Differences Between PRINCE2 7th and 6th Edition

PRINCE2® was first launched in 1996, and has had six editions (before current release), the last update was released in 2017 referred to as PRINCE2 6th edition. PRINCE2 7th edition (latest edition of PRINCE2) seeks to respond to a number of changes that have taken place in the world and in the discipline of project management since then.

What’s New in PRINCE2 7th Edition?

Integration of People: People are central to successful projects and now they are integrated into the PRINCE2 method.
Project performance: Sustainability has been added as a seventh aspect of project performance to reflect modern organisational needs.
Digital and data: To meet the evolving needs of project management professionals the addition of a digital and data management approach.

What has not changed in PRINCE2 7th Edition?

The essence of what a project is remains the same – it is temporary, it is product-focused, and there should always be an ongoing business justification.

The overall structure of PRINCE2 is clearly recognisable, as the new edition has principles, practices (what were previously called themes) and a set of processes that make up the lifecycle of a project in the way that the previous version also did. However, within and alongside those principles, practices and processes there has been a number of changes, additions and deletions. This document aims to explain what has changed.

Diagrams have been updated, and four project scenarios added to illustrate how PRINCE2 can be used in practice for different types of projects.

Below is the summary comparison between PRINCE2 6th and PRINCE2 7th editions:

