P2_PC

INSTALL

When you install you have the option to install the free version of Project Commander project management software and a free PDF Writer included with it.

START UP
click here for more explanation and a Tutorial example.

First, set up the Project basic information and tolerances.

There are 5 standard Checklist Templates for each of PRINCE2:2005 and :2009 that cover all project sizes.

If you use Project Commander as your project management software, Tolerances are taken across to the project plan. For all others, the tolerances remain just as documentation in P2_PC.

Tolerances can entered as a % or a unit (duration or currency).

P2_PC CONTROL PANEL

It is here you record the main documentation of PRINCE2 and access other tools.

STAGE BREAKDOWN

This allows you to build up a hierarchial structure of stages and of the products and sub products to be created in each stage.
click here

Tolerances can also be recorded at each Stage Level.
click here

PRODUCT PLANNING

Having listed all products (which should include all management products like PID, Risk Register, etc), this section uses that list as a basis for all Product Breakdown.

The Product Checklist needs you to enter target dates.
The Product Breakdown is created automatically from the Stage Plan lists.
The Product Flowchart is also created after you have designated the order of the products in a flowchart. This is created in fixed format - so for greater flexibility of output/presentation - you may wish to use this only as a guide for further input into a graphics package (like Visio) or use it as part of the final documentation.
click here

In the Stage Breakdown, Products are classified as Product, Final or External. There are shown by convention as different shapes and there are no successor products to a Final or External Product.

PRINCE CHECKLIST

There are 5 standard checklists (based on both 2005 & 2009 versions) to cover all sizes of projects and is in a spreadsheet type format.

Checklist

1. Lite 1 for small departmental projects with just 20 activities
2. Lite 2 for small departmental projects with just 35 activities
3. Simple for small projects with just 60 activities
4. Minor for medium sized projects that need most of PRINCE2
5. Major for projects that need a full implentation of all of PRINCE2

The Checklists consist of Processes (including individual Stage Plans for each stage) ;Sub Processes (in version 2005) ; Activities & Actions - 2009 version (compulsory and optional); Healthcheck questions at the end of each section.

For each task the Checklist shows who should do the task and who is overall responsible. There are cells to record target dates and progress with % complete and actual start/end dates.

There are information based tasks - where the Project Manager is prompted to enter project information.

There are general questions to be asked as to whether recommended actions have taken place and Project Healthcheck type questions to ensure that PRINCE2 recommendations have been followed.

There is a substantial Comments field that allows user text to be stored about each task.

All the information in the Checklist can be printed out as well as viewed on-screen.
click here (screen 1) (screen 2)

Note that processes and activities for Each Stage Plan can be chosen as each Stage begins and the previous Stage Plan data is kept archived and accessible.
click here

It is possible to change the PRINCE2 generically named roles with those of actual people using a lookup table for the project - so the correct names appear in the Checklist. click here (personnel table) (updated Checklist)

WORK PACKAGES

All products can be allocated to each separate Work Package.
click here

ISSUE & RISK REGISTERS/LOGS

Use of these are purely optional as you may have your own formats (using Word or Excel) and they can be saved into the document log as external inputs.

Issue Register

Risk Register

DOCUMENT REGISTER

The Document Register (optional) can be quite important and can store all the relevant external documents (files) that are held external to P2_PC - whether on a local drive or a server of some kind. Also in the Document Register are a set of Document Templates for all the major PRINCE2 Reports (these are optional as organisations may already have their own designed formats).

Document Log

Any documents that are associated with the project can be filled in the Document Log. In fact to save space, the document files are zipped up automatically on saving and unzipped when opened.

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