prince2 agile practitioner workbook · prince2 is the most commonly used project management...

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Contents

PRINCE2 Agile ........................................................................................................ 1

Introduction to Agile ............................................................................................. 3

Multiple Choice Questions 1: ................................................................................ 5

Agile Basics ............................................................................................................ 6

Agile Frameworks ..................................................................................................9

Agile behaviours, concepts and techniques ....................................................... 13

Blending PRINCE2 and Agile together ................................................................ 14

The Structure of PRINCE2 ................................................................................... 16

The PRINCE2 Principles ....................................................................................... 17

PRINCE2 Agile Behaviours ................................................................................... 17

PRINCE2 Themes ................................................................................................. 20

The PRINCE2 Processes ....................................................................................... 23

Multiple Choice Questions 2: .............................................................................. 28

What to fix and what to flex? ............................................................................. 29

The Agilometer .................................................................................................... 31

Multiple Choice Questions 3: .............................................................................. 32

Sample Exam ....................................................................................................... 33

PRINCE2 Agile

PRINCE2 and PRINCE2 Agile are only appropriate for use on projects, however, agile can

be used for projects and routine ongoing work as well. All through this manual, routine

ongoing work is referred to as ‘business as usual’ (BAU) and covers such areas as ongoing

product development, product maintenance and continual improvement

A Project or Business as Usual?

The distinction between project work and BAU work

Project Characteristics BAU Characteristics

Temporary Ongoing

Team is created Stable team

Difficult Routine

A degree of uncertainty A degree of certainty

It is significant as some of the agile ways of working need to be applied differently in every

situation. Hence, when carrying out a portion of work it is important to understand the

type of work being undertaken, to make sure that it is addressed in the suitable way and

that agile is used suitably.

What does BAU look like?

BAU work would typically be repeatable routine tasks that can be carried out by people

with the appropriate technical skills without needing to be managed by a project

manager. An example of this would be when modifications or enhancements need to be

made to an existing product and the timescales are relatively short. There would usually

be a long list of these tasks arriving regularly throughout the lifespan of the product.

There may be an established team dedicated to this work.

About Timebox

A finite period of time during which work is carried out to achieve a goal or meet an

objective. The deadline should not be moved, as the method of managing a timebox is to

prioritise the work inside it. At a low level, a timebox will last a matter of days or weeks

(e.g. a sprint). Higher‐level timeboxes act as aggregated timeboxes and contain lower‐

level timeboxes.

© The Knowledge Academy 2020 1

Difference between project work and BAU work


Introduction to Agile

The term ‘agile’ is very extensive and is seen in numerous different ways throughout the

agile community. There is a set of well‐known frameworks referred to as ‘agile methods’

and there are also well‐known behaviours, concepts and techniques that are recognised

as characterising the agile way of working. But there is no single definition of agile that

accurately encapsulates them all, although the Agile Manifesto comes the closest to

achieving this.

History

The term ‘agile’ was introduced in 2001 when a group of ‘independent thinkers around

software development’ came together to talk about an alternative to the heavyweight,

document‐driven processes that were present at the time.

Known as the ‘Waterfall method’, these old‐fashioned processes consist of a sequence of

technical phases that were quite slow and struggled to respond to changing requirements,

specifically when they were mired in too much detail from the start.

The group was already working in ways that later become described as agile; an output

from this meeting was the Manifesto for Agile Software Development, or it is more

commonly known as the ‘Agile Manifesto’, and its impact and success have been quite

intense. The Agile Manifesto is summarised in below figure; it also contains 12 principles.

The reason for agile becoming so popular was that it helped to address the new demands

being placed on how software was delivered. Software needed to be produced more

frequently while at the same time being of the appropriate level of quality to meet the

demands of new technologies, the Internet and the digital era. In contrast to the Waterfall

way of working, agile phases are smaller and more iterative and incremental.


Agile Manifesto

The contrast between waterfall and Agile phases

By definition, the Agile Manifesto only applies to developing software, and most of its

underlying principles appear to suggest that this is in the context of the continual

timeboxed development of a software product. Although it was created as a way to

develop software, it has since been recognised as a successful approach beyond software

development, and many people use the Agile Manifesto, replacing the word ‘software’

with ‘products’ or ‘solutions’.


Multiple Choice Questions 1:

1. Choose the characteristics of BAU from the following:i. A degree of uncertainty

ii. Ongoing

iii. Stable teamiv. Routine

a. ii and iiib. i and ivc. i, ii and ivd. ii, iii and iv

2. A timebox is aa. An infinite period of time

b. A finite period of time during which work is carried out to achieve a goal ormeet an objective.

c. The time period for which work is lagging behind the actual targetd. None of these

3. What is the definition of a Waterfall methodology?

a. An iterative and incremental development approachb. A lightweight and flexible project approachc. A prototyping and visualisation approachd. A linear and sequential development approach

4. Agile Manifesto states that Agile has _____values and _____principles.a. 6, 9b. 4, 12c. 4, 9d. 6, 12

5. Which of the following is a value as per Agile Manifesto?

a. Individuals and interactions over following a planb. Individuals and interactions over contract negotiationc. Individuals and interactions over processes and toolsd. Individuals and interactions over comprehensive documentation


Agile Basics

When combining PRINCE2 with agile it is important to know what agile is, otherwise an

inconsistent view of the basics of agile will make combining the two difficult (e.g. if

someone in an organisation thinks that agile can only be used on the IT part of a project,

whereas someone else thinks it can be applied across the whole project, then this will

present a problem).

A basic view of agile could generally be seen as one or more of the following:

Using a timeboxed and iterative approach to delivering software

using a collection of techniques such as daily stand‐up meetings, sprints and

user stories

Using the Scrum framework

A basic Backlog and Sprint structure is commonly used with agile

This is a very common structure used when working in an agile way for developing

software. In simple terms, new features for a product are held in a prioritised list called

the product backlog. The list may be made up of user stories, which are structured in a

way that describes who wants the feature and why. The team that will build the features

decides which items from the top of the product backlog they can create in a timeframe of

typically 2‐4 weeks (which is known as a sprint). The work that the team think they can

achieve during the sprint is held in a list called a sprint backlog. Each day throughout the

sprint, a meeting is held to assess progress. At the end of a sprint new features should

have been created and they may go into operational use. The output (i.e. the new

features) is reviewed along with the way the team worked to achieve that output.

In PRINCE2 Agile, a release is typically a container for more than one low‐level timebox

(e.g. a sprint). This is not always the case as the act of releasing features into operational

use may happen more regularly (e.g. after each sprint or several times


during a sprint). The term ‘deployment’ is sometimes used in agile and has a similar

meaning, although it is not used in PRINCE2 Agile.

