PRINCE2 Master is a route to career and organizational success

Robert Pinnington – PRINCE2 Master, Germany

The PRINCE2 Master designation now offers the pinnacle of professional practice across project, programme, portfolio and risk management. It’s a journey, but one that’s worth taking.

Becoming a PRINCE2 Master is about perspective and the ability to blend structure with flexibility, theory with experience and processes with people.

And, for me, it began with PRINCE2 Project Management.

Since starting my career in investment banking to more recent roles in procurement and logistics, all sizes of projects and programmes have been my livelihood. However, when I became a self-employed contractor, I invested in PRINCE2 Project Management and I haven’t looked back since.

I benefited greatly from the courses and the best practice guidance they provided. But when I later moved into a company delivering multiple concurrent projects as part of a large scale programme, it became clear I didn’t have the tools at my disposal needed to manage more ambitious and complex change initiatives.

A way to manage the whole, not just the parts, is invaluable

Though the main company goal was software related, including the eventual outsourcing to a team in another country, there were also complementary projects related to people, training and process.

This raised some critical questions: “how will the software change fit with the intended people plan?” and “how will the new processes be assimilated by the outsourcing partner?”

The impact and dependencies of these projects meant I needed a broader view and set of tools to manage it all. This is when I decided to train and certify in PRINCE2 Programme Management (formerly Managing Successful Programmes) and PRINCE2 Portfolio Management (formerly Management of Portfolios). Together, they unlocked the door to a more holistic view of what was happening when and be able to manage risk accordingly.

What I especially liked about both courses was the best practice steps they provided for successful delivery of change, while being flexible enough to adapt to the working environment and organization. And I continue to apply these methods every day.

Flexibility is liberating

Often people think there is a way you should do things by the book, without deviation.

But taking the example of any guidance and certification across the PRINCE2 portfolio, it’s just not the case. Take PRINCE2 Programme Management: it provides global best practice guidance but also says it should be flexed to suit the situational context

Equally, the principle of tailor to suit the project in PRINCE2 Project Management means I have a set of tools to call upon, but permission to pick and choose the ones that fit best, often creating more opportunity for success as a result.

Risk management is a necessity

My experience of working across lots of organizations has highlighted how important it is to understand and have accreditation in risk management - especially within delivery teams.

This came to the fore whilst working for a global furniture brand. Its automation strategy included introducing robotics to the shop floor.

There were few frameworks in place for project delivery along with a mindset that people learn on the job and things usually “work themselves out”. Given the project was so strategic and large, I encouraged the firm to use PRINCE2 Project Management and Programme Management.

It soon became clear that not only would consistent project management approaches be useful, so too would test and learn and continued business justification reviews.

These best practice approaches were effective when the robotics were designed without considering the live environment. When it was apparent that the shop floor was too uneven, and the robots kept falling over, the project was cancelled as the cost to remedy the floor rendered the whole concept obsolete. Understanding continued business justification meant it was right to cancel the project, despite the initial business case for customer experience and efficiency being worthwhile.

PRINCE2 Project Management value shouldn’t be underestimated

I find it surprising how big brands around the world still underestimate the value PRINCE2 Project Management delivers. Principles, processes and practices have become my mantra. I even use it when making a chocolate torte, as funny as it may sound.

But when you consider it from a personal perspective, you realize how we constantly adapt our daily lives - tweaking a recipe if we don’t have an ingredient, finding a different route home when the road is blocked.

I think if more companies invested in any number of the certifications in the PRINCE2 portfolio - and encouraged people to achieve PRINCE2 Master - they would achieve more; equipping teams with a “kit bag” of methods and frameworks they can turn to in any scenario. There’d be more consistency, projects delivered to time and budget, more successful outcomes, benefits realized and better staff engagement.

Thinking of each certification in turn: PRINCE2 Project Management gave me the foundation. PRINCE2 Programme Management expanded my vision. PRINCE2 Risk Management gave me confidence in uncertainty. PRINCE2 Portfolio Management sharpened strategic alignment while PRINCE2 PMO Management provided governance and clarity and PRINCE2 Agile delivered adaptability.

Above all, having this range of knowledge and skills means not wasting time working out how to do things. Instead, having the guidance and grounding enables professionals to get started sooner, knowing they can adjust the approach to reach the outcome they need.
And isn’t that the ultimate goal?