PRINCE® was established in 1989 by CCTA (the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency), since renamed the OGC (the Office of Government Commerce). In June 2010, the Office of Government Commerce Best Practice Management functions moved into the Cabinet Office.
PRINCE® was originally based on PROMPT, a project management method created by Simpact Systems Ltd in 1975, and adopted by CCTA in 1979 as the standard to be used for all Government information system projects. When PRINCE® was launched in 1989, it effectively superseded PROMPT within Government projects. PRINCE® remains in the public domain and copyright is retained by the Crown. PRINCE2® was published in 1996, having been contributed to by a consortium of some 150 European organisations.
PRINCE2® Definition:
PRINCE2® (an acronym for PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is a de facto process-based method for effective project management. Used extensively by the UK Government, PRINCE2® is also widely recognised and used in the private sector, both in the UK and internationally. The PRINCE2® method is in the public domain, and offers non-proprietorial best practice guidance on project management.
Key features of PRINCE2:
- Focus on business justification
- Defined organisation structure for the project management team
- Product-based planning approach
- Emphasis on dividing the project into manageable and controllable stages
- Flexibility that can be applied at a level appropriate to the project.