Agile Frameworks

Some well‐known agile frameworks are:

Term Brief Description

ASD (Adaptive Software

Development)

(IT only). Iterative development process

Crystal (IT only). Iterative development method

DAD (Disciplined Agile Delivery)

(IT only). An enterprise‐wide scalable process framework described as ‘a process decision framework that is a people‐first, learning‐oriented hybrid agile approach to IT solution delivery’, that has ‘a risk‐value delivery lifecycle, is goal‐driven, is

enterprise aware and is scalable

DevOps (IT only). A collaborative approach between development and operations aimed at creating a product or service where the two types of work

and even the teams merge as much as possible.

DSDM (Dynamic Systems Development Method)/AgilePM

An agile project framework that focuses on the iterative delivery of business systems through the use of Timeboxing and continual business involvement. It has a defined process and corresponding set of products, a set of roles that operate at all levels of a project, eight guiding principles and a collection of key techniques that

can be used throughout a project.

FDD (feature‐driven

development)

(IT only). Iterative software development process

focusing on features.

Kanban A way to improve flow and provoke system improvement through visualization and

controlling work in progress.

Lean An approach that focuses on improving processes

through maximizing value by eliminating waste (such as wasted time and wasted effort).

Lean Startup Originally an approach to creating and managing start‐up companies, but now applied to any business, to help them deliver products to


customers quickly.

SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework)

(IT only). Large‐scale application of agile across an organisation. PRINCE2 and PRINCE2 Agile could be used in SAFe where a piece of work is of a sufficient size or level of difficulty that it should be

run as a project.

Scrum An iterative timeboxed approach to product delivery that is described as ‘a framework within which people can address complex adaptive problems, while productively and creatively

delivering products of the highest possible value’

XP (eXtreme Programming)

(IT only). Iterative software engineering practice that can be used on its own but often exists in tandem with Scrum or Kanban, where XP covers the creation of the software and Scrum or Kanban

is used as an overarching framework to control the work.


Agile behaviours, concepts and techniques

Along with the agile frameworks there are a variety of behaviours, concepts and techniques

that are seen as being part of the agile way of working.

Examples are

Term Examples Similar terms

Behaviours Being collaborative, self‐organising, customer‐focused, empowered, and

trusting not blaming.

Principles, values, mindsets

Concepts Prioritising what is delivered, working iteratively and incrementally, not delivering everything, time‐focused,

‘inspect and adapt’. Kaizen. Limiting work in progress (WIP).

Fundamentals

Techniques Burn charts, user stories, retrospectives,

Timeboxing, measuring flow.

Practices, tools

Typical agile behaviours, concepts and techniques


Blending PRINCE2 and Agile together

PRINCE2 is the most commonly used project management approach in the world, and it is

increasingly being used in conjunction with agile. As more organisations adopt agile, the

need for specific guidance on how to use PRINCE2 in an agile context has grown

accordingly.

In simple terms, PRINCE2 and agile each have their own strengths and when combined they

complement each other and create a holistic approach to managing projects in an agile

way.

The strength of PRINCE2 lies in the areas of project direction and project management.

However, it provides little focus on the field of product delivery.

Conversely, agile has a very strong focus on product delivery but relatively little on project

direction and project management.

PRINCE2 Agile provides governance and project management controls that are suitable for

some situations but not others.


Situation Description Suitability of PRINCE2 Agile

Agile is not used for projects, or is at a basic level

Either agile is not used for projects, or an agile way of working exists and is evolving with a limited level of maturity in terms of processes and

behaviours.

Suitable for organisations, departments and the individuals working within them.

Agile is used for BAU

An agile way of working exists for use with ongoing routine development of an existing product. Most, if not all, work is handled this way.

Not suitable for organisations and departments.

However, it is suitable to support and enhance this style of working (i.e. product delivery) in a project context, as some work may be better suited to being managed as a project.

Additionally, it may help individuals’

career progression.

A mature level of agile is used for projects and BAU

An agile way of working exists that is taking place in a mature agile environment where processes are formalised and repeatable and agile behaviours are predominant.

Suitable for projects, but may be of limited use.

Could be of use to support information to enhance an existing body of knowledge.

Organisations, departments and individuals who are conversant with PRINCE2 Agile will be suitable for this situation as they will understand it quickly and

integrate with it easily, albeit using

different terminology.

The situations for which PRINCE2 Agile is suitable

The Structure of PRINCE2

Project: A temporary organisation that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more

business products according to an agreed business case.

Programme: A temporary flexible organisation structure created to coordinate, direct and

oversee the implementation of a set of related projects and activities in order to deliver

outcomes and benefits relating to an organisation’s strategic objectives. A programme is

likely to have a life that spans several years.


Project Management

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 risks.

The PRINCE2 method addresses project management with four integrated elements of

principles, themes, processes and the project environment.

Principles are the guiding obligation of good practice enshrined in PRINCE2.

The themes provide guidance on how the activities are to be performed.

The processes give a model for how the project will be managed.

The PRINCE2 Principles

There are seven PRINCE2 principles that are the guiding obligations for good practice that a

project should follow if it is using PRINCE2. They are:

1. A PRINCE2 project has continual business justification.

2. PRINCE2 project teams learn from earlier experience (lessons are sought, recorded

and acted upon all through the life of the project).

3. A PRINCE2 project has defined and agreed roles and responsibilities within an

organisation structure that engages the business, user and supplier stakeholder

interests.

4. A PRINCE2 project is planned, monitored and controlled on a stage‐by‐ stage basis

(management by stages).

5. A PRINCE2 project has defined tolerances for each project objective to establish

limits of delegated authority (management by exception).

6. A PRINCE2 project focuses on the definition and delivery of products, in particular

their scope and quality requirements.

7. PRINCE2 is tailored to suit the project’s environment, size, complexity, importance,

capability and risk.

PRINCE2 Agile Behaviours

While tailoring PRINCE2 to work in an agile context, a PRINCE2 project manager and the

project board will need to monitor definite behaviours from the project management team

and the delivery teams. These behaviours are required to function effortlessly for agile to

operate in the most operative way. They are:

Transparency

Collaboration

Rich communication

Self‐organisation

Exploration


Transparency

The more information which is out in the open, the better this is for the working in an agile

way. It aids speed, clarity and engagement, even if the news is not so good. Vital to

understanding this behaviour is to realise that there is more to transparency than just

visibility. The most significant elements of this principle come in the form of the collective

agile values of honesty, trust, integrity and respect. This openness is a vital ingredient for an

agile way of working.

Collaboration

A motivated and respectful team is better than the sum of its parts if people work together

and provide cover for one another. More can be attained this way than working in silos.

Collaboration is not just internal to the team: it involves external collaboration with all

stakeholders, especially the customer. Completely engaging with customers and working

with them instead of working for them, will create shared understanding and possession of

goals and outputs.

An instance of collaboration could be where a team is falling behind with work because of

one person having difficulties with a technical problem. One person on the team is ahead of

schedule on their own work, so they stop to help the colleague. The same thing occurred in

the preceding sprint, though the roles on that occasion were reversed.

Rich communication

People should make use of the most effective channel to communicate always. Using face‐

to‐face and/or visualisation are numerous times faster and more effective than words on

their own. A rich communication environment should be created, permitting information to

pass freely in a culture of commitment and trust. There is still a necessity for

documentation, but by using other more effective channels, it can be replaced or

complemented and greatly reduced.

