PRINCE2
Also known as: Projects in Controlled Environments
AXELOS's process-based project management methodology widely used in UK government and international contexts.
PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is the process-based project management methodology originally developed for UK government IT projects and now used widely across UK public sector, international government contexts, and increasingly the private sector. PRINCE2 descends from the 1989 PROMPT II method developed by CCTA (Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency); the first PRINCE method was issued by CCTA in 1989, and PRINCE2 (a generalized, non-IT-specific successor) was issued in 1996. Ownership transitioned through OGC (Office of Government Commerce), Cabinet Office, and most recently to AXELOS (a 2013 joint venture between Cabinet Office and Capita; subsequently acquired wholly by PeopleCert in 2021). PRINCE2 is built on seven principles, seven themes, and seven processes, and explicitly emphasizes tailoring to the project context. The 2017 update introduced increased tailoring guidance and the 7th edition (2023) refined the structure further.
Core components
- Seven principles (continued business justification, learn from experience, defined roles and responsibilities, manage by stages, manage by exception, focus on products, tailor to suit the project)
- Seven themes (business case, organization, quality, plans, risk, change, progress)
- Seven processes (starting up a project, directing, initiating, controlling a stage, managing product delivery, managing a stage boundary, closing)
- Product-based planning technique
- Management by exception with defined tolerances
- Required management products including Project Initiation Documentation
Primary use case
Project management methodology for UK central and local government and many Commonwealth nation public sectors; international adoption in Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia and Africa; private-sector use particularly in financial services and consulting; basis for the PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner certifications held by over 1 million practitioners globally; reference framework integrating with MSP (programme management) and M_o_R (risk management) within the AXELOS Best Management Practice portfolio.
Common criticisms
- PRINCE2 was historically criticized for excessive documentation and bureaucracy, particularly in pre-2009 editions — Andersen and others argued the management-product list overburdened smaller projects
- the 2009 'PRINCE2 in 2009' refresh and subsequent editions added explicit tailoring guidance, but practitioner surveys (notably Wideman and consultancy reports) indicated implementation still defaults to ceremonial application
- the 2013 Cabinet Office sale of PRINCE2 intellectual property to AXELOS was politically contested in the UK as privatization of public-good methodology, and the 2021 PeopleCert acquisition renewed concerns about commercial pricing of certification
- PRINCE2's process-based structure aligns awkwardly with agile delivery, motivating the PRINCE2 Agile extension whose own reception is mixed
- empirical evidence on PRINCE2 effectiveness is dominated by AXELOS-affiliated case studies, with limited independent academic evaluation
- the methodology presumes organizational maturity (defined roles, governance bodies, tolerance setting) that smaller and less-mature organizations find difficult to operationalize.
Lineage
- Parent of
- PRINCE2 Agile, P3.express
- Siblings
- PMBOK Guide, IPMA Competence Baseline, ISO 21500, ISO 21502, Managing Successful Programmes, Management of Risk, P3M3