Prince project management methodology - who needs it?

Is PRINCE2 qualification becoming a de-facto requirement for anyone wanting gainful employment in the project management environment? If it is – is that the right way to go?

I have seen an increasing interest in the UK NHS (National Health Service) in using prince 2 prince project management methodology qualified interim managers and few would deny that the NHS needs to improve its project management capabilities, but I can't help wondering whether there is a growing emphasis on qualifications above experience which is not necesssarily a good thing.

The latest version of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) prince 2 manual was published back in June 2009. Employers, particularly public sector employers are now starting to make the PRINCE qualification a requirement if you want a job or interim role managing projects.

Seasoned project managers are a bit skeptical about taking prince 2 training programmes and I don’t blame them. The training is expensive so if you have a successful track record why do you need it?  However it can be a deciding factor between two equal candidates so it looks set to become a 'must have' for would be project managers.

PRINCE2, which stands for 'PRojects IN Controlled Environments', was developed by the UK Office of Government Commerce (OGC) and has gradually become the standard for project management in the UK and across the world.

Reviewers on Amazon have generally been positive about the new 2009 edition which is a slimed down version of what went before.

It includes the key characteristics of project management - they are:

• Continued business justification
• Learning from experience
• Defined roles and responsibilities
• Managed by stages
• Managed by exception
• Focuses on products and their quality
• Tailored to suit the particular product environment.

OGC say that “PRINCE2 does not cover all aspects of project management. Areas such as leadership and people management skills, detailed coverage of project management tools and techniques are well covered by other existing and proven methods and are therefore excluded from PRINCE2”.

Compared to the previous version which many of us found quite overwhelming and bureaucratic this version of PRINCE project management methodology is a good read and will give you a grounding in how to manage projects, plus get you to examination level if that is where you want to be.

Buy the OGC 2009 prince2 manual at Amazon today.