Interview Scenario

[newpm1]

Hello all,

I am hoping to gain a bit of advice if possible? I have succesfully passed my Prince2 Practitioner and finally secured an interview after several months of applications to various roles.

One of the requirements of the role is to be Prince2 qualified.

The interview will consist of a presentation, a test and general interview questions.

The scenario for the presentation is as follows:

A senior manager has been present at a meeting where a new IT system has been mentioned in passing. You have been tasked by them to find out all the information about the system that you can, and present back to the senior manager on the way forward. What would you need to find out? How would you find it out and how would you present it back to your senior manager?

My interpretation of the question, and according to Prince2, for a successfuI project I should find out the following:

• Costs
• Timescales
• Quality
• Scope
• Risk
• Benefits

Is the fact that the senior manager is asking for this information to be gathered "authorizing intiation"? Should the information requested by the Senior Manager be present back to him/them in the project brief?

Thank you in advance.

[kwalford]

Hi there,

What you have done above is to simply list the project objectives, time cost, scope etc.

You could answer this question in two ways; start a Feasibility study for the project to look at the viability of going forward with the project, or in the context of Prince2 enter into the Project Start Up (SU) Process.

The Project has not even begun yet, you are pre-Project Start Up (SU) Process really. The Project Board have not signed off the project and therefore you have not entered Initiation Process yet.

You have just been given the project mandate (the trigger for the project) and you need to get the project authorized by the project board.

You could argue that the first thing to do is a Feasibility study to see if the project should be initiated (this is Pre-project Start Up). This will look at different solutions (options) for the new IT system and answer the questions 'do the benefits of the IT system outweigh the costs of performing the project, and, which approach/solution is best suited for this project?'

In this scenario, think of the senior manager as the potential project sponsor. They will take the project idea of a new IT system to the Directors (project board) and advocate that the project is a sound investment, justify the project to the organisation. You need to get as many details about the project ready for the senior manager to present to the board.

What would you find out?

Information for the Cost / benefit analysis (pay back period) *** Important ***
Is the project for compliance OR to gain benefit? If compliance, then the value of the benefits are irrelevant.
Outline Business Case
What is the Project Product Description
High Level Objectives for the project
Project Approaches and which ones is best suited (this information would be taken from the Feasibility Study)
High Level Project Plan for the selected approach
Project Benefits the organisation should expect from the Project Product (IT System).
How are the project benefits aligned to the organisation strategy?

You need to give enough financial data for the Board of Directors to see that the Project will add value and the project is worth investment. The reason I have put High Level is because the project has not been authorised and you don't want to waste a lot of time to then find out the project will not be authorised.

How would you find it out?

Feasibility study

You will present back to the Senior Manager the different solutions that the Feasibility study expressed to be feasible in the format of a report. Look at the different options available and ascertain which one is best suit. Recommend a solution too as the output of the study. This might be looking at different suppliers.

How would you present it back to your senior manager?

Answering this question with my Prince2 Hat on is below:

In the format of a Project Brief. This is a high level document which will help the Project Board authorise the project, enter into the Initiation Process.

The Project Brief should cover the following topics.

Project definition, explaining what the project needs to achieve. It should include:
Background
Project objectives (covering time, cost, quality, scope, risk and benefit performance goals)
Project scope and exclusions
Constraints and assumptions
Project tolerances
The user(s) and any other known interested parties
Interfaces
Outline Business Case
Project Product Description
Project Approach
Project Management Team structure
Role descriptions
References

The project objectives are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound (SMART).

If anyone has any comment on what I have written, then please say. I am keen to see what others think.

Also, good luck with the interview.

Many thanks,
Kit.

[newpm1]

Kit, I would like to say thank you for your very detailed reply. It is much appreciated.

I don't want to question your knowledge, as you clearly are very knowledgable in this, but I am confused by a few things.

At first I read the question as if I were being given the project mandate, but shouldn't the project mandate already contain the information that I am trying to source? The question gives no insight in to what the system is, where it is to be used, budget, timescales etc.

I have been considering this and have now come to the conclusion that I am gathering information for the project mandate.

Any chance of your view on this please?

Thanks again.

[kwalford]

To be fair, I found this a good exercise to test my knowledge of Prince2 & it got my thinking! I would be keen to hear others input on this matter too.

I have cross-referenced this with someone more knowledgeable in the Pm field than myself and they have said this:

It is an informal feasibility study because you are reporting back to them with your findings. A Mandate is the trigger to start a PRINCE2 project, and the findings of your study could perform that purpose if they wish you to proceed further within the confines of a project.


http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/elements- ... study.html


However, bear in mind though that a Project mandate could be in its simplest form just a verbal instruction.

Good luck!

[newpm1]

To be fair, I found this a good exercise to test my knowledge of Prince2 & it got my thinking! I would be keen to hear others input on this matter too.

I have cross-referenced this with someone more knowledgeable in the Pm field than myself and they have said this:

It is an informal feasibility study because you are reporting back to them with your findings. A Mandate is the trigger to start a PRINCE2 project, and the findings of your study could perform that purpose if they wish you to proceed further within the confines of a project.


http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/elements- ... study.html


However, bear in mind though that a Project mandate could be in its simplest form just a verbal instruction.

Good luck!

Thank you for your reply. The feasibility study suggestion makes sense as I am simply investigating a possibility.

Although a mandate can be a verbal instruction, I would need to already know the information I have been asked to investigate. I would also need to know what the project is, schedules/time limits, budget etc.