Project Management

Organisations use a number of project management frameworks to ensure that their IT and technology projects deliver planned outcomes, to time, to specification and to budget. There are a number of different frameworks and methodologies that you can use, but the most widely used and recognised is PRINCE2.

PRINCE2® (PRojects in Controlled Environments)

PRINCE2 is a project management framework originally developed by OGC, and increasingly widely used around the world. PRINCE2:2009 is the most recent version of this framework and, through this site, you can access a comprehensive range of PRINCE2 manuals, tools and distance learning products, in a variety of available formats.

The key features of PRINCE2 methodology are:

Has a focus on business justification
Provides a defined structure for a project management team
Is a process-based approach to project management
Segments projects into manageable and controllable stages
Can be applied to any project in any organisation
Provides a scalable project management methodology
Gives greater control over resources.

PRINCE2 qualifications

There are two PRINCE2 qualification levels, each being an invaluable asset to anyone’s career. It increases employment prospects and helps individuals do their job more effectively. The two types of qualifications are:

PRINCE2 Foundation: for those with a requirement to learn the basics and terminology of PRINCE2
PRINCE2 Practitioner: this is the highest-level qualification, suitable for those with the need to manage projects within a PRINCE2 environment.

MSP® - Managing Successful Programmes

MSP is a programme management framework also developed by OGC, and increasingly used by organisations that have to manage a number of linked projects, or unrelated projects drawing on common resources. Through this site you order copies of the current MSP manual, in any of the available formats, or view our extensive range of MSP titles.

Project Management Institute

The PMI is well established in North America and through the rest of the world. Its Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide (PMBOK® Guide) has been available for 10 years, and is supported by a membership scheme as well as as the CAPM and PMP qualifications.

The PMI publishes an internationally recognised project management standard text, The Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide. It provides the fundamentals of project management that are applicable to a wide range of projects, including construction, software, engineering, automotive, etc.

The (PMI) published the first Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide in 1987 as an attempt to document and standardize generally accepted project management information and practices. The current edition of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Fifth Edition, was released in 2013 and it provides a basic reference for Project Management.

Agile Project Management

APM massively de-emphasizes the sort of project management frameworks and tools described above and relies on a dramatically enhanced level of communication and pragmatic collaboration between business users and software developers throughout the development process, rather than on a prescriptive definition of the finished product. There are a number of different APM methodologies and, increasingly, links between PRINCE2, MSP and agile frameworks like DSDM Atern. View our full range of Agile titles here.