The three videos below are from the Lean Enterprise Academy’s Annual Conference. The videos are about 20 minutes each and tell the story of operational improvements made at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust. I won’t spoil the ending but the enthusiasm of the A&E Consultant in the third video is tremendous!

A Series of Videos from the 2011 Lean Summit: Redesigning Complex Processes
Mark Partington – The Executive’s Perspective
Tania King – The Visual Hospital Perspective
Paul Jarvis – The Doctor’s Perspective

What is Prince2?

• A non-proprietary, generic methodology for managing projects
• It can be used on any project regardless of scale, type, organisation, geography or culture
• It can tailored to suit any project regardless of scale, type, organisation and so on
• It is designed to control Costs, Timescales, Quality, Scope, Risk, Benefits

What Prince2 does not provide?

• Specialist aspects, i.e. industry specific or project type specific tools
• Detailed techniques, i.e. use of Microsoft Project, meeting technique
• Leadership capability, i.e. leadership, motivational and other interpersonal skills

What comprises Prince 2?

• 7 principles
• 7 themes
• 7 processes

What are the Prince2 ‘Principles’?

These are the 7 principles that underpin each stage, tool and document in Prince2.

1. Continued business justification
2. Learn from experience
3. Defined roles and responsibilities
4. Manage by stages
5. Manage by exception
6. Focus on deliverables (or ‘products’ in Prince2 terminology)
7. Tailor to suit the project environment

What are the Prince2 ‘Themes’?

These are the 7 themes that run through each stage, tool and document in Prince2.

1. Business Case – Why?
2. Organisation – Who?
3. Quality – What?
4. Plans – How? How much? When?
5. Risk – What if?
6. Change – What’s the impact of?
7. Progress – Where are we now? Where are we going? Should we carry on?

What are the Prince2 ‘Processes’?

These are the 7 processes that are used to manage the project.

1. Starting up a project (SUP)
2. Initiating a project (IP)
3. Directing a project
4. Managing a stage boundary (MSB)
5. Controlling a stage
6. Managing product delivery
7. Closing a project (CP)

This is how the processes flow:

I run projects to the methodology but ensure it heavily tailored to the type of project to maximise its effectiveness and ensure the most efficient use of time and effort.

In the meantime, we will be focusing on doing the best job for our customers and staying on the look out for opportunities to grow in a steady and sustainable way.

As usual, we supported our two favourite charities in lieu of sending out Christmas Cards and they are the PCD Support Group and RP Fighting Blindness.

Well, first of all, I have to admit that it isn’t a favorite subject of those looking for excitement in life. However, I believe that excitement is best enjoyed when it is expected – for instance at the opening of a new site or winning a large bid. I have seen plenty of ‘excitement’ over my career when things have gone wrong through the absence of rigour.

So what do I mean by rigour?

• I mean ensuring business changes are set up properly in the first place to meet the organisation’s objectives
• I mean constant challenge of the programme to ensure it is driving towards those objectives at all times
• I mean maintaining an external perspective so that everyone can see the wood for the trees

And why ‘approporiate’?

• It’s because the right amount of rigour needs to be applied appropriate to the cost, duration, quality and risk of a project
• It’s because unintelligent use of project methodologies can switch off senior managers and project team members
• It’s because unnecessary process, meetings and documentation delivers no benefit and increases cost

And why does it help? It helps because it ensures projects are pointed in the right direction from the beginning. There are few guarantees in the world of projects but ‘appropriate rigour’ reduces the risk that the project over runs, goes over budget or produces the wrong output.

These are the tangible risks mitigated but there are intangible risks to worry about too. ‘Appropriate rigour’ reduces the risk to organisational and personal reputations. It also reduces stress levels within the stakeholders and project teams.

I guess the only drawback I have seen is at the end of a project. It is sometimes easy for people to challenge why we had to do ‘all that boring stuff’ at the beginning when the project was, quite obviously, very easy!