Not Quite PRINCE2

When e-learning projects fail there's a tendency to point the bone at the pedagogy, "e-learning doesn't work". This view of e-learning is not based in fact. Reality is closer to, "good e-learning works fine, bad e-learning tends to fail". More than pedagogical problems, the cause of failure is usually lack of any project management. If good project management was in force, then poor design for learning would be identified and rectified early in the piece. Hence my interest in PM methodology, and most especially PRINCE2. I can't call what I do PRINCE2 as I use something more streamlined adapted by me from PRINCE2. So I call it NQP2. I don't wait for institutions to put a project manager in place, I simply put on a different hat and project manage myself. Patient: Doctor, I keep thinking I'm invisible. Psychiatrist: Who said that?

The PRINCE2 manual is not daunting (as these things go), and you may want to acquire a copy.

If all you want is a Quick Start Guide to NQP2 then start here.

Themes

• Why do we want to do this e-learning project?
• Who will sponsor it, oversee it, do it?
• What exactly is it that we are doing?
• How are we going to do it?
• How much will it cost?
• When will it be finished?
• What if things go wrong?
• What's going to be the impact if we change what it is we're doing?
• Where are we in this thing now?
• Should we carry on?

The Business Case

• Executive summary
• Reasons
• Business options
• Expected benefits
• Expected dis-benefits
• Proposed schedule
• Estimated costs
• Cost / Benefit analysis
• Risk analysis

NOTE: There is a Business Case tool available on this site.

Roles and jobs

• Project Sponsor
• Project Director
  • Representatives
    • The institution
    • The users
    • The supplier(s)
• Project Manager
• Supplier(s)
• Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance

• Verification (Are we doing it right?)
• Validation (Are we doing the right thing?)
• Test-driven development
• Visibility
• Third party

Planning

• How are we going to do it?
  • Design for learning
  • Implementation
  • Delivery
  • Staffing
• How much will it cost?
  • Cone of uncertainty
  • Scope
• When will it be finished?
  • Schedule
• What is "finished"?
• Scope

Risk management

• Identify
  • Focus groups
  • War Stories
• Rank
  • S*O*D
    • Severity
    • Occurrence
    • Detectability
• Design out risk
• Mitigate
  • Plan B
  • Notes & Warnings

Issues and change control

• Configuration management
  • Establish controls
    • Specifications
    • Current status records
    • Daybook
    • Issue register
    • Issue reports
• Change authority
• Change budget

Progress

• Stage
• Stage gates

Processes

• Starting up a project
  • Find a sponsor
  • Appoint a director
  • Appoint the representatives
  • Appoint the project manager
  • Review previous similar project(s)
  • Prepare the business case
  • Test for positioning and approach
  • Plan the initiation stage
• Directing a project
  • Authorise initiation
  • Authorise the project
  • Authorise the stage plan
  • Give ad hoc direction
  • Authorise project closure
• Initiating a project
  • Prepare strategies for
    • risk management
    • configuration management
    • quality assurance
    • communications
  • Set up project controls
  • Create the project plan
  • Refine the business case
  • Assemble the Project Initiation Document (PID)
• Controlling a stage
• Work packages
  • Authorise
  • Review
  • Receive
• Monitor and report
  • Stage status
  • Milestones
• Issues
  • Capture
  • Correct, or
  • Escalate
• Managing product delivery
  • Work packages
    • Accept
    • Execute
    • Deliver
• Managing a stage gate
  • verify product
  • validate product
  • update the business case
  • report stage completion to
    • sponsor
    • project director
  • move to the next stage
• Closing a project
• Hand over products
• Evaluate the project
• Publish the documentation
• Recommend project closure

On closure of a project it is good to hold a morning tea, drinks and nibbles, or whatever seems appropriate to the scale of the project. At this event be sure to thank the sponsor, the director, and the team. Symbolize the handing over of the product to the users representative. In the event that a project is ended prematurely without delivery of the complete product it is important not to miss this step; the shortcomings of the project should be acknowledged and everybody thanked for their effort just the same.

OGC (2009) Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2™ London: TSO