PRINCE2 in Practice: A Practical Guide with Templates, Tools & Training Links
If you're a professional exploring or working in project management, this one is for you! I was in Malaga on Good Friday 2025 when this session happened, but that didn't stop us running through a high level overview of the PRINCE2 methodology. In this article you'll find:
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The session recording
Key insights from the session
The link to download 2 templates
A guide to key links for training providers if you want to explore accreditations in Project Management
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Session Recording
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Key Insights
Overview of PRINCE2 Framework
Developed by the UK Government in the 1980s to reduce waste in public projects.
Stands for “Projects in Controlled Environments”.
Structured across three layers:
Direction: Executive sponsor oversight
Management: Project manager accountability
Delivery: Implementation teams
Stage gates (dotted lines in the process model) ensure controlled transitions between project phases.
Emphasis on the project manager role as central in communication between project sponsors and the delivery team.
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Key Project Documents & Concepts
Project Mandate
The project mandate is the original idea or trigger from senior leadership.
It should capture:
Background & context
Objectives Scope (in/out)
Key stakeholders
Initial justifications
Sponsor details
It's important to capture these early, even if informally, to avoid confusion later.
The PID is a more formal, more detailed version of the brief and mandate.
It adds:
Business case (including financial costs/benefits)
High-level solution visuals (diagrams/models)
In real life, the project mandate, brief and PID documents often blend together—what matters is the key concepts, not the document names.
Template Download Link
Inside this folder, you’ll find the Project Plan and RAID template discussed in the knowledge-sharing session.
These files are free to use and download — no login or Gmail account is required. Just click on any file to preview it in your browser, and if you'd like a local copy, right-click and choose “Download”.
Project Plan
Excel-based Gantt chart with:
Phase breakdown
Planned vs actual start/end dates
Colour-coded status indicators (grey, purple, blue)
The template includes an auto-generating dashboard for RAG overview.
Status Reporting
Key components of effective status reporting include:
Project overview ribbon (timelines, scope, RAG)
Summary of previous/current activity
What help is needed from stakeholders
High-level milestone visuals
Top issues/risks highlighted for review
Project Closure
Key elements of a good closure process:
Review of timelines, budget, outcomes
Lessons learned
Outstanding actions & handover notes
Formal sign-off from sponsors
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Accredited Training
At the end of the session, there were questions on recommended organisations to get project accreditations from, so I have created a reference document for you to be able to see my recommendations. Press the download button to view this resource.
I have lots of project management related articles to explore further. Check them out here.
