An outcome is the measurable benefit or improvement resulting from using the project’s outputs.

The Business Case provides ongoing evidence that the project remains viable and worthwhile.

Benefits Reviews often occur after project closure; the plan defines when and how reviews happen post-project.

An off-specification documents a product’s failure to meet agreed quality or scope requirements.

Issue types include off-specifications, requests for change, and problems/concerns.

Verification audits check that products conform to their specifications and configuration records.

Identification uniquely tags products and versions, supporting traceability.

Configuration management tracks product versions and status, critical for controlling changes and issues.

Change budgets finance approved scope expansions, not baseline delivery activities.

Change budgets cover approved scope increases beyond original tolerances, not routine adjustments.

Issues related to Work Packages are managed in Checkpoint Reports, not the Issue Register.

The Issue Report documents approved changes, actions, and decisions.

It controls all change requests, off-specifications, and corrective actions ensuring project scope integrity.

The Examine step evaluates different response options before selecting an action.

An off-specification identifies the deviation, which may trigger change requests or corrective actions.

Closing formally accepts final deliverables and verifies achievement of objectives documented in the PID.

Handover of the project outputs to operational ownership is essential for ongoing use and benefit realization.

Closing a Project confirms acceptance and assesses early benefits, preparing for formal closure.

The Senior User owns the benefits and ensures proper planning for their realization and measurement.

The Project Board ensures strategic alignment, resolves escalated issues, and authorizes project stages.

A project must have a valid business justification throughout its lifecycle, or it should be stopped.

The Project Plan serves as the baseline against which progress is measured and managed.

The Daily Log is the Project Manager’s informal diary to capture observations, informal notes, and minor issues not yet escalated.

The Project Manager directs and controls the work during the stage, addressing issues, assigning work, and escalating exceptions.

Quality methods specify how products will be checked or tested to ensure they meet quality criteria.

The Project Brief defines scope, approach, and initial business justification, forming the basis for deciding to proceed.

Only the Project Board authorizes project initiation, allocating resources based on detailed plans.

The Highlight Report summarizes stage status, issues, and progress for the Project Board’s decision-making.

At the end of each stage, this process ensures evaluation of completed work and creates plans for the next stage for approval by the Project Board.

The Senior User ensures quality criteria reflect user needs and verifies the final product meets those expectations.

It records detailed information about each product, including version, owner, status, and location, supporting configuration management

The Team Manager creates the Team Plan detailing how assigned Work Packages will be executed and delivered

The Project Plan outlines how project products will be created, timelines, costs, and resource allocation at a strategic level.

An off-specification is a product or deliverable that fails to meet its agreed Product Description criteria.

The Issue Register captures and tracks problems, change requests, and off-specifications to ensure they are evaluated and resolved.

The Business Case must be reviewed at the end of every stage to ensure ongoing justification of the project’s viability and alignment with organizational objectives.

The Business Case ensures continued alignment with business value, funding justification, and organizational strategy.

The Risk Register is the primary tool for managing threats and opportunities, tracking ownership, actions, and review results.

The Identify step captures potential threats and opportunities before analysis or response planning occurs.

The Risk Register consolidates all risk-related data, including exposure, ownership, response actions, and review timelines.

The Communication Management Approach defines what information stakeholders need, how frequently, and through which channels.

The Progress theme defines monitoring responsibilities, reporting intervals, and escalation routes when tolerances are exceeded.

The Benefits Management Approach defines how and when benefits will be realized and measured—often continuing after project closure.

Known as the Change theme (or Issue Management in PRINCE2 7), it manages deviations from baselined products—covering formal changes, unresolved issues, and off-specs.

The Quality practice specifies the quality criteria, quality methods (e.g., inspection, review, testing), and the responsibilities for ensuring that the product meets stakeholder expectations.

Closing a Project verifies completion, evaluates performance, captures learning via the Lessons Report, and transfers ownership or post-project benefits.

Starting Up a Project ensures prerequisites like the Project Brief, mandate, and business justification exist before full initiation.

Managing Product Delivery governs how team members receive and deliver Work Packages in line with specifications and reports progress

Initiating a Project builds the full Business Case, Plans, Controls, and Strategy to decide whether the project should proceed.

When tolerances (e.g., time, cost, quality) are exceeded, the issue is escalated to the Project Board via the Directing a Project process for a decision.

At the end of each stage, the End Stage Report provides a detailed snapshot of stage performance, key issues, and updated plans for the next stage.

The Team Manager monitors daily work and produces regular Checkpoint Reports for the Project Manager to track progress within the stage.

Project Assurance independently ensures that project standards are met and that the project remains aligned with organizational interests and governance principles.

The Senior User advocates for user needs, verifies product fit, and ensures delivered outputs meet business requirements and quality expectations.

The Executive is responsible for ensuring the project remains desirable, viable, and achievable throughout its lifecycle—owning the Business Case and making go/no-go decisions.

Clearly defining roles ensures everyone knows their responsibilities, enabling accountability and minimizing conflicts, especially for senior management and team members.

Tailoring means adapting PRINCE2's structure and even terminology to fit the organization’s environment, size, culture, and risk profile. It prevents over‑engineering in small projects and ensures relevance.