Best practice on the use of a blended PRINCE & Agile approach.

1. PRINCE2® & take a walk on the Agile side!
(Release 1.1)
Hany Choueiri, BSc, MSc, MSP & Certified PRINCE2 Trainer and coach writes:
The recent economic crisis has lead to increasing cost and delivery pressures. Although from a
governance perspective PRINCE2 is one of the project management methodologies, there is an (incorrect)
impression that PRINCE2 is expensive, heavy handed and inflexible.
The latest edition of PRINCE2 (released June 2009) does facilitate the use of an Agile delivery approach.
PRINCE2 defined six aspects of project‟s performance that must be agreed and monitored:
PRINCE2 also recommends that tolerances are specified for Time
each of these six aspects.
Benefits Cost
Let‟s see how the SCOPE aspect can be used to “go Agile” –
diagrams on the next pages summarise the fusion of these.
(knowledge of PRINCE2 & Agile concepts are assumed.)
If you have any questions or comments please email
Risk Quality
hany.choueiri@attrapartners.com
Linkedin Profile: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/hanychoueiri Scope
Copyright © 2009 Attra Partners Limited. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without
express written permission of Attra Partners Ltd is prohibited
Attra Partners Limited is an affiliate of Rovsing Management A/S. PRINCE2® is a Registered Trademark of the
Rovsing Management A/S is an accredited ATO by the APMG on Office of Government Commerce in the
behalf of the OGC (Office of Government Commerce U.K.). United Kingdom and other countries.

2. PRINCE2
PRINCE2® in an Agile mode (Processes)
Agile Agile Agile
Stage #1 Stage #2 Stage #3 Stage n
Starting-up a Initiation
Project Project Measure
Delivery Delivery Delivery
Mandate Pre-project
Stage
Directing DP Give ad-hoc Direction Authorize Project Closure
Executive Authorize Authorize the Authorize a Stage
Senior Supplier(s) Initiation Project or Exception Plan
Senior User(s)
...
Managing SU SB SB SB ... CP
Project Manager IP CS CS
... CS
Delivering
Team Manager
Scrum Master
MP MP ... MP
SU – Staring MP – Managing IP – Initiating SB – Stage DP – Directing CS – Controlling CP – Closing
PRINCE2 up a Project Product Delivery a Project Boundaries a Project a Stage a Project
Attra Partners Limited is an affiliate of Rovsing Management A/S. PRINCE2® is a Registered Trademark of the
Rovsing Management A/S is an accredited ATO by the APMG on Office of Government Commerce in the
behalf of the OGC (Office of Government Commerce U.K.). United Kingdom and other countries.

3. PRINCE2
PRINCE2® in an Agile mode (Notes)
NOTES:
 Agile mode can be adopted within a Stage to deliver products based on a priority order (such as the MOSCOW principle).
SCOPE tolerance can be used to remain within the PRINCE2 philosophy.
 The Managing a Stage Boundary (SB) process includes the “Plan the Next Stage” activity. It is here where we would
create or refine all Product Descriptions (Specifications) for the next stage. In Agile mode and using SCOPE tolerance we
can get Board Agreement to deliver as many of the important Products as possible within a Scrum Cycle (typically 4
weeks).
 If the Product Breakdown Structure is not granular enough, then one can adapt the Product Description „s themselves
indicating that some f the product‟s features are optional and will only be delivered if there is sufficient time within the
Scrum cycle. If this is the case, then the same Product gets worked upon in the following Stage(s) or Scrum Cycles.
 One difference between PRINCE2 and Agile is that in the later, the Users are heavily engaged as part of iterative
development (equivalent of the MP – Managing Product Delivery process in PRINCE2). This would be acceptable as long
as a reasonable agreement is reached before the beginning of the Stage (or Scrum cycle) on the key deliverables (even
though not all features may be known). This is where a compromise needs to be reached as PRINCE2 needs the
possible features/Scope tolerance to be determined, while pure Agile would entail developing potentially new features (or
fine tuning them) during a Scrum cycle.
Project Product
Description
PD1 PD2 PD3 Must have
Nice to have
Attra Partners Limited is an affiliate of Rovsing Management A/S. PRINCE2® is a Registered Trademark of the
Rovsing Management A/S is an accredited ATO by the APMG on Office of Government Commerce in the
behalf of the OGC (Office of Government Commerce U.K.). United Kingdom and other countries.

4. PRINCE2
(Organization)
PRINCE2® in an Agile mode
Corporate or programme management
Project Board
Senior Supplier(s) 1
Senior User(s) Executive
(inc Design Authority)
Business, User & Supplier Change Authority
4 Project Assurance
Emphasis on Documentation
Project Manager
Project Support
Team Manager
2 (Scrum Master)
3 Team members
1 It is important to include a Design Authority/Architects as 2 Scrum Mater takes the role of the Team Manager
part of the Senior Supplier representation. This is to address
3 User involvement working within the product
one of the pitfalls of Agile where iterative development may
development team(s)
lead to solutions that does not conform to design blue-prints
leading to products that are very difficult to subsequently 4 Project Assurance should make special provision to
upgrade/enhance to meet future business need. ensure the Products are properly documented (frequently
a downside of Agile - “abuse of the Agile method”)
Attra Partners Limited is an affiliate of Rovsing Management A/S. PRINCE2® is a Registered Trademark of the
Rovsing Management A/S is an accredited ATO by the APMG on Office of Government Commerce in the
behalf of the OGC (Office of Government Commerce U.K.). United Kingdom and other countries.