Home PRINCE2 ARTICLES
News
Print E-mail

PRINCE2® & PMBOK® – Complementary rather than in competition

 

A lot of debate is generated about which of PRINCE2® and PMBOK® is the best, as if they are in competition.  An excellent case can however be made for organisations to use the two approaches together to complement one another’s strengths and weaknesses.  By using both PRINCE2® and PMBOK®, the project managers are using the best project management approaches from both worlds.

 

Essentially PMBOK® provides a comprehensive knowledge base for effective project management (the “What”), while PRINCE2® provides a more “How To‟ approach. 

 

Comparison of PRINCE2® & PMBOK®

PMBOK®

PRINCE2®

Broad collection of ‘good practices’ for project management

A project management method

Each topic area can be referred to in isolation from others

An integrated set of processes & themes that should not be applied selectively

Targeted at project managers

Covers all project management roles

Covers interpersonal skills

Does not cover interpersonal skills

Describes techniques

References techniques

 

Processes Comparison:

PMBOK®

PRINCE2®

Initiating

Starting up a project, Directing a project, Managing Stage Boundaries

Planning

Initiating a Project, Managing a Stage Boundary, Managing Product Delivery

Executing

Controlling a Stage, Managing Product Delivery, Directing a project

Monitoring and Control

Controlling a Stage, Managing a Stage Boundary

Closing

Managing Stage Boundaries, Closing a Project

 

Knowledge Area Comparison:

PMBOK®

PRINCE2®

Integration

Plans, Change control

Scope

Business Case, Plans

Time

Plans, Change control

Cost

Plans, Change control

Quality

Quality, Configuration Management

Risk

Management of Risk

Communications

Progress, Communications Management, Stakeholder Engagement

Human Resources

Organisation - only Roles & Responsibilities covered

Procurement

Not covered by PRINCE2®

 

Both approaches can be tailored to suit an organisation’s specific circumstances and environment.  This allows for better integration into the level of project management maturity the organisation is currently at and wants to move towards in the future.  An optimal tactic for success would therefore be to adopt both, i.e. create an organisation-specific framework based on the PMBOK® standard, as well as the “How to‟ guide based on the PRINCE2® methodology.

 

By combining PMBOK® and PRINCE2® to establish an integrated solution, organisations can take advantage of the best of the two most respected project management approaches in the world today. Such a strategy should allow those organisations to achieve better performance on all project outputs and business outcomes.

 

Companies that are using both PRINCE2® and PMBOK®:

IBM, HP, Sun Microsystems, Getronics

 

References:

1.      Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2®, TSO, 5th ed, 2009.

2.      The Marriage Proposal of PRINCE2® and PMBOK®, Dr A Yeong, 2009.

3.       Providing Clarity on PMBOK® and PRINCE2®, Project Plus Ltd, 2008.

 
 
High demand for project managers Print E-mail
Written by Wald Snyman   
Friday, 29 January 2010 00:00
2010 has kicked off and great excitement is building as the World Cup Soccer tournament draws closer.  What a project to manage! The biggest spectator sports event in the world!  The general feeling is that the South African economy has started to recover after reaching the lower turning point of the recession last year.  This bodes well for the field of project management as both public and private organisations will become more willing to conduct projects to take advantage of the economic upswing.   

High demand for project managers


The Mindworx Salary Survey was carried out during 2009 to gain insight into the compensation and employment trends and standards for individuals working as project managers, business analysts, process engineers and business intelligence professionals in South Africa. 

The results from the survey, which was based on age category, gender and ethnicity, shows project managers in SA to earn consistently higher salaries than their counterparts in the other job types surveyed.

Chris Reay, CEO of Engineer Placements, confirms that Project Managers are well remunerated.  “It’s a great game to be in and the good ones get good money.”   Even at the height of the recession during 2009 when retrenchment throughout most industries was the order of the day, it was still difficult to find the right people to fill project management positions (Sunday Times, 24 January 2010). 

In summary, the results from the survey with reference to Project Managers’ earnings are:

•    PM’s earn the most and have the highest average salary compared to the rest of the job types surveyed. 
•    Earnings increase with age, therefore more experienced PM’s earn better.  This points to good long term prospects for PM’s.

A further significant finding is that although the majority of the Project Managers surveyed have tertiary qualifications, 51% of them have been employed for less than 2 years!  There are a lot of inexperienced people that are given the quite considerable responsibilities of being Project Managers out in business.  In fact, the survey shows that 75% of the PM’s surveyed indicated they needed varying levels of additional training. 

Ants PM T&D offers project management consulting services as well as PRINCE2® training.  Accredited PRINCE2® practitioners are in demand worldwide!
 
Print E-mail

PRINCE2 Training benefits all

Author: Elle Wood

Organizations of every size can benefit greatly from the PRINCE2 management methodology. When project managers have the skills and tools to effectively organize and control projects, a company runs more efficiently. This structured approach, scalable to any size project or organization, provides a clear, well-defined framework for designing, supervising, and, if necessary, adjusting a project.

The first step in utilizing PRINCE2 methodology is for a project manager to become certified with the PRINCE2 Foundation qualification. This foundation certification indicates a comprehensive understanding of the terminology and principles of this management methodology. The second qualification is for PRINCE2 Practitioner. This exam aims to measure a candidate’s capability for running and managing a project while applying PRINCE2 principles. One needs to demonstrate an understanding of relationships and reasoning within a project’s components.

Nationally, more than 35% of all candidates fail the three-hour Practitioner exam. These often include managers with practical experience who simply have a difficult time expressing their expertise on the test. This can be addressed through PRINCE2 courses, which will help correct the typical problem areas. One frequent problem is time management. A candidate needs plenty of practice with the type of questions and the exam structure, in order to learn how to work quickly and steadily without belaboring any one question for too long. He or she will be expected to exhibit competence addressing the problems presented with a specific project scenario. With enough practice through PRINCE2 courses, one can work quickly enough to allow time at the end of the exam for reading over the work, thus avoiding repetitions or omissions. Also, candidates will learn how to demonstrate their understanding of the connections involved between various aspects of a project and how to understand what information, precisely, each question is meant to elicit.

The flexibility of the methodology enables it to be applied to any environment or industry. Utilization of PRINCE2 breaks down the processes within a project, helping to facilitate an economical control of resources. Furthermore, it provides a shared language for improved communication among all those working on a project. So when managers have completed PRINCE2 training, the whole company benefits.

About the Author:

For professional self improvement Prince2 Training will further your resume and provide added value to current or potential employers.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - PRINCE2 Training benefits all
 


PIAB Free Software

Banner

Google Banner

Cartoons

Funny Pages

Advertisement


Live Help!

Our Clients:

eight_man_logo.gif

training venueIn-house Courses
If you have 6 or more people to train then an in-house program may be a more cost effective option. Contact us for our in-house course pricing.

training venueTraining Venue for Hire
Ants PM T&D are now able to offer you our venue for hire at an affordable price. The venue is ideal for corporate training, workshops, written exams and classroom based training.