Self‐organisation

The people closest to the work will generally know best how to get the job done. Hence

people should be trusted to do it. If they create a plan, at that time they own it and buy into

it; it is far more probable to happen if they do. Self‐organising creates mutual respect. A

project manager can leave a team manager to focus on product delivery, thereby making

the team manager feel trusted. This principle extends far beyond the work. It includes the

way the team works and the way team members behave towards one another.

Although the project board is ultimately accountable for the direction of the project as a

whole, the more a team is empowered at the delivery level, the more likely it is to perform

well when working in an agile context and achieve the outcomes and goals of that

direction.


Exploration

Projects are challenging, and in order to create ‘the right thing’ you should be able to work

out what ‘the right thing’ is! Frequent iteration and quick feedback loops in any form

provide an opportunity to learn. Learning helps to improve the products. Though, feedback

will not just happen; it should be sought out collaboratively – perhaps via experiments and

spikes, with people such as the customer, customer representatives, other team members

or stakeholders.

PRINCE2 Themes

The PRINCE2 themes define aspects of project management that must be addressed

repeatedly. The set of PRINCE2 themes describe the following:

How baselines are established (in the Business Case and Plans themes). The baselines cover

all six project performance targets – benefits, risks, scope, quality, cost and time – and act

as key reference points for following monitoring and control.

How the project management team monitors and controls the work as the project

progresses (in the Progress, Quality, Change and Risk themes).

The Organisation theme reinforces the other themes with a secure structure of roles,

clarifying accountability and offering clear paths for delegation and escalation.

Theme Purpose and Description Answers

Business case The purpose of the Business Case theme is to establish mechanisms to judge if the project is (and remains) desirable, viable and achievable as a means to support decision‐making in its (continued) investment. The project begins with an idea which is considered to have potential value for the organisation concerned. This theme addresses how the idea is developed into a viable investment proposition for the organisation and how project management maintains the attention on the organisation’s objectives all through the project.

Why?

Organisation The purpose of the Organisation theme is to define and establish the project’s structure of accountability and responsibilities.

Who?

The organisation sponsoring the project should allocate the work to managers who will be responsible for it and steer it through to completion. Projects are cross‐functional so the normal line function structures are not appropriate. This theme describes the roles and responsibilities in the temporary PRINCE2 project management team required to manage


the project effectively.

Quality The purpose of the Quality theme is to define and implement the means by which the project will verify products that are fit for purpose. The initial idea will only be understood as a broad outline. This theme explains how the outline is developed so that all participants understand the quality attributes of the products to be delivered – and then how project management will ensure that these requirements are subsequently delivered.

What?

Plans The purpose of the Plans theme is to facilitate communication and control by defining the means of delivering the products. PRINCE2 projects proceed on the basis of a series of approved plans. This theme complements the Quality theme by describing the steps required to develop plans and the PRINCE2 techniques that should be applied. In PRINCE2 the plans are matched to the needs of the personnel at various levels of the organisation. They are the focus for communication and control throughout the project.

How? How much? When?

Risk The purpose of the Risk theme is to identify, assess and control uncertainty and as a result, improve the ability of the project to succeed. Projects typically entail more risk than stable operational activity. This theme addresses how project management manages the uncertainties in plans and in the wider project environment.

What if?

Change The purpose of the Change theme is to identify, assess and control any potential and approved changes to the baseline. This theme describes how project management assesses and acts upon issues which have a potential impact on any of the baseline aspects of the project (its plans and completed products). Issues may be unanticipated general problems, requests for change or instances of quality failure.

What’s the impact?

Progress The purpose of the Progress theme is to establish mechanisms to monitor and compare actual achievements against those planned; provide a forecast for the project objectives

Where are we now?

Where are


and the project’s continual viability; and control any unacceptable deviations.

we going?

This theme addresses the ongoing viability of the plans. The theme explains the decision‐making process for approving plans, the monitoring of actual performance and the escalation process if events do not go according to plan. Ultimately, the Progress theme determines whether and how the project should proceed.

Should we carry on?

The PRINCE2 Processes

PRINCE2 is basically a process‐based approach for project management. A process is an

organised set of activities designed to achieve a specific objective. It takes one or more

defined inputs and turns them into defined outputs.

PRINCE2 can be used on projects regardless of project scale, complexity, geography,

culture, etc. PRINCE2 can also be used if the project is part of a programme or is being

managed as a stand‐alone initiative. This reflects the principle that PRINCE2 must be

tailored to suit the particular project context; PRINCE2 Agile is an example of such tailoring

to suit an agile context.

A mature agile environment may have several processes in existence that address the areas

of project direction and stages (or an equivalent concept to stages), as well as processes to

ensure that a project is started and ended in a controlled way. There are seven processes in

PRINCE2, which provide the set of activities required to direct, manage and deliver a project

successfully.

1. Starting up a Project

2. Initiating a Project

3. Controlling a Stage

4. Directing a project

5. Managing Product Delivery

6. Managing a Stage Boundary

7. Closing a Project

1. Starting up a Project

The purpose of the Starting up a Project process is to ensure that the fundamentals

for Initiating a Project are in place by answering the question ‘Do we have a feasible

and worthwhile project?’

It is as much about preventing poorly conceived projects from being initiated as it is

about approving the initiation of viable projects. As such, the Starting up a Project

process is a lighter task compared to the more detailed and thorough initiating a


Project process. The aim is to do the minimum necessary in order to decide whether

it is worthwhile to even initiate the project.

2. Initiating a Project

The purpose of the Initiating a Project process is to establish solid foundations for the

project, enabling the organisation to understand the work that needs to be done to

deliver the project’s products before committing to a significant spend.

Initiating a Project is aimed at placing down the foundations in order to achieve a

successful project. Specifically, all parties must be clear on what the project is

intended to achieve, why it is needed, how the outcome is to be achieved and what

their responsibilities are, so that there can be genuine commitment to it.

3. Directing a project

The purpose of the Directing a Project process is to enable the project board to be

accountable for the project’s success by making key decisions and exercising overall

control while delegating day‐to‐day management of the project to the project

manager.

The objective of the Directing a Project process is to ensure that:

i. There is authority to initiate the project

ii. There is authority to deliver the project’s products

iii. Management direction and control are provided throughout the project’s life,

and that the project remains viable

iv. Corporate or programme management has an interface to the project

v. There is authority to close the project

vi. Plans for realising the post‐project benefits are managed and reviewed.

4. Controlling a stage

The purpose of the Controlling a Stage process is to assign work to be done, monitor

such work, deal with issues, report progress to the project board, and take corrective

actions to ensure that the stage remains within tolerance.

