PRINCE2 PROJECT MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK – THEN AND NOW

PRINCE2 project management framework is recognised throughout the world for its ability to help deliver many successful projects. 2017 marks the year of the first major update to this framework since 2009. A lot is going to change, and we’re interested to find out how much has changed not just from the 2009 update, but since PRINCE2 was born in 1996.

The Origins Of PRINCE2
While PRINCE2 itself wasn’t released until 1996, its origins date back to 1975. The British government called for some sort of framework to help with project management, as they weren’t having a lot of success. Along came something called PROMPT, which was designed to make computer projects more manageable. Further along the line, in 1989, a variation of PROMPT was born, called PRINCE. It was then released for public use in 1990.

Fast forward to 1996, and the first version of PRINCE2 came about. A committee of project managers got together and decided on what was best practices for project management were. They used this, and the existing framework of PRINCE, to form PRINCE2.

PRINCE2 1996
When PRINCE2 first came around it was designed to be a project management framework for use across multiple industries. The idea was to make this framework suitable for every single project, regardless of size. It moved on from being a framework solely focused on IT projects, which is what PRINCE originally was.

PRINCE2 2009
In 2009, PRINCE2 underwent its first proper update. The main focus of this update was to simplify the framework and make it easier for people to customise it to their own project needs. It also birthed the seven core principles of PRINCE2. This update made the framework so much lighter than it had originally been.

Between the 2009 update and the upcoming 2017 update, PRINCE2’s ownership changed hands. In 2013, it became the property of AXELOS Ltd.

Now, this new update is coming along to make significant changes to the framework. The focus is firmly on scalability and the ability to be more flexible. This update looks to make the framework easier for people to use for any project they’re managing. There’s also far more emphasis on tailoring and project managers are encouraged to use things that work for them, and neglect things that won’t. It’s brought more guidance to the framework, with tips and hints on how to apply the principles and themes to your product. Along with this, it’s also changing two examinations for PRINCE2 certificates; Foundation and Practitioner.

The Evolution Of PRINCE2
Having looked at the history of PRINCE2, you can see how much it has evolved. The first ever version was designed solely for use with IT projects. It was a very large framework that needed to be adapted by project managers for their chosen industries. Then, the original became PRINCE2, and there’s been a focus on scaling things down and making the framework easier to use for everyone ever since.