Become a More Effective Project Manager Using PRINCE2

Sarah became a more effective Project Manager using PRINCE2

Sarah is a project manager working in local government, often managing a few projects concurrently. She investigated the options available for training in project management and chose PRINCE2.

"The main thing that I needed from the training was a better structure to what I was doing. I often felt that I did not have control over the projects. I felt I also needed a consistent method to use in approaching the projects, not just for myself but for the benefit of all of the stakeholders. In our department we use many different terms to describe the same thing, and in some cases the same term to describe different things. I could see that a common project management language would be of great benefit and save a lot of time and confusion."

Sarah attended a split PRINCE2 event; the Practitioner training was held two weeks after the Foundation course.

"This enabled me to absorb the key messages of the Foundation training before coming back to gain more depth. In particular I spent some time drawing out the PRINCE2 process model so that I felt confident about when and where things happened. It all made sense, but at first the terminology was difficult to get my head around. However, passing the Foundation exam gave me confidence that I had at least mastered some of it pretty well. I as also had time to use some of the templates for the management products in the manual, and this helped with my understanding of the relationships between these documents."

Sarah found the Practitioner course useful because time was spent on using the knowledge gained on the Foundation course in a practical situation.

"We used a case study to practise the techniques and it really brought it all to life for me. The exercises we did in class will be a useful reference tool when I am back in the office. In the Practitioner exam I was able to recall some of the things we had done and this definitely helped. The Practitioner exam focuses more on practical application, so, for example, it puts you into project management situations and tests you on what you would do to resolve them."

Sarah now has the confidence of being a registered PRINCE2 practitioner. But did she gain the benefits out of the training that she had hoped for?

"Definitely. But in addition to a structure and a common set of terms, I also enjoyed the course; meeting other project managers in different industries with varying degrees of experience really helped me to see my role in context. I now also appreciate the benefits of a more rigorous approvals process, which I’m going to ensure is implemented, and my plans are so much more comprehensive now, meaning that the expectations of all my stakeholders are set before we start work. The whole thing has made me a much more effective project manager."