LEARN. PRACTICE. GROW.Concept and mechanism
A mandate begins investigation of a possible project; it does not prove that every resource and outcome is already authorized. During startup, clarify the proposal, responsibilities, available experience, and basis for deciding to initiate. Initiation develops a coherent basis of justification, planning, and management approaches. Project direction handles decisions and commitments at the appropriate level. The manager retains daily stage oversight and works with teams on delivery. These activities relate to one another; they are not simply seven independent departments or seven mandatory meetings with a universal template.
Guided application
During delivery, the PM agrees work packages and monitors progress, forecasts, and issues. The team manager coordinates the commitment to produce outputs and communicates deviations under the agreement. If a package threatens to breach conditions, the PM needs to understand whether recovery is possible within the stage or escalation is required. Do not turn every technical difficulty into a direct board decision. In a project using sprints, preserve technical autonomy within limits and retain visible investment and acceptance decisions. An iteration does not authorize exceeding budget; asking the board to approve every task may also destroy the autonomy intended through delegation.
A package delay may be recoverable within the stage; the team informs the PM with options before assuming a project exception.
Common pitfalls
Mandate as total authorization; board as daily manager; sprint as extra tolerance; silence about forecast deviation.
Related topics: Stages, exceptions, and operational handover · Apply principles to real decisions
Choose process and decision level according to needed work and authority.
Reference: PRINCE2 7: A Process of Evolution · Version 7; syllabus revision 7.2 (April 2025)