At first glance, the answer to this question may seem obvious – a project manager running projects using PRINCE2. However, as long as we believe that to be the only answer then running any PRINCE2 project may not result in a successful outcome.
PRINCE2 defines 8 roles with project responsibilities all of which must be filled in order to be in support of the PRINCE2 principle relating to defined roles and responsibilities. Although PRINCE2 does not demand that each role is covered by a separate individual, it does define a project management team structure consisting of,
- The Project Board who own and direct the project led by a Project Executive who is the main decision maker and owns the Business Case. Two other roles support the Executive, namely a Senior User role and a Senior Supplier role
- The Project Manager who runs the project on a day-to-day basis on behalf of the Project Board
- Possibly Team Managers who are responsible to the project manager for the production of specialist products.
There are also 3 further roles, namely,
- Project Assurance who are appointed by and act on behalf of the Board. They assure the Board that the project is being run effectively and efficiently and that the progress information being communicated to the Board members is factually correct.
- Project Support who carry out administrative functions to support the Project Manager.
- Change Authority, a role appointed by the Board to decide whether or not changes are implemented.
Each of these roles is vital to the success of a PRINCE2 project. Roles can be doubled up, for example, the Executive could also cover the role of Senior User, and responsibilities shared.
Implementing a successful project management approach based on PRINCE2 within an organisation with each Project Management Team member undertaking their roles and responsibilities in a competent manner has been shown to improve project success. However, none of the above roles will be carried out effectively if those individuals placed in the roles do not understand the basics of PRINCE2 and the responsibilities of that role. So when it comes to answering the question initially posed – who needs a PRINCE2 training course? – then the answer is ALL of the above. Without the requisite training the roles will be approached haphazardly to the detriment of the project and ultimately resulting in the non-achievement of business benefits.