The objective of the Controlling a Stage process is to ensure that:

i. Attention is focused on delivery of the stage’s products. Any movement away

from the direction and products agreed at the start of the stage is monitored

to avoid uncontrolled change (‘scope creep’) and loss of focus.

ii. Risks and issues are kept under control.

iii. The business case is kept under review.iv. The agreed products for the stage are delivered to stated quality standards, within cost,

effort and time agreed, and ultimately in support of the achievement of the defined

benefits.

v. The project management team is focused on delivery within the tolerances laid down.© The Knowledge Academy 2020 17

5. Managing Product Delivery

The purpose of the Managing Product Delivery process is to control the link between

the project manager and the team manager(s), by placing requirements on accepting,

executing and delivering project work.

The role of the team manager(s) is to coordinate an area of work that will deliver one

or more of the project’s products. They can be internal or external to the customer’s

organisation.

Managing Product Delivery views the project from the team manager’s perspective,

while the Controlling a Stage process views it from the project manager’s

perspective. The team manager ensures that products are created and delivered by

the team to the project by:

Accepting and checking authorised work packages from the project manager.

Ensuring that interfaces identified in the work package are maintained.

Ensuring that a team plan is created for the work packages being assigned (this

may be done in parallel with the project manager creating the stage plan for

the management stage).

Ensuring that the products are developed in accordance with any development

method(s) specified in the work package.

Demonstrating that each product meets its quality criteria through the quality

method(s) specified in the product description – this may include using the

PRINCE2 quality review technique.

Obtaining approval for completed products from the authorities identified in

the product description.

Delivering the products to the project manager in accordance with any

procedures specified in the work package.

6. Managing a stage boundary

The purpose of the Managing a Stage Boundary process is to enable the project

board to be provided with sufficient information by the project manager so that it

can review the success of the current stage, approve the next stage plan, review the

updated project plan, and confirm continued business justification and acceptability

of the risks. Therefore, the process should be executed at, or close to the end of,

each management stage.

Projects do not always go to plan and in response to an exception report (if the stage

or project is forecast to exceed its tolerances) the project board may request that the

current stage (and possibly the project) is replanned. The output from replanning is

an exception plan which is submitted for project board approval in the same way that

a stage plan is submitted for approval.


7. Closing a Project

The purpose of the Closing a Project process is to provide a fixed point at which

acceptance for the project product is confirmed, and to recognize that objectives set

out in the original project initiation documentation have been achieved (or approved

changes to the objectives have been achieved), or that the project has nothing more

to contribute.

One of the defining features of a PRINCE2 project is that it is finite – it has a start and

an end. If the project loses this distinctiveness, it loses some of its advantages over

purely operational management approaches.

A clear end to a project:

Is always more successful than a slow drift into use as it is a recognition by all

concerned that:

o The original objectives have been met (subject to any approved changes)

o The current project has run its course

o Either the operational regime must now take over the products from this

project, or the products become inputs into some subsequent project or

into some larger programme

o The project management team can be disbanded

o Project costs should no longer be incurred

Provides an opportunity to ensure that all unachieved goals and objectives are

identified so that they can be addressed in the future

Transfers ownership of the products to the customer and terminates the

responsibility of the project management team.


1. An approach that focuses on improving processes through maximising value by

eliminating waste is referred to as

a. Kanban

b. Lean

c. XP

d. Scrum

2. Which among the following is NOT among one of the stated agile behaviours?

a. Transparency

b. Reliability

c. Self‐organisation

d. Exploration© The Knowledge Academy 2020 19

3. Which of the following theme has the purpose to facilitate communication and

control by defining the means of delivering the products.

a. Risk

b. Plans

c. Business case

d. Progress

4. Which is a purpose of the 'closing a project' process?

a. To produce the stage plan for the activities in the final stage

b. To confirm that all the project benefits have been achieved

c. To establish that nothing further is required from the project

d. To agree what is required for accepting and executing project work

5. Which statement explains how the 'manage by exception' principle is applied in an

agile context?

a. It supports the 'inspect and adapt' technique

b. It empowers people to self‐organise and stay in control

c. It supports many short stages in situations of high uncertainty

d. It prioritises quality criteria at product level

What to fix and what to flex?

Of the several ideas, concepts and techniques that exist within PRINCE2 Agile, one of

the most significant is that it emphases on flexing what is being delivered, as opposed

to focusing on flexing time and cost or flexing time and resources.

However, it is not sufficient just to understand how to flex what is delivered; it is

essential to understand why.

Traditionally, the competing constraints on a project have often been revealed

graphically as a shape like a triangle with constraints of time, cost, quality, etc. pulling

against each other. PRINCE2 does not have such a limited view of the variables on a

project, as it recognises six ‘aspects’ that need to be controlled and managed: time,

cost, quality, scope, risk and benefit.

PRINCE2 does not place importance on any of these aspects over and above the

others. It understands them as equally important and to be managed as per the

needs of a specific project.

However, PRINCE2 Agile does define what to emphasise by giving direction on the

use of tolerance levels (i.e. permissible deviations from what is planned) for the six

aspects in terms of which should be fixed and which ones should vary (or flex).

Applying tolerances to the six aspects of a project (The Hexagon)© The Knowledge Academy 2020 20

In PRINCE2, tolerance is the allowable deviation above and below what has been

planned, with respect to the six aspects of a project (i.e. time, cost, quality, scope,

risk and benefit). Whenever any of these tolerances are forecast to be surpassed an

exception will occur. It is not that fixed aspects can never flex, but they have

tolerances set to zero and would be subject to management by exception if these

were expected to be exceeded.

Aspect Tolerance guide Summary

Time Zero tolerance for extra time on all levels of plan.

Fix

Cost Zero tolerance for extra cost on all levels of plan.

Fix

Quality Not all acceptance criteria and quality criteria are of equal importance, so they can be prioritised.

Fix and flex

Scope Not everything the project aims to create is of equal importance, so they can be prioritised. Zero tolerance for products that are essential. Tolerance may be used for products that are desirable but not essential.

Fix and flex

Risk Tolerance to be defined according to the needs of the project board and project manager as this depends on the specific situation.

Fix or flex

Benefit Zero tolerance for the level that is defined as ‘minimum viability’ in the business case. Tolerance may be used above the level that is defined as ‘minimum viability’ in the business case.

Fix or flex


The Agilometer

In order to tailor PRINCE2 in the best way possible it is important to assess the context

that a project exists in with regard to the environment and the working relationships. To

achieve this PRINCE2 Agile has an assessment tool called the Agilometer to answer the

question of ‘How agile can we be on this project?’

The Agilometer looks at six key areas, and the project manager is responsible for

canvassing the key stakeholders involved in the project as to what values to give each

category. Each category is represented on the figure by a slider.

When using the Agilometer it is important to see it as a guide to help you make an

informed decision. The Agilometer itself does not make a decision or offer any

recommendations. Further to this it is important to see each slider in isolation and not

to create an average score across all areas.



