PRINCE2 Agile

The difference between PRINCE2 and PRINCE2 Agile

There is no fundamental difference between PRINCE2 and PRINCE2 Agile. However, each has its own guidance manual. The PRINCE2 manual is discussed elsewhere. The PRINCE2 Agile manual maintains the four core components of PRINCE2 – the principles, themes, processes, and tailoring – but provides additional guidance for how to apply PRINCE2 in an agile context.

Who created PRINCE2 Agile?

PRINCE2 Agile was created by AXELOS, the owners of PRINCE2. AXELOS hired Keith Richards, the founder of agileKRC to write PRINCE2 Agile. Keith had over 30 years of experience in project management and in 2011 was voted as the ‘Most Valuable Agile Player’ award at the UK Agile Awards. Considered as a leading agile thought leader in the UK, Keith brought has vast experience and knowledge of agile and PRINCE2 to help inform the PRINCE2 Agile guidance.

Rationale behind PRINCE2 Agile

PRINCE2 is the most used project management methodology in the world. Both PRINCE2 and agile methods each have their own strengths and weaknesses. When combined, the strengths of each are complemented to create a holistic approach to managing projects in agile ways.

PRINCE2 focuses on project direction and project management. It says very little about delivering products. Agile focuses strongly on product delivery, but very little on project direction and project management.

By combining PRINCE2 with agile, PRINCE2 Agile offers strengths in all three areas – project direction, project management, and product delivery.

Principles

The seven principles of PRINCE2 can never be tailored because they are foundation aspects that must be applied to all types of projects, whether agile or not.

Themes

The seven themes in PRINCE2 can and should be tailored in an agile context. Because agile is focused primarily on product delivery, some of the themes in PRINCE2 Agile are more prominent than others. For example, the plans and progress themes are more prominent whereas the business case and risk themes are less prominent. However, all seven themes must still be used and tailored throughout a project.

Fixing and flexing

One of the key features of PRINCE2 is its definition of 6 performance aspects for time, cost, scope, quality, risk, and benefits. PRINCE2 recommends the setting of tolerances for each of these aspects. PRINCE2 Agile still uses these 6 tolerance areas but cost and time tolerance are always set to zero (i.e. fixed). The other tolerance areas can be flexed (made variable).

This is described in more detail in fixing and flexing in PRINCE2 Agile.

PRINCE2 Agile targets

PRINCE2 Agile also describes 5 targets which are crucial to the success of teams working in an agile project context. The PRINCE2 Agile targets form the rationale for how and why the 6 tolerance areas are ‘fixed and flexing’.

Processes

The seven processes in PRINCE2 must also be used and tailored throughout a project. Some of the processes are often combined in PRINCE2 Agile, for example starting up a project and initiating a project are often combined.

PRINCE2 Agile behaviours

When tailoring the themes and processes, attention should be paid to specific behaviours of the project management team. These behaviours need to function smoothly for the agile to work in the most efficient way. The 5 PRINCE2 Agile behaviours are:

1. Transparency.

2 Collaboration.

3. Rich communication.

4. Self-organization.

5. Exploration.

PRINCE2 Agile focus areas

PRINCE2 Agile also gives guidance on specific areas that require prominence due to the nature of agile ways of working. These focus areas also include guidance on specific techniques that can support them. There are five focus areas in PRINCE2 Agile:

1. The Agilometer.

2. Requirements.

3. Rich communication.

4. Frequent releases.

5. Creating contracts when using agile.

Management products

The 26 management products which help the project management team plan, manage, and control a project are also utilised in PRINCE2 Agile, but these are also tailored. PRINCE2 describes many ways in which these management products can be represented, for example in the form of information radiators on a whiteboard in a shared working space.

PRINCE2 Agile manual

The PRINCE2 Agile manual PRINCE2 Agile is a comprehensive guide to applying PRINCE2 Agile. This book is the official text for accredited training and its content forms the basis of the questions on the examination papers.

Glossary

A comprehensive glossary exists for both PRINCE2 Agile and PRINCE2 terminology. It also includes many common agile terms.