The Prince2 and PMI project management methodologies are ideal for managing large projects, but they can also be adapted and used in the management of small or medium-sized projects, thanks to the possibility of adaptation that the methodologies themselves offer.
In a world where the word Agile has become a mantra, it is not surprising that waterfall methodologies are seen as too rigid and sometimes even a little conservative.
My very particular opinion about it is that the failure of the people who tried to implement a cascade project management methodology, with important negative consequences for the company that lived this experience, has led many to abandon the cascade methodologies in favor agile.
The truth, which is always in the middle, is that structured project management methodologies have a certain level of complexity, so they must be studied and learned. On pain of disastrous results and relapse into the agile method as 'second best', which at that point appears as best.
So here are the mistakes to avoid when deciding to manage a project with a waterfall methodology:
- Appoint a project manager at random. The scene could be like this: in a meeting with the team, the boss asks who manages this project? And the person with a minimum of will, but zero experience in project management is baptized Project Manager. Scenes of this type, which are unfortunately unavoidable, are the right way to condemn the project to failure. For further information, there is a space for comments at the bottom of the page.
- Buy yourself a project management booklet and throw yourself into the project. In this case the explanation of why even this approach is unsuccessful is easily explained with a metaphor. Take any activity, physical or intellectual that comes to mind, try to apply the same reasoning you would do with project management to the activity you have thought of. Imagine the results. Again the space for comments is available to share.
- A washer does not make spring. Even if you have a Project Manager who knows what he is talking about because he may have managed a couple of medium-sized projects in multinational companies, the same Project Manager who has successfully managed projects in such a company will fail in your company for the simple fact. that you will not be able to understand what the project manager will tell you when he tells you. In this case the space for comments is useless, you can do a self-analysis of your ability to understand the terminology used in project management in This Page. After reading all the terms on the page and, if and only if you feel that you know the meaning of all the terms in such a way that you can explain them to another person and use them fluently, then you may be successful in implementing the PMI methodology. inside your company.
The implementation and adaptation of the Prince 2 methodology
In particular, Prince2 dedicates a very important space toadaptation of the methodology to the environment where it is to be applied. An application of the methodology in its entirety ad an environment not used to the project management methodology it is hardly acceptable. A transition period is needed where the basic concepts of project management must be disseminated and assimilated by the structure before the methodology itself can be applied.
The Prince2 and PMI methodologies applied to the management of small and medium-sized projects
However, the Prince2 and PMI methodologies also lend themselves to managing smaller projects and provide the conceptual tools for managing projects of all sizes.
First of all, it must be understood that the Prince2 methodology is based on documents and each project deliverable is a document or accompanied by a document. The simplest example that comes to my mind to explain this concept is the following.
Project: Sunday trip to Lake Garda.
PID (Project initiation document): Even a chat on whatsapp is enough in which you answer some basic questions: what time do you leave, who takes the car, where to go, what to do and also where you don't go / don't do example you don't go diving so you don't need a mask and fins.
Project deliverable #1: Itinerary on Google Maps and departure and return times
Project deliverable #2: Shopping list for packed lunch
Project deliverable #3: Confirmation of the reservation of the pedal boat
Project results: Photographs in pedal boats and videos.
All of the above elements are project documents in the Prince2 methodology.
When planning activities, dependencies are established between one document and another. Eg before booking the pedal boat it is necessary to establish that you are going to the lake and what time you will arrive.
The PMI on the other hand sees in the planning of all processes who will intervene in the realization of the project as the foundation of the methodology itself. In very simple terms you need to plan whatever is done within the project And planning means writing down what will be done and how.
At this point we have two ways:
- Application of pre-existing project management templates
- Creation or adaptation of templates to the context
In my opinion, the complete templates are too expensive from the point of view of maintaining them for the project management structures of SMEs that often use a project manager dedicated to the project and that's it.
We remind you that the PMI, for large projects, requires the presence of a project management team as well as a project team. This is to specify that more resources are needed, i.e. more FTEs, dedicated to the planning and control of the project in addition to the people who physically carry it out.
In the context of Italian SMEs, having a Project Plan, Quality Plan, Risk Management Plan, a communication plan, etc., may be impossible. Better then to incorporate the essential elements of the methodology within a few project management documents or otherwise dry them down to the essentials.
On the other hand, the planning process is an iterative process for which there is always time to enrich the aforementioned documents with further elements, as they emerge.
Therefore I suggest adopting a Project Charter lean and to keep a log document in excel or similar that keeps track of activities and risks.
In the project charter we will insert all the elements present in the project both in scope and out of scope (fundamental). In the activity log we will insert line by line all the activities to be carried out with the respective managers. Risks can be included in this list as an activity to be managed,
For further information on project management techniques for SMEs
For further information on certifications in Project Management see