Topic Area	PRINCE2 6th Edition	PRINCE2 7th Edition
Manual pages	405 pages	343 pages
PRINCE2 does not guide on	Leadership capabilities Specialist aspects of project work Detailed project management techniques	Specialist aspects of project work Detailed project management techniques
PRINCE2 Integrated Elements	4 integrated elements: Project context Principles Themes Processes	5 integrated elements: People Project context Principles Practices Processes
Project Management	Project management is the planning, delegating, monitoring and control of all aspects of the project, and the motivation of those involved, to achieve the project objectives within the expected performance targets for time, cost, quality, scope, benefits and risk.	Project management is the application of methods, tools, techniques, and competencies to enable the project to meet its objectives.
Performance Targets	6 performance targets: Benefit Costs Timescales Quality Scope Risk	7 performance targets: Benefit Costs Time Quality Scope Sustainability Risk
Delivery method (approach)	Waterfall Agile	Linear-sequential approach Iterative-incremental approach Hybrid approach
Principles	The principles are the guiding obligations and good practices which determine whether the project is genuinely being managed using PRINCE2. continued business justification learn from experience defined roles and responsibilities manage by stages manage by exception focus on products tailor to suit the project.	The PRINCE2 principles are the guiding obligations that determine whether the project is genuinely being managed using PRINCE2 and ensure effective application and tailoring of PRINCE2 to any project. ensure continued business justification learn from experience define roles, responsibilities, and relationships manage by stages manage by exception focus on products tailor to suit the project.
Management Stage	The section of a project that the project manager is managing on behalf of the project board at any one time, at the end of which the project board will wish to review progress to date, the state of the project plan, the business case and risks and the next stage plan, in order to decide whether to continue with the project.	Refers to it as a “stage” only: The section of a project that the project manager is managing on behalf of the project board at any one time.
People	Not used	Key message: The purpose of a project is to deliver change, which will affect people in their business as usual (BAU) activities, routines, and responsibilities. How well the change is implemented, and therefore how well the project performs, depends on the capabilities of the project team, the strength of the relationships between them, and the people impacted by the change.
Change Management & Change Management Approach	Not used	Change management is the means by which an organization transitions from the current state to the target state. The change management approach is part of the project initiation documentation. Its purpose is to establish the target organizational state required for the project to meet its objectives together with the means by which the business will shift from the current state and through any interim states.
Practices (formerly Themes)	The themes describe aspects of project management that must be addressed continually and in parallel throughout the project. Business case Organisation Quality Plans Risk Change Progress	An aspect of project management that must be applied consistently and throughout the project lifecycle. The practices require specific treatment of that aspect of project management for the PRINCE2 processes to be effective. Business case Organizing Plans Quality Risk Issues Progress
PRINCE2’s requirements for each theme	Described in each theme chapter.	Themes have been renamed as practices and this section has been omitted.
Business case management technique	Not specifically mentioned as a technique but has following elements: Develop Verify Maintain Confirm	Develop Check Maintain Confirm
Investment Appraisal	Whole-life costs Net benefits Return on investment (ROI) Payback period Net present value Sensitivity analysis	Whole-life costs Net benefits Return on investment (ROI) Payback Net present value (NPV) Internal rate of return Options analysis Sensitivity analysis
Multi-case Model	Not used	Evaluating investments from different perspectives, rather than focusing solely on financial return, gives a rounded view of whether an investment is desirable, viable, and achievable. Examples of some different investment perspectives include: Strategic perspective Economic perspective Financial perspective Implementation and commercial perspective
Roles and responsibilities of each practice (formerly Theme)	Cover the responsibilities of: Corporate, programme management or customer Executive Senior user(s) Senior supplier(s) Project manager Project assurance Project support	Cover the responsibilities of: Business layer Project executive Senior user Senior supplier Project manager Team manager Project assurance Project support
Practices key relationship of principles	Not covered	Section in each practice chapter covering the details of key relationship of practice with principles.
Organisational levels (formerly four levels of management)	Corporate, programme management or the customer Directing Managing Delivering	Commissioning (business layer) Directing (project board) Managing (project manager) Delivering (team managers)
Change Authority	Part of the organizational structure diagram as a role. It is the project board’s responsibility to agree to each potential change before it is implemented. In a project where few changes are envisaged, it may be reasonable to leave this authority in the hands of the project board.	Not part of the organizational structure diagram. The project board may choose to establish a change authority, distinct from the project manager, which reports to the project board. The use and composition of a change authority is documented in the issue management approach.
Work breakdown structure	A work breakdown structure is a hierarchical breakdown of the entire work that needs to be completed during a plan; in PRINCE2 a work breakdown structure contains just activities.	A hierarchy of all work to be done during a project that forms a link between the product breakdown structure and the work packages.
Technique for organizational design and development	None	Five-step organizational design and development technique: Understand organizational ecosystem Design project ecosystem Develop project ecosystem Manage changes to project ecosystem Transition project into organizational ecosystem
Scope	Defined as: For a plan, the sum total of its products and the extent of their requirements. It is described by the product breakdown structure for the plan and associated product descriptions.	Defined as: The sum of the product, delivery, and management activities represented by an approved plan and its product descriptions and work package descriptions.
Project product description	Defined as: A special type of product description used to gain agreement from the user on the project’s scope and requirements, to define the customer’s quality expectations and the acceptance criteria for the project.	Defined as: A description of the project’s major products or outcomes, including the user’s quality expectations, together with the acceptance criteria and acceptance methods for the project.
