You’re halfway through a project. Deadlines are closing in, stakeholders are pushing new demands, and your supplier just dropped a delay bomb. What do you do? Panic? Push back? Or pause and escalate? These are the moments where frameworks like PRINCE2 are not just helpful but they are essential.
If you have ever taken a PRINCE2 Course, you know it’s packed with structured logic, but applying it under pressure is where most people freeze. Would you follow the method or trust your instincts? The scenario we’re about to explore has stumped even experienced project managers. Let’s walk through it and see how you would respond.
The Scenario: Trouble Mid-Project
Envision yourself leading a digital transformation project for the public sector. It is supposed to take six months, and you are almost done with stage three. You are following the PRINCE2 technique to the letter. The money is tight, and the business case was already stretched thin from the start.
Suddenly, two major problems arise. First, one of your most important suppliers tells you that their deliveries will be three weeks late. Second, a high-level user insists on adding a new reporting dashboard to the project, saying that it is necessary to follow the rules.
You are currently under pressure from time and money, as well as from stakeholders, and you don’t know when the delivery will happen. The senior supplier is sure that things can be changed. But your team isn’t that much sure. What would you do then?
PRINCE2 in Action: What Should You Do?
The Project Manager in PRINCE2 doesn’t make major decisions on their own. The first step is to escalate. You bring forward an issue report to the Project Board. This deviation is unacceptable. The agreed-upon dates and costs are likely to be affected by the delay and change in scope. PRINCE2 states that anything that falls outside the defined tolerances requires the Project Board’s direction.
But things aren’t always that simple. The Executive wants the project to be finished on time and budget. The Senior User says that the dashboard is essential. Your Delivery Team, on the other hand, states that incorporating both adjustments into the existing stage plan is not feasible.
Your response should be to formally assess the impact. Revise the business case, redo the stage plan, and provide the board with clear choices: proceed with the revised scope and accept the delay, reduce the scope of the dashboard, or request additional support. PRINCE2 says that people should make judgements based on up-to-date information, not guessing.
This is where many managers go wrong. Instead of adhering to the governing framework, they attempt to meet everyone’s needs or strike informal deals, which leads to delivery chaos.
Key Principles Being Tested
This situation illustrates several key PRINCE2 concepts. Let’s examine the primary ones that are involved:
Continued Business Justification
Every choice must align with the business case. If the new dashboard significantly alters the cost-benefit ratio, the reason behind it needs to be re-examined. Just because someone asks for something doesn’t mean it helps the case.
Manage by Exception
There is a rationale for tolerances. You escalate when you go above them. This rule eliminates guesswork and helps prevent things from going overboard, ensuring deadlines are met.
Defined Roles and Responsibilities
The Project Manager does not have the authority to authorise large changes. The Project Board is responsible for that. If you get this wrong, you could lose control and lead to miscommunication.
Focus on Products
PRINCE2 projects are product-based. Formal change control must be done on the new dashboard if it is not part of the original product breakdown structure. The project will stay on track with what was agreed upon if it focusses on results.
Conclusion
Situations like this one in the real-world test not only your understanding of PRINCE2 but also your ability to make good decisions. These are useful lessons that make a good project manager great. They help us remember why order is important, especially when things go wrong. Consider PRINCE2 Training if you want to get better at managing projects and learn more about how things work in the real world.
