Paper E2 enterprise management: it's unwise to fixate on one approach to project management and use it to answer any question on the topic, regardless of the scenario. As with many other exams, an appreciation of context is crucial.

AuthorHughes, Jenny
PositionStudy Notes

As significant number of candidates approach E2's project management questions by providing a knowledge dump--i.e. writing down everything they know about the subject in their answers--rather than focusing on the specific requirements of each question. Some candidates include the PRINCE2 methodology every time without considering which of its elements might be relevant, or even whether PRINCE2 is the most appropriate approach to take.

When answering a question on project management, good candidates will establish its specific requirements and consider the context of the project--e.g. the circumstances of the life-cycle of the project and which methodologies, models, frameworks or processes would be most applicable - and, where appropriate, contextualise their answers with regard to the stages of the project that may already have been completed.

Project management is based on methodologies, frameworks, models and processes. In the wider business world the boundaries between these terms are blurred, which makes it hard for candidates to decide which they should use in their answers. I would define the terms as follows:

  1. PRINCE2: THE METHODOLOGY Principle Explanation 1. Business justification. A project should have continued business justification. 2. Lessons learned. Lessons are sought, recorded and acted upon throughout. 3. Defined roles and Set within an organisational responsibilities. structure that engages the interests of business, user and supplier stakeholders. 4. Manage by stages. Plan, monitor and control on a stage-by-stage basis. 5. Manage by exception. Tolerances set for each project should be objective and, when these are exceeded, The issue should be referred to the next level of management for a decision on how to proceed. 6. Focus on products. Define and deliver products that meet their stated quality criteria. 7. Tailor to suit the project's Adjust to match the project's environment. scale, complexity, importance capability and risk. * A methodology is a set of principles, tools and practices that can be used to achieve a successful project. If an organisation wants to take a consistent approach to project management, it will use one methodology for all projects.

    * A framework is a loose but supporting structure that can be used however and whenever the project requires it.

    * A model is a representation of a project you would normally be planning or creating.

    * A process, like an instruction booklet, is a systematic series of actions running from the start of the project to its closure.

    PRINCE2 (an acronym for Projects In Controlled Environments) has been described as a process-based approach that provides an easily tailored methodology for managing all types of project. This suggests that PRINCE2 can serve as a methodology and a process or set of processes. It's a methodology, because it gives us a set of guiding principles that can be used to develop a consistent...

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