PRINCE2 v/s Scrum – Which one is better?
PRINCE2 v/s Scrum
There's
no doubt that PRINCE2 and Scrum are currently two of the most widely-recognized
project management methodologies in the world. The PRINCE2 qualifications are a
standard feature of project management job specifications, and getting trained
in it is vital to any project role within a PRINCE2-aligned organization.
However, the popularity of agile methods is spreading, and many managers are
keen to implement a more flexible and adaptive approach within their own
business environment. Project managers need to be informed about both
methodologies to ensure both regular employment and project success. In this
article we will explore the key differences between PRINCE2 and Scrum.
When
it comes to project management certification, the debate about the best course
available is still ongoing. Fans of the two main different types of project
management course will fiercely defend their choice. This can make it difficult
for those new to project management to discover which is best for their needs
between PRINCE2 and Scrum. However, others will tell you that there is no need
to stick to just one. The principles learned in one can be applied to another
and there is a common thread that runs through them all: project management.
While they both might have their own processes and methodologies, the common
goal unites them. Each of these methods helps to keep the project manager on
track as assists them in increasing their chances of running a successful
project.
Project
management principles also help to keep things on budget, which is a key
concern for those who know just how easily costs can spiral out of control. And
finally, project management principles help to deliver projects on time. Given
that both the project management qualifications will address these primary
concerns, how does one go about choosing between the main 2 available?
Methodology
Overviews
PRINCE2
This
methodology has nothing to do with royalty. Instead, it is a contraction of
PRojects IN Controlled Environments (v2). It was originally developed for the
IT industry to help keep IT projects on track. Other industries soon recognised
that the same principles could be used to keep their projects on track. After
all, other projects could be considered to be taking place in controlled
environments, not just IT projects. PRINCE2 offers a structured approach to
project management. Since the 2009 revamp, the methodologies are far more
streamlined and easily tailored to suit any project. The trick with any PRINCE2
project is to only use the processes you need. That’s why one method is to use
Scrum but add some stabilising processes from PRINCE2, like the Risk Register
or Lessons Log. You can drop these PRINCE2 processes in as and when you need them,
like a utility player. If you want an agile environment with some more
assurances, this is the way to do it.
PRINCE2
has two qualification levels, PRINCE2Foundation and PRINCE2
Practitioner.
The PRINCE2 methodology
now consists of:
·
PRINCE2
project management principles
·
PRINCE2
project management themes
·
PRINCE2
project management processes
·
Tailoring
to any industry or situation
Scrum
Similar
to PRINCE2, Scrum also arose from an IT background. Scrum is most often used in
software development in which teams of people work towards iteration releases.
Scrum also has a lot in common with AgilePM since it is flexible, relatively
easy to implement and easy to understand.Scrum moves away from traditional
project management roles and instead only has three roles which need to be
fulfilled: product owner, team and scrum master. The principles of Scrum value
communication and collaboration above anything else. The project moves forward
in something known as “sprints”. This is why it is particularly suited to
technical fields, IT and software. At the end of each sprint, there needs to be
a tangible and workable product. This offers an incredibly flexible approach
which can be adjusted to suit a number of different fields.
Understanding
the differences
PRINCE2
is essentially a project management methodology. While the agile development
approaches the teams use is referred to as Scrum. Scrum enables the working
together of teams of people with their customers collaboratively. This is
achieved through defining and prioritizing the requirements, testing,
developing and providing continuous feedback and repetitive cycle of
iterations. Scrum guides the team members on how to effectively conduct this.
Scrum would basically help the team answer questions like what requires to be
delivered next week, the efficacy of the working software etc. Although Scrum
started its journey in the software industry, it is now used in other sectors
too. Now, PRINCE2 is a methodology enabling better management and control of
the projects for different organizations. The key stakeholders are guided here
on ways to manage projects more effectively by dividing them into manageable
parts. The stakeholders are helped to answer questions like the cost to benefit
ratio of the project, the purpose of doing the project etc.
Major
sectors of focus in PRINCE2 and Scrum
PRINCE2
is based upon a set of 7 principles which guide all aspects of the methodology.
Since it is a project management method, it describes the roles and
responsibilities of all members of the project management team – project
manager, team manager, project board and project assurance roles. It also
covers a wide range of key project management themes – business case,
organization, change management, risk management, planning, quality and
monitoring of progress. Success on a PRINCE2 project is measured by how well it
enables the benefits to be realized by the sponsoring organization. PRINCE2
recognizes that on projects there are all kinds of products (outputs) which are
produced by teams of people with a variety of specialist skills. These teams
have a myriad ways of working and PRINCE2 does not attempt to guide how they
should work. Instead it simply defines the interface between the project and
these teams in terms of reporting, accountability and the work to be done.
Scrum however doesn’t concern itself with the wider questions about whether the
project is worth it or whether the benefits be realized afterwards. It does
focus however on actually delivering products incrementally, in the most
efficient manner possible. These products are likely to do what the user/customer
needs because the customers have been involved in a constant cycle of defining
and prioritizing requirements, developing, testing and providing feedback.
