Can Prince2 and AgilePM work together?

Written by Himanshu Jain

Last modified May 5, 2025

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PRINCE2 and AgilePM can work together effectively by leveraging the strengths of both methodologies: PRINCE2’s robust governance and structure, and AgilePM’s flexibility and iterative delivery approach. Here’s how they can complement each other:

Key Principles for Compatibility

  1. Tailoring PRINCE2 with Agile Techniques
    • PRINCE2 encourages tailoring to the project’s needs, making it possible to incorporate Agile practices where iterative and flexible approaches are advantageous.
    • AgilePM provides the delivery framework within PRINCE2’s governance structure, ensuring both adaptability and control.
  2. Clear Roles and Responsibilities
    • PRINCE2 defines roles like the Project Manager, Project Board, and Team Manager, which can work alongside AgilePM roles such as the Agile Project Manager, Product Owner, and Solution Development Team.
    • This alignment ensures accountability and collaboration at every level.
  3. Focus on Products and Iterative Delivery
    • Both methodologies are product-focused. PRINCE2’s product-based planning aligns well with AgilePM’s iterative development of products and prioritisation of deliverables.
    • AgilePM can handle the delivery of products in increments, feeding into PRINCE2’s stage plans and reviews.

How They Work Together

  1. Project Start and Governance (PRINCE2):
  2. PRINCE2 Focus: Use PRINCE2 during the project initiation phase to establish governance, define objectives, allocate resources, and assess risks.
  3. AgilePM Integration: Define a high-level roadmap and initial prioritised requirements (e.g., MoSCoW prioritisation), which AgilePM will refine during iterative delivery.
  4. Delivery and Iterations (AgilePM):
  5. AgilePM Focus: Handle the delivery phase with iterative development cycles (timeboxes), focusing on delivering usable products incrementally.
  6. PRINCE2 Integration: Regular updates from AgilePM delivery feed into PRINCE2’s stage-end reviews, ensuring governance remains intact and progress aligns with overall project objectives.
  7. Risk Management:
  8. PRINCE2 Focus: Provides a comprehensive risk management strategy.
  9. AgilePM Integration: AgilePM’s iterative approach mitigates risks early by delivering incremental outcomes and adjusting plans based on ongoing feedback.
  10. Stakeholder Engagement:
  11. PRINCE2 Focus: PRINCE2’s Communication Management Strategy ensures formal communication with key stakeholders.
  12. AgilePM Integration: Agile ceremonies (e.g., stand-ups, demos, retrospectives) enhance day-to-day stakeholder engagement and feedback loops.
  13. End of Project and Handover (PRINCE2):
  