole, PRINCE2 is almost a necessity for a successful business professional to learn the nuances of efficient project management. The adaptability of PRINCE2 across a spectrum of projects, while factoring in the complexities and skill levels of the organisation, has proved to have a positive impact on me, by enhancing my career skills by several notches and enabling me to fulfill my organizations goals.