How
well recognized is each project management method?
When
choosing a qualification to further your career, you should first think about
how well recognised the method is in your chosen field. When choosing a method
to adopt within your organisation, you would instead need to look at which one
is best suited to your needs.
The
needs of an individual and organization are vastly different. While an
individual might be looking to bring new skills into the workplace, an
organization will be more focussed on what skills are already present and how
they might best be utilized.
PRINCE2
At
the moment, PRINCE2 is the most recognised project management methodology in
the UK. It is also used in 50 countries around the world. The method and the
qualifications are both internationally recognized, so there is wide appeal for
this particular branch of project management. This type of methodology is also
suitable for international projects as there is no need for face-to-face
contact. This means that practitioners can be spread out across different
geographical without impacting the progress of the project. PRINCE2 is also
very generic, meaning it can be applied to many different situations. It’s
incredibly versatile and can be adapted to any number of situations.
Scrum
Scrum
is one of the most popular methodologies among the AgilePM processes. It is
also favored by Fortune 500 companies all over the world. Both the methodology
and qualifications are globally recognized. Scrum is well suited to complex
projects as it allows them to be broken down into sprints. In companies with
high turnover, this can be hugely beneficial as new people can join and leave
the scrum at the start of every new sprint. They don’t need to know where the
project has been in order to get up to date.
Predictive
and adaptive approaches
One
key difference between PRINCE2 and agile methods in general, and Scrum in
particular is that PRINCE2 is a predictive (plan-based) approach, while agile
calls for short-term, incremental achievements independent of an over-arching
plan (the adaptive approach). This means that, while PRINCE2 projects might be
more likely to remain focused on the original business goals, agile projects
are more responsive to changes in the project environment and customer
requirements. Scrum is one of the most widely-recognised agile software
development frameworks. Operating on the principle that the development process
is (predictably) unpredictable, Scrum works by encouraging complete
transparency, close collaboration and frequent delivery of usable sub-products
that will eventually contribute to the final product delivered.
Self-organization
of teams
As
we’ve already said, PRINCE2 isn’t concerned with how team organizes or the
methods they use. However for Scrum, the self-organisation and independence of
the team members is at the core of the Scrum approach. Plan-oriented
methodologies such as PRINCE2 require a project manager and team managers to
plan, allocate and monitor the distribution of tasks. Assignments might be
determined by membership of a particular team after undertaking critical path
analysis, rather than by direct consideration of the individual’s particular
skills or strengths. Within a Scrum-aligned project, on the other hand, all
tasks are up for grabs. A task board and burn-down chart display the tasks that
need to be completed and the work remaining during any given “Sprint” (cycle of
product development). This means that any member of the team may work on any
available task, according to their skill-set and their time available. There
are clear advantages to the Scrum framework. It allows greater freedom to team
members, thereby encouraging greater personal investment in the project. The
more structured approach of PRINCE2, however, does go further in ensuring that the
project goals are tackled in an efficient and organised manner.
Responding
to changes
The
requirements churn of Scrum represents another key difference between the two
philosophies. This term is frequently used to describe the Scrum principle that
customer requirements can and will change over the course of the project,
forcing Scrum developers to adopt a flexible and responsive approach to their
collaboration with the client. PRINCE2, in contrast, requires that acceptance
criteria (the required features of the final product) remain fixed. Any
proposed changes are filtered through a change control authority and an agreed
change control process. This has important advantages in terms of ensuring that
customers know what to expect and developers do not have to deal with
inconsistent or unconsidered customer demands. However it also deprives the
project, the customer and the development team of the opportunity to respond
directly to changes in the environment and to the expected function of the
product.
Conclusion
Both
PRINCE2 and Scrum provides comprehensive, step-by-step instructions to ensuring
project success. Both have been described as flexible, adaptable frameworks
that provide role descriptions, sets of practices and management documents/artifacts.
While PRINCE2 focuses on the role of the project manager in planning, organizing
and adjusting the transformation of project inputs into product outputs, Scrum
is designed to allow a freer reign to the team members involved on the project,
enabling a more responsive and creative, as well as a more vulnerable,
environment. So, is there a half-way house between PRINCE2 and Scrum - one
which is able to leverage the benefits of both approaches? I think there is and
it's in the form of 'Agile' project management. Agile project management
enables a project manager to gain both the benefits of a more predictive
approach (PRINCE2) with the benefits of a more adaptive approach (Scrum). Since
first writing this article, it is interesting to note the launch in 2015 of
PRINCE2 Agile™. This is an attempt to merge both PRINCE2 and agile methods
together. PRINCE2 Agile argues that bringing together PRINCE2’s control and
governance on projects with the flexibility and adaptability of agile is a
win-win situation. So, rather than choosing between either a predictive or
adaptive approach, you now have the option of choosing both together. This will
ultimately benefit your organization which is the whole point of why we use
something like PRINCE2 in the first place.
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