Project Initiation Document is based on Prince2 Project management methodology. Because it helps to understand project scope, goals, and approaches that guide you on how goals and objectives of projects can achieve.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Moreover, this PID doc provides a platform on which top management, project managers, and stakeholders can monitor project progress.
Basically, it is a core project planning document that provides brief information about project scope, business case, risk planning, and other essential documents.
A PID is a planning document or documentation that defines the project scope, its business case, risks, and other crucial details.
This project management document can be changed according to different scenarios and project requirements.
According to PMBOK, experts give prince2 PID rank to Project plan because everything in this doc is essential to a project plan.
Project Initiation Document Timeline
- When the initiation stage of project completion, you have to put it together with PID.
- A PID timeline is the mixture of different project management documents that are developed during the stage of initiation.
- A PID is a live document, so, any change, development in a project like project progress, status, task outstanding, etc. must be included in the last phase of stage closing.
- All major parts of the PID doc must be updated.
- The baseline of the PID doc should be updated if any management development is made.
- In the project closure stage, we observe how this project is completed, progressing, and processed.
Review: Project Initiation Plan Template
Source Data for Prince2 Project Initiation Documentation
- Data collected from Project Brief (initiation of Project)
- From meeting with users to evaluate requirements
- From business financial status
- Conduct meetings with suppliers and stakeholders on methods and rules, policies, and control processes.
What is Included in a Project Initiation Document PRINCE2?
A Prince2 PID has several sections of information about the project plan that is following:
Project definition: In this section, you provide project information about project scope, goals, objectives, purpose, and other deliverables. Basically, it is a guidebook for everyone to understand the project and its goals, outcomes, etc.
Project Approach: In this section, you have provided information about which Prince2 project management approach and methodology are going to use in a project.
Business Case: In this section, we put enough information and business goals that help you and your team to understand how to lead this project.
Project Management Team: In this section, we make teams and assign team leaders after that we use the RACI chart and assign roles and responsibilities.
Quality Management Approach: This section refers to the set quality management system and identified quality assurance standards and approaches.
Change Control Approach: As we know that 90 percent of project plans need changes according to current progress and in different scenarios. So, you have to describe here which change control approach you adapt when needed. Here you can also set rules and regulations and project change procedures.
However, keep in mind, that project change has a deep impact on project schedule, expenditures, quality criteria, etc. So, when it is necessary to implement a project change plan, you have to deal with the consequences.
Risk Management Approach: A risk management plan is important for every project because it helps in the state of emergency or when it is needed according to the situation that includes, a project is outstanding, deviation, mismanagement, any accident or incident that can affect project progress or lead to delay.
In Prince2 PID you have to evaluate project risk factors before launching it. For this purpose, you can use the SWOT analysis tool and others.
Communication Management: A better and more effective project communication plan is key to project success. In this plan, you make a pathway that identifies which person you can contact in a situation. Basically, it is a communication hierarchy within the organization. As well as you can get the guide to communicating with stakeholders.
Project Plan: This section refers to the core of the Prince2 project information Document that describes the whole picture of a project plan. This includes project scheduling, costing, and budgeting, tasking, project resource management, etc. For tasking, you can utilize the WBS template.
A project plan also explains project management approaches, management stages, and project timelines.
Project Controlling: This section belongs to project monitoring and controlling the project according to the proposed plan i.e. within budget, schedule, time, etc. Also, you can include any exemption, but that information must be included in the PID doc.
Note: You have to put brief information in PID about how you can use Prince2 methodology in a project.
PID Derivation: Point to be noted, a PID doc is based on a project brief so, you can say that its implementation is defined in project outlines that are prepared by a project manager.
PRINCE2 PID Process Stages
Prince2 PID process has 7 seven process stages that assist in project execution on Prince2 methodology.
Start-Up Process Stage
In this stage, first, you evaluate whether a project is feasible or not after that project summary is passed on to top management. The top management is responsible to approve the project. However, this project summary has two attachments a project brief and a project directive document, that are highly confidential and important project documentation.
Project Initiation Process Stage
In this stage, you must describe project purpose, type of work done, project mission, vision, benefits of projects that your company can get, risk factors and risk management plan, etc.
However, best practices are to include PID documents, project scope, quality management, and communication plan, monitoring and controlling rules and policies, roles & responsibilities.
Project Directives Process Stage
This stage identifies the project’s top management including the program management board. They are responsible to approve projects, decision-making processes, reviewing project progress, benefits, and deliverables as well as they are responsible to give directions on how to execute the project from initiation to project closure stage.
Controlling Process Stage
In this stage project manager use the task management template and RACI matrix tool to assign task among the team members and set RACI against them.
However, project managers use different types of project plan documentation templates for monitoring and controlling like project dashboards where they monitor employees’ tasks or work done.
This stage includes making a roaster plan, work schedule, assigning teams, checking current project status, project timeline, milestone report, etc.
The project manager is also responsible to update the issue log, eliminating risk by implanting a risk response plan, etc.
Note: Project change request is reviewed in this stage.
Product Delivery Process Stage
The purpose of this stage is to make sure the team approved the work packages, and the product that is assigned to them, they agreed upon it without any doubt, and they have enough information about a product and its procedures. The planned products are delivered to the expectations and within tolerance.
Stage Boundary Process Stage
In this process stage, project managers create a project progress report, that includes project status, timeline dashboard data, updates on new development, and prepare a plan for the coming stage.
After that, this report is passed on to top management which will review project progress, growth rate, updates on developments, and then approved for the next process stage.
Project Closure Process Stage
In this last stage of the Prince2 PID process, we make sure to complete all tasks and achieve goals, project objectives, and deliverables according to schedule. Project managers prepare a brief project report that includes lessons learned and observations, employees’ performance, etc. Then handover to top management.
Top management reviews project reports and check whether all project tasks, goals, objectives, and other outcomes have been obtained or not. If yes, then they close the project. Also, learn about the Prince2 Work Package.
