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THE Prince2 book ...

Customer Rating:

This is the one - if you want to understand Prince2 or take either the foundation or practitioner exams. However be warned most courses will supply this book so if you are looking to take a course and then the exams you'd be better off with the small handheld guide and/or alternative books as this book will be provided as part of the course (please check with your proposed provider!). Quite a difficult book to read and assimilate but once the concepts have got in your head it is THE reference book. Often used after the course to support specific areas. Once you've seen others with the book and taken the exams you'll soon understand why everyone's copies have tabs sticking out all over them! Good luck with your studies...

The definitive Prince2 reference guide

Customer Rating:

Although I have not taken either of the Prince2 exams I have used a range of Prince2 techniques in a number of commercial organisations I have worked in. I have found the reality of project governnance in commercial software development organisations is to adopt a pragmatic approach to using methodologies rather than following a prescriptive approach. This book is therefore the ideal reference guide for use in either government organisations where it is the accepted standard or for managers like me who pick and choose the elements of Prince2 (and other methodologies) that are most appropriate to them in their environments. If you fall into this latter category the appendices are particualrly useful. Whichever category you fall into, this book is laid out with a logical flow that reflects the lifecycle of projects.

Andy Murray, PRINCE2 Consultant

Customer Rating:

PRINCE2, or PRojects IN Controlled Environments, is a project management methodology. It covers the management, control and organisation of a project. PRINCE2(tm) was launched by the UK Government in 1996 and has since become the most widely used project management method worldwide. By the beginning of 2007 there were more than 250,000 certified Project Managers who had sat and passed the PRINCE2(tm) practitioner exam. Practitioners can now be found in all 7 continents (yes, even in Antarctica). PRINCE2(tm) is now more than a just manual. When people say "we are using PRINCE2(tm)" they don't mean that they are using the manual. They mean that they direct, manage or participate on a project which follows (some of) the processes, components and techniques embodied in the manual. PRINCE2(tm) has become `a way' of delivering projects. It has become a community, comprising: * The UK Government (it is owned by the Office of Government Commerce - OGC) * A documented method (the manual, now in its 4th edition), available in several languages * An accreditation body (APM Group Ltd) * 120+ accredited training organisations, providing training around the globe in 17 languages * 15+ accredited consulting organisations * Software tools (There were 52 tools supporting PRINCE2(tm) listed in the last PM Software Tool sourcebook) * An official user group (The Best Practice User Group - BPUG) and numerous others covering more than 10 countries * Several on-line discussion forums dedicated to PRINCE2(tm) * More than 1.6 million pages on the world-wide-web which reference PRINCE2(tm); much more than any other method. While the PRINCE2(tm) manual is owned and maintained by the UK Government, several other governments are now recommending its use (for example The Netherlands, Denmark, Germany) and it has been adopted by The United Nations Development Program as part of their global framework for managing projects. Its use extends beyond Governments and institutions as it has been adopted by the private sector with some vigour. PRINCE2(tm) has also moved beyond its IT origin and is used for R&D projects, construction projects, product development projects, marketing projects, business transformation projects and many more. If you want to use PRINCE2 to manage your projects then this is the essential reference book. It contains: * 8 chapters of processes (e.g. directing a project, initiating a project, planning) * 8 chapters of Components (e.g Organisation, Management of Risk, Business Case) * 3 chapters of Techniques (e.g. Product Based Planning) * Appendix A - Product Description outlines * Appendix B - Project Management Team roles * Appendix C - Risk Categories * Appendix D - PRINCE2 healthcheck (a set of checklists) * Appendix E - Project Document Management

Pass the Prince2 exams	Customer Rating:
I rate this book highly because it enabled me to pass the Prince2 Foundation exam. It is comprehensive and authoritative reference manual which can be refered to in the open-book, 'Practitioner' exam. It is a cost-effective confidence-booster to instructer-led training, as long as one has some exposure to Project Management in the work-place.