Quality specifications (formerly quality criteria)	Defined as: A description of the quality specification that the product must meet, and the quality measurements that will be applied by those inspecting the finished product.	Defined as: A description of the quality measures that will be applied by those performing quality control and the levels that a finished product must meet.
PRINCE2 focus of quality management	Focus on two elements: Quality planning Quality control Quality assurance is described as a separate topic	Focus on three elements: Quality planning Quality control Quality assurance
PRINCE2 technique for risk management	Contains following five steps: Identify Identify context Identify the risk Assess Estimate Evaluate Plan Implement Communicate	Contains following five steps: Identify Define context and objectives Identify threats and opportunities Assess Prioritize risks Assess combined risk profile Plan Implement Communicate
Risk management supporting techniques	Risk Models Expected monetary value Probability impact grid Expected value Probability trees Pareto analysis Review lessons Risk checklist Brainstorming Risk breakdown structure	Cause and effect diagram Horizon scanning/ PESTLE/ SWOT analysis Prompt lists Pre-mortem analysis Swiss cheese model Use of data
Off-specification	Defined as: Something that should be provided by the project, but currently is not (or is forecast not to be). It might be a missing product or a product not meeting its specifications.	Defined as: A product that will not meet its quality specifications.
Problem or concern	Defined as: Any other issue that the project manager needs to resolve or escalate.	A problem is an issue with an immediate and negative impact. A concern is an issue whose timeliness and impact need to be assessed.
Change budget	Defined as: A change budget is a sum of money that the customer and supplier agree will be used to fund the cost of requests for change, and possibly also their analysis costs.	Defined as: The money or authorized constraints set aside in a plan to cover changes. It is allocated by those with delegated authority to deliver authorized changes.
Issue management supporting techniques	None specified	Root cause analysis Pareto analysis Cause and effect analysis Failure mode analysis Five Whys
Configuration item record	Defined as: A record that describes the status, version and variant of a configuration item, and any details of important relationships between them.	Not specified
Product status account	Defined as: A report on the status of products. The required products can be specified by identifier or the part of the project in which they were developed.	Not specified
Exception	Defined as: An exception is a situation where it can be forecast that there will be a deviation beyond agreed tolerance levels.	Defined as: A situation where it can be forecast that there will be a deviation beyond the tolerance levels agreed between the project manager and the project board (or between the project board and business layer).
Progress evaluation techniques	Milestone chart S-curve Earned value management Burn charts Kanban board	Dashboards Daily Stand-ups Earned value management Peer review Burn charts Retrospectives Kanban board
Structure of Processes Chapter	Purpose Objective Context Activities (detail of each activity follows with separate graphical representation of each activity) Tailoring guidelines	Purpose Objectives Context Activities (detail of each activity follows – NO separate graphical representation of each activity) Applying the process General considerations Tailoring roles in the process Responsibilities Application of the practices to this process
Activities in Starting up a project	Appoint the executive and project manager Capture previous lessons Design and appoint the project management team Prepare the outline business case Select the project approach and assemble the project brief Plan the initiation stage	Appoint the executive and project manager Assess previous lessons Appoint the project management team Prepare the outline business case Select the project approach Assemble the project brief Plan the initiation stage Request project initiation
Activities in Directing a project	Authorize initiation Authorize the project Authorize a stage or exception plan Give ad hoc direction Authorize project closure	Authorize initiation Authorize the project Authorize a stage or exception plan Give ongoing direction Authorize project closure
Activities in Initiating a project	Agree the tailoring requirements Prepare the risk management approach Prepare the quality management approach Prepare the change control approach Prepare the communication management approach Set up the project controls Create the project plan Refine the business case Assemble the project initiation documentation	Agree the tailoring requirements Agree the management approaches Establish project controls Create the project plan Prepare the project plan Prepare the full business case Assemble the project initiation documentation Request project authorization
Activities in Controlling a stage	Escalate issues and risks Report highlights Take corrective action Review the management stage status Capture and examine issues and risks Authorize a work package Review work package status Receive completed work package	Escalate issues and risks Report highlights Take corrective action Evaluate stage status Capture issues and risks Authorize a work package Evaluate work package status Receive completed work package
Activities in Managing product delivery	Accept a work package Execute a work package Deliver a work package	Accept a work package Execute a work package Evaluate a work package Notify work package completion
Activities in Managing a stage boundary	Report management stage end Update the business case Update the project plan Plan the next management stage Produce an exception plan	Request the next stage Evaluate the stage Update the business case Update the project plan Prepare the next stage plan Prepare exception plan
Activities in Closing a project	Prepare planned closure Prepare premature closure Hand over products Evaluate the project Recommend project closure	Prepare planned closure Prepare premature closure Confirm project acceptance Evaluate the project Request project closure
Considerations for organizational adoption	Chapter 21 covers the topic	Removed
Appendices	Product description outlines Standards alignment Roles and responsibilities Product-based planning Health check	Management products Role descriptions
Management products	Covers 26 products	Covers 15 products
Role descriptions	Covers 9 separate roles: Project board Executive Senior user Senior supplier Project manager Team manager Project assurance Change authority Project support	Covers 7 separate roles: Project assurance Project executive Project manager Project support Senior supplier Senior user Team manager
Further research	Included	Removed
Glossary	Included	Included

PRINCE2 7th Edition Certification Levels:

There is no change in the certification levels offered. Both foundation and practitioner levels will continue to be offered. However, the pass marks for both exams have been increased to 60% (previously 55%).

PRINCE2 7th Edition Trainings:

Tecknologia will be offering PRINCE2 7th edition training courses from September 2023. Trainings will be offered in virtual classroom, public classroom and in-house formats.

Differences Between PRINCE2 7th and 6th Edition

Tecknologia News & Blog

The Value of Business Continuity Management (BCM) for SMEs

Differences Between AgilePM v2 and v3