1. Which BEST describes the purpose of the Agilometer focus area?a. To tailor agile so that it can be used with PRINCE2b. To help tailor PRINCE2 according to the agility of the environment

c. To assess how well a project is using the agile techniquesd. To assess which agile techniques are suitable for a project

2. PRINCE2 recognises _________ ‘aspects’ that need to be controlled andmanaged.

a. Five

b. Seven

c. Eight

d. Six

3. Which BEST describes the purpose of the Agilometer focus area?a. To tailor agile so that it can be used with PRINCE2b. To help tailor PRINCE2 according to the agility of the environment

c. To assess how well a project is using the agile techniquesd. To assess which agile techniques are suitable for a project

4. ________are the guiding obligation of good practice enshrined in PRINCE2.a. Processes

b. Techniques

c. Principles

d. Themes

5. A temporary organisation that is created for the purpose of delivering oneor more business products according to an agreed business case is calleda. Portfolio

b. Programme

c. Project

d. Agile


Sample Exam

1. How Timeboxing is typically described?a. As a behaviour.b. As a framework.

c. As a technique.d. As a concept.

2. Which characteristic is MOST likely to apply to a project using PRINCE2Agile?

a. Operational teams are stable and work well together.b. Teams already have accurate metrics for business as usual (BAU)

work.

c. Teams remain in place after completing work.d. Teams are created as the environment is temporary.

3. Which describes an agile approach which can be integrated with PRINCE2Agile?

a. A framework of principles, values, and methods to manage projectdelivery.

b. The processes and tools that may be applied to a sequence oftechnical phases.

c. A technique to determine favourable and unfavourable factors for agiven situation.

d. The improvement of processes to maximize value by removing

wasted time and effort.

4. Which aspect of a traditional project management approach is necessarywhen PRINCE2 Agile is applied?

a. Detailed control of a project’s management and outputs.b. Appropriate control over the versions of products.c. Formal planning of all of the project’s outputs.d. A lifecycle approach to the technical stages of delivery.


5. Which statement accurately reflects one of the eight guidance points?a. Scrum and Kanban can be used to manage both projects and BAU.b. Agile focusses on the use of the Scrum or Kanban frameworks.

c. The use of PRINCE2 Agile relies on teams using either Scrum orKanban.

d. Scrum and Kanban can be used in both a project and BAU context.

6. Which aspect of PRINCE2 benefits MOST from blending with Agile?a. Project support.b. Project management.

c. Project direction.d. Product delivery.

7. Brand‐u‐Like has been given the following quality criteria for the newletterheads they are working on:

o Must adhere to the corporate image;

o No spelling or grammatical errors;o Should be printable in black and white as well as colour to enable

cheaper printing, if required.Which PRINCE2 principle is being applied?

a. Tailor to suit the project environment.

b. Focus on products.c. Protect the level of quality.d. Transparency.

8. It has been recommended that a marketing campaign be used to determine

whether the proposed new corporate logo is sufficiently unique andrecognisable. This campaign will target a non‐English speaking country.

How effectively does this apply the ‘continued business justification’principle?

a. This applies the principle well because it will help identify theminimum viable product for the new corporate logo.

b. This applies the principle well because it will have a favourableimpact on the prevailing agile environment.


c. This applies the principle poorly because the minimum viable productis concerned with the viability of the project as a whole.

d. This applies the principle poorly because the proposed new corporatelogo may not be sufficiently unique and recognisable.

9. During the Initiation Stage, the Business Case is being refined and theProject Plan is being produced. The following risk cause is identified:

‘The marketing campaign and website delivery are both dependent on thetimely delivery of the corporate logo to the defined level of quality.’

How should the Business Case theme be tailored as a result of this riskcause?

a. Include a time and cost estimate to deliver the corporate logo to therequired quality level in the Business Case.

b. Record the risk cause in the Agilometer assessment when deciding onhow much agile should be used.

c. ‘Take a leap of faith’ on the assumption that the corporate logo willbe delivered on time to the required quality.

d. Document how late delivery of the corporate logo will impact on theincreased sales expected in the Business Case.

10. Brand‐u‐Like is working on the ‘Collateral’ work package in Stage 2 and hasagreed the priorities for each of the requirements. Brand‐u‐Like believesthat it is unlikely that all of the requirements will be delivered during thetimebox as some of them are still being explored.

Brand‐u‐Like is keen to become more agile and responsive in the way theywork with Chesterstons.

How should Brand‐u‐Like monitor progress to tailor the Progress theme?

a. On a burn‐down chart.b. On a burn‐up chart.c. With a Checkpoint Report.


d. By limiting work in progress.

11. Brand‐u‐Like has created a Risk Register on its team board. It is updatedduring daily stand‐ups as the risks associated with delivering the corporatelogo are discussed. Brand‐u‐Like is finding this agile way of working to bevery effective in monitoring risks associated with the work package.

The Team Manager sends photographs of the team board to the ProjectManager daily. The Project Manager uses this information in order toreview the work package status.

What BEST explains how this approach to risk management tailors the Risktheme?

a. It applies the theme well because the Brand‐u‐like Team Manager

should manage risks to delivery of the work package.b. It applies the theme well because the team’s risks are being reported

effectively to the Project Manager.

c. It applies the theme poorly because there should be a single RiskRegister for the whole project.

d. It applies the theme poorly because the Project Manager needs asingle point of visibility for all project risks.

12. During Brand‐u‐Like’s daily stand‐up, a rumour that the supplier of thebanners may be about to become insolvent was reported. As a result, it wasagreed that a safe‐to‐fail experiment should be conducted. This willdetermine whether Brand‐u‐Like could complete the work of adding anextra logo to the banners themselves if necessary.

How effectively does the use of the safe‐to‐fail experiment apply the Risktheme?

a. It applies the theme well because a trial can be used to explore theimpact on the timebox plan.

b. It applies the theme well because the team is responsible formanaging risk at delivery level.


c. It applies the theme poorly because it should be managed as animpediment, NOT a risk.

d. It applies the theme poorly because a trial is NOT a good method forexploring risk impacts.

13. During the Starting up a Project process, the following statement iscaptured:

‘It is expected that Brand‐u‐Like will act in a more agile way than they havein the past with the use of MoSCoW prioritisation and with a greater focuson collaboration.’

Where this statement should be recorded as part of the Starting up aProject process?

a. In the Project Product Description as a customer quality expectation.b. In the Initiation Stage Plan as a pre‐requisite.c. In the Project Brief as part of the project approach.d. In the Daily Log as an informal record of the agreed frameworks to be

used.

14. Brand‐u‐Like is delivering the corporate clothing designs as part of the‘Collateral’ work package. The current plan is for the actual clothing to bedelivered (by an external supplier) at the end of week 14.

Brand‐u‐Like has been advised by the Executive that a set of rebrandedcorporate clothing is required before week 14, so that it can be worn by thestaff attending the International Cheese Festival.

Which is the BEST way for the Project Manager to respond in order to tailorthe Controlling a Stage process?

a. Ensure that the Product Owner has prioritised the relevant userstories appropriately in the Product Backlog.

b. Review the Brand‐u‐Like Team Plan and collaboratively define theadditional work package information.


c. Take corrective action by updating and reissuing the ProductDescription for the rebranded corporate clothing.

d. Enter it as an issue in the Issue Register so that the impact can beevaluated and escalated if appropriate.

15. The Project Manager is using Brand‐u‐Like’s burn‐up chart to track progress.

How effectively does this apply the PRINCE2 Agile guidance when tailoring the Managing Product Delivery process?

a. It applies the process well because the Project Manager can accessinformation about progress at any time.

b. It applies the process well because burn‐up charts show the ideal rateof progress which can be used to forecast forward.

c. It applies the process poorly because the Project Manager should befocusing on creating guiding boundaries that empower the teams.

d. It applies the process poorly because the Project Manager should befocusing on progress information at a higher level.

16. It is reported during Brand‐u‐Like’s daily stand‐up that the Executive isinsisting that rebranded corporate clothing is worn by staff attending theInternational Cheese Festival. The team believes that the new logo cannotbe made available to the clothing manufacturer in time. Therefore, thebranded clothing will not be available for the festival.

Which is the BEST way for Brand‐u‐Like to respond?

a. Ask the Project Manager to attend the next daily stand‐up to discussthe problem.

b. Call the Project Manager at the end of the meeting to escalate theproblem and raise it as an issue.

c. Record the problem on the team’s Information Radiator so it can be‘pulled’ by the Project Manager when required.

d. Raise a new issue in the Issue Register and raise an Exception Report.

17. There are two work packages within the Rebranding work stream. Eachwork package will be managed as a separate timebox. The ‘Rebranding’work packages will form a release.


Which statement explains how this approach to planning tailors a work package?

a. Planning should focus on the immediate future and this should relateto Timeboxes of two to four weeks.

b. Releases allow the management of Timeboxes across more than onemanagement stage.

c. Timeboxes that make up a release may not deliver something intooperational use.

d. Each of the work packages should be managed as a higher leveltimebox within a separate stage.

18. In an attempt to adopt a more agile way of working, Brand‐u‐Like hasproposed replacing formal Checkpoint Reports with daily stand‐ups, whereteam members will take turns to ‘report’ the team’s progress to the ProjectManager.

How effectively does this tailor the use of a Checkpoint Report?

a. It applies it well because Checkpoint Reports could be replaced bydaily stand‐ups.

b. It applies it well because collaborative behaviours are an important

aspect of the agile way of working.c. It applies it poorly because Checkpoint Reports should be replaced by

a burn‐down chart.d. It applies it poorly because the daily stand‐up meetings should NOT

act as a ‘reporting to’ mechanism.

Using the Project Scenario and Marketing Campaign Additional information, answer the following questions:

19. The Marketing Team Manager has confirmed that it will not be possible tocomplete all of the work involved in the three campaigns planned for Stage3, where all three campaigns are ‘Must Haves’. The Marketing Director hasoffered to hire a contractor to assist with the radio campaign.

The radio campaign has the following quality criterion:


‘Each advertisement must be at least one minute long, but should be two minutes long.’

How should the Marketing Team apply the ‘protect the level of quality’ target?

a. By hiring a contractor to join the Marketing Team.

b. By delivering a two minute radio advertisement in Stage 4.c. By delivering a one minute radio advertisement in Stage 3.d. By de‐scoping the radio advertisement from Stage 3.

20. During Stage 4, the Marketing Team is due to start work on a series ofvideos to put on a video sharing website.

The release backlog for Stage 4 includes three separate videos as follows:

'Life is all about cheese!'

'Chestertons' Blue ‐ How about you?'

Viral video ‐ title and theme to be defined.

How should the 'accept that the customer doesn't need everything' target be applied when planning the work of Stage 4?

a. By planning to deliver at least two of the three videos during thestage.

b. By identifying the relative priority of each video and planning todeliver them all.

c. By identifying the quality criteria for each video and delivering themwithin quality tolerance.

d. By recognising that changes to the viral video will be agreed as theyemerge.

21. The Marketing Team has identified the following issue:‘The newspaper advertisements during Stage 3 have not been as successfulas we had hoped. The sales targets for the end of Stage 3 have not beenachieved. Therefore, the forecast for the increased sales that must beachieved as a result of the project will no longer be achieved within theplanned timescales.’


Which of the ‘six PRINCE2 aspects of a project’ should be immediately assessed as a result of this issue?

a. Cost.

b. Time.

c. Risk.

d. Benefit.

22. The Stage 3 ‘Marketing’ work package includes the following newspaperrequirements:

Full‐page advertisement ‐ Should HaveHalf‐page advertisement ‐ Must HaveThe Marketing Team is running behind schedule and has asked for advicefrom the Project Manager. The Project Manager has requested that theMarketing Team keeps to the time allocated and delivers only the half‐pageadvertisement during the stage.How does this apply the 'being on time and hitting deadlines' target?

a. It applies the target well because the half‐page advertisement

contributes to increased sales following Stage 3.b. It applies the target well because a sub‐standard advertisement could

damage Chestertons’ image before the Cheese Festival.c. It applies the target poorly because the customer needs the

newspaper campaign in order to generate sales.d. It applies the target poorly because this change to scope should be

traded with another requirement.

23. The following user story has been defined by the Project Manager fordelivery during Stage 4:

‘As a Chestertons’ sales assistant, I want to see a high quality, successful TV campaign, so that I will receive a bonus for achieving my sales targets.’

No other information has been provided to support this user story.

Which reason explains why this is a poor application of the ‘protect the level of quality’ target?

a. The Marketing Team should define the user stories as part of a self‐organising team.


b. The user story should include an appropriate function and flexibleacceptance criteria.

c. User stories should NOT be used to define the level of quality to bedelivered.

d. The sales assistant should get most of the sales bonus that waswanted, on time.

24. The results of the advertisements carried out during Stage 3 have beenanalysed. The social media advertisements were found to be far more

effective than expected. The Customer Subject Matter Expert (CSME) hasrecommended that additional social media advertising should replace theplanned TV advertising in Stage 4.Which statement BEST describes why the Marketing Team should agree thischange in accordance with the ‘five targets’?

a. The Marketing Team should deliver the social media advertising tothe appropriate level of quality.

b. The Marketing Team needs to deliver the advertising within the time

and cost tolerances for Stage 4.c. The Marketing Team can swap the social media advertising with TV

advertising if both require similar effort.d. The CSME represents the project’s stakeholders and they must

ensure that their advertising needs are met.

25. There are four people working on the Marketing campaigns. These peoplehave been working in the Marketing Team since the work started.With the recent success of the social media advertising, the Marketing

Director has suggested that a social media expert be recruited to work inStage 4 on additional advertisements.

Which statement BEST describes why the Marketing Team should appointthis expert in accordance with the ‘five targets’?

a. The additional social media advertising should be delivered on time

by flexing some of the desirable quality criteria.b. If new team members are required to deliver the extra advertising

they should be added to a later low‐level timebox.

c. Teams should respond by self‐organising so they should decidewhether team dynamics will be affected by an additional person.


d. Adding this expert to the Marketing Team will not exceed themaximum number of people who can work collaboratively.

26. During Stage 3, the first social media advertising is due to be delivered. Itwas decided that a simple, single‐page social media site must be deliveredin the first timebox. Information gathered will be used to develop the latercampaigns to the defined level of quality.Which statement BEST describes why the Marketing Team should deliverthe simple site in accordance with the ‘five targets’?

a. Later Timeboxes should be used to deliver the remainder of therequired advertising.

b. The Marketing Team should deliver a quality campaign to meet

customer needs.c. PRINCE2 Agile should only be used where there is flexibility on what

is being delivered.d. The Marketing Team should deliver a Minimum Viable Product on

time to enable learning.

27. Using the Project Scenario and Website Additional information, answer thefollowing questions:Web&Go is working on the 'payment' timebox which includes:Allow payment by credit card ‐ Must HaveAllow payment by debit card ‐ Should HaveAllow payment through an online payment system ‐ Should Have.How should the principle of 'learn from experience' by applied to this work?

a. Deliver credit card payment as soon as possible in order to receiveearly feedback from customers.

b. Deliver all three requirements within the work in progress limit with atime tolerance of zero.

c. Escalate to the Project Manager if Web&Go can only deliver creditcard payment in the timebox.

d. Deliver the online payment system as a minimum because it shouldbe included within this timebox.


28. Web&Go is delivering the ‘Stock Control’ work package within Stage 4 usinga Kanban approach. Chestertons’ IT Team is working on the ‘Story ofCheese’ work package later in the same stage. All requirements have beenprioritised using MoSCoW prioritisation.A release has been planned at the end of Stage 4 incorporating the outputsof both work packages.Why is this is a good application of the ‘manage by stages’ principle?

a. Requirements should be divided into Timeboxes and prioritised.b. The two Timeboxes are combined to form a release within Stage 4.c. A release represents a Minimum Viable Product that the customer

can use.d. Retrospective should be held at stage end to enable continuous

learning.

29. The IT Team is delivering the ‘Story of Cheese’ work package.

This timebox will require some information and advice from the Marketing Team to help with the history of Chestertons and the history of cheese. This work will typically take about 2‐3 hours daily.

How should the Organisation theme be tailored to ensure sufficient customer involvement in the IT Team?

a. Appoint a Customer Representative because the customer needs toadvise the Supplier Subject Matter Expert.

b. Appoint a Customer Representative because the customer needs toadvise the Supplier Representative on specialist areas.

c. Appoint a CSME because a CSME should be available full‐time towork with a full time Supplier Subject Matter Expert.

d. Appoint a CSME because a part‐time CSME should be able to providethe required customer view.

30. The IT Team is delivering the ‘Story of Cheese’ work package.

How should the IT Team plan the delivery of this work package to tailor the Plans theme?

a. Plan the timebox at the same time as planning the ‘Stock Control’work package.


b. Use the lead times from the ‘Payment’ work package completed

during Stage 3 to plan the timebox.

c. Create a Team Plan at the end of Stage 3 ready for delivery of thetimebox in Stage 4.

d. Create a plan using the prioritised backlog just before work is aboutto start on the timebox.

31. During Stage 3, the ‘Payment’ work package is being delivered. It includesthe requirement to deliver ‘secure payment’.

Several user stories have been developed to identify the requirement inmore detail. A Web&Go developer has identified that one of the userstories conflicts with one of the acceptance criterion specified in the ProjectProduct Description.

The Project Manager has advised that this change to the Project ProductDescription can be agreed dynamically with the Customer Subject Matter

Expert.

What BEST explains how this approach tailors the Change theme?

a. It tailors the theme well because the Customer Subject Matter Expertis using user stories to define the detailed requirements.

b. It tailors the theme well because the team should handle changes tothe detailed requirements dynamically.

c. It tailors the theme poorly because changes to the Project ProductDescription affect a baseline product.

d. It tailors the theme poorly because the team should self‐organisewithout consulting with the CSME.

32. Web&Go is delivering the ‘Payment’ work package in Stage 3. A Web&Go

developer has written the tests for the payment functionality at thebeginning of the timebox. These tests will be used by the team to checkthat it works correctly.

What BEST explains why this ‘test‐driven approach’ tailors the Qualitytheme well?


a. Web&Go should independently test that the delivered payment

functionality is working correctly.b. The Quality Management Strategy should specify the use of ‘check

first’ when delivering the payment functionality.c. The Web&Go developer should initially quality check the correct

working of the payment functionality.d. The Quality Management Strategy should define the definition of

‘ready’ for the payment functionality.

33. During the Initiating a Project process, the project office recommended thatthe project management team should further improve their agilebehaviours. The improved behaviours and their value were discussed withthe project management team during a workshop.

They will be documented in the Project Initiation Documentation (PID).

How should the Project Manager communicate the agreed behaviours tothe team?

a. By emailing the PID to the delivery teams and asking them forconfirmation of compliance.

b. By updating the existing behaviours listed under the ‘team rules’ onthe Information Radiator.

c. By posting the possible advantages of agile behaviours discussed atthe workshop on the Information Radiator.

d. By requesting the Executive to present the agreed behaviours to thedelivery teams.

34. In Stage 4, work on the ‘Stock Control’ work package is underway. TheCSME is unsure of exactly how the notification of low stock should work.Having gathered views from the Customer Representative and several stockcontrol staff members, the requirement is still unclear.

How should the Web&Go make sure that they are delivering what thecustomer wants?

a. By creating a spike as early as possible and inviting feedback from thestock control staff.


b. By using lessons identified during the payment timebox in order tounderstand the requirements in more detail.

c. By handing over the delivered functionality to the stock control staffat the end of the timebox.

d. By developing a detailed Product Description of the low stock controlprocesses.

35. At the end of Stage 3, the payment timebox is just coming to an end. TheProject Manager is planning to demonstrate the ordering and payment

functionality that is being delivered. Several staff from the salesdepartment are attending the demonstration.

What BEST explains how this tailors the Managing a Stage Boundaryprocess?

a. It tailors the process well because release reviews can demonstrate

what has been delivered to a range of stakeholders.b. It tailors the process well because retrospectives can be used to

demonstrate the value of what has been delivered.c. It tailors the process poorly because release reviews should

demonstrate to the project management team what has beendelivered.

d. It tailors the process poorly because the purpose of the Managing aStage Boundary process is to plan the next stage.

36. During the project kick‐off it was agreed how the project management

team should work together. The Project Manager made the following noteduring the meeting:

‘It is all of our responsibilities to look out for risks. We will raise them assoon as we see them.’

In which management product should this be recorded to formally

communicate this agreement?

a. Lessons Log.b. Daily Log.c. Risk Register.d. Risk Management Strategy.


37. The Project Manager was asked to attend a daily stand‐up involving the ITTeam during Stage 4.

The ‘Story of Cheese’ work package was discussed and the Project Manager

wanted to record the agreements reached for future reference.

Where this information should be recorded?

a. On a Burn‐up chart.b. In the Daily Log.c. In the Product Description.d. In the Product Status Account.

38. The Project Manager has decided that the Benefits Review Plan (BRP)should only be checked in the Closing a Project process during Stage 4. Itwill then be used to measure the increase in sales following theInternational Cheese Festival.

What BEST explains how this tailors the BRP?

a. It tailors the BRP well because the International Cheese Festival takesplace during Stage 4.

b. It tailors the BRP well because it defines how and when the increasedsales will be measured.

c. It tailors the BRP poorly because increased sales should be measured

during the end of Stage 3.d. It tailors the BRP poorly because increased sales should be measured

at the end of Stage 2.

Using the Project Scenario and Move Premises Additional information, answer the following questions:

39. The Project Manager used the Agilometer to assess the agile environment

in order to tailor PRINCE2 in the most effective way.

Each production line is similar but not exactly the same. Due to an initialplan that moved the current production lines in a specified order, it wasobserved that the ‘Flexibility on what is being delivered’ slider is low.

Which is the MOST appropriate response to this observation?


a. Ensure that everyone understands the differences involved with theagile way of working.

b. Challenge the team to identify parts of the production lines fromwhich early delivery would be useful.

c. Monitor customer demand in case it affects the sequence in whichthe lines are moved.

d. No action is needed in response to the low value on this slider.

40. Moving the production lines one‐by‐one over a series of Timeboxes means

that the deliveries of ingredients, packaging and the dispatching of thecheeses will be difficult to coordinate across more than one site.

Against which Agilometer slider would it be MOST appropriate to assess therisks as a result of this situation?

a. Flexibility on what is being delivered.b. Ease of communication.

c. Ability to work iteratively and deliver incrementally.

d. Advantageous environmental conditions.

41. The following requirement has been specified as part of the move premises

work stream:

As a: stock controller

I want: to be able to move stock into a stock room

Which is the BEST entry for the ‘benefit’ in this user story?

a. So that stock control can be implemented effectively.b. So that stock control can be seamlessly integrated.c. So that response times can be improved by having stock in one

location.

d. So that an automatic stacker crane can be used to improve efficiency.

42. Entrance to the new site is via a narrow access road. There are parkingrestrictions linked to lorries using this access road.

Which requirement is MOST likely to have the lowest priority?

a. Access for delivery lorries is not to be affected by parked cars.


b. Delays due to the narrow access road of no more than two minutes.

c. Parking for disabled staff to be close to the new building.d. Parking to be available for all staff at the new site.

43. The Marketing Team wants to issue some publicity about each type ofcheese as that particular production line is moved over to the newpremises.

Which is the MOST appropriate way for the Premises Team to communicate

timings and progress to the Marketing Team?

a. Request that the Marketing Team members look at the Premises

Team’s burn charts.b. Discuss in frequent meetings involving the customer subject matter

experts from both teams.

c. Hold regular workshops involving the customer subject matter

experts where decisions can be made.

d. Circulate the Premises Team’s weekly Checkpoint Report to theMarketing Team.

44. According to the frequent releases focus area, which requirement would beMOST useful to deliver early to ensure that the project is viable?

a. The refrigeration room for both raw produce and manufactured

cheeses.

b. Access to a delivery bay and improved car parking for the new site.c. The offices located in the new premises for the administration staff.d. An evaluation of the forecast demand resulting from the Cheese

Festival.

45. The Project Manager is using the Agilometer to assess the prevailing agileenvironment in order to tailor PRINCE2 in the most effective way.

Some of the Move Premises Team are positive about agile but are unsurehow it can be used for the production lines. They are dedicated to theproject and are constructive in team meetings when expressing theiropinions, but they are insisting that a ‘specify, design, build and test’approach is adhered to.

Which slider should be set lower for the reason given?


Level of collaboration

Reason: Delivery of individual production lines does not suit the use of an agile

approach.

Ease of communication

Reason: The differing backgrounds of the facilities and operations staff will

hinder making decisions.

Advantageous environmental conditions

Reason: Only some of the team are keen on using agile methods.

Acceptance of Agile

Reason: Behaving in a traditional way is preventing a change to a new philosophy.

46. Which characteristic justifies a low‐level setting for the ‘Ability to workiteratively and deliver incrementally’ slider on the Agilometer for this partof the project?

a. Little benefit will be achieved from delivering parts of eachproduction line into operational use.

b. The team is familiar with validating operational changes and learningfrom mistakes.

c. The staff operating the production lines are dispersed acrossdifferent lines and locations.

d. There is a difficult relationship between the facilities staff and theoperations staff.

47. During Stage 2, the following user story has been developed as part of theP1 work package:

As a: delivery van loader

I want to: know the weight of any box

So that: I can avoid injury.

Which explains how this user story could be improved?


a. The role could name an appropriate person who is actuallyperforming this particular function.

b. The function could contain more detailed information on what awarning label should display.

c. The benefit could include the name of the Health and Safetyregulations being complied with.

d. All parts of this user story should remain unchanged because itdocuments the high‐level requirement.

48. During the P1 timebox, a requirement is identified for the post roomdispatcher to know the weight of parcels to calculate the correct postage.During the timebox, an additional requirement was identified for a warninglabel to be fixed to heavy parcels needing more than one person to liftthem safely.

Which action is the BEST way of addressing this change to the requirements?

a. Include the additional requirement in the timebox because it is anon‐functional requirement.

b. Ignore the additional requirement for this release because it willrequire a change to the agreed baseline.

c. Prioritise the new requirement in order to allow for the swapping ofrequirements between Timeboxes.

d. Add the new requirement to the end of the product backlog todeliver it in the timebox, if time permits.

49. During the premises move it has been difficult to hold the daily stand‐ups.Some teleconferences have been held but attendance at these has beenvaried. The team is now experimenting with a webcam showing the team’s

Information Radiator and sending out an alert to everyone’s mobile

telephone. As well as a reminder to call in, the alert also asks ‘Is thereanything blocking or potentially blocking your progress?’

Which statement BEST explains how this approach applies the rich communication focus area?

a. It applies the focus area well because daily stand‐ups ensure thatissues are uncovered and recorded quickly.


b. It applies the focus area well because a multi‐faceted approach tocommunication makes it easier and more effective.

c. It applies the focus area poorly because daily stand‐ups shouldalways be used for face‐to‐face communication.

d. It applies the focus area poorly because an environment which is toocomplex can damage communications.

50. Production line releases have been planned and the floor layout has beenassigned to the four lines. At the end of Stage 3 the Project Board suggestedthat space is provided for a fifth production line because the project is turningout to be as successful as they had hoped. The Project Manager has suggestedthat release plans should complement the planning at the stage plan level inthe future.

Which BEST explains why this observation shows a good understanding of the frequent releases focus area?

a. The different levels of plan need to be synchronized across the project.b. The benefits from early release can be used to fund later parts of the

project.

c. The disruption from releases to operations can be made visible to all.d. Decision makers can be made aware of the significance of release

planning.


prince2 agile practitioner workbook · prince2 is the most commonly used project management...

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