Starting up a Project Process

As you can see in Figure 2.1, Starting up a Project is the first process in the PRINCE2 model. It contains the following six activities, which are carried out before a project starts:

• Appoint the Executive and the Project Manager.
• Prepare the outline Business Case.
• Capture previous lessons.
• Design and appoint the project management team.
• Select the project approach and assemble the Project Brief.
• Plan the initiation stage.

You’ll learn about these activities in more detail in the following section. Their main purpose is to help you consider the project idea and decide whether it is a viable and worthwhile proposal.

The activities in the Starting up a Project process shouldn’t take too long relative to the potential length of the project. That way, time and money won’t be wasted on initiatives that aren’t taken any further. Starting up a Project is as much about stopping poorly conceived initiatives as it is about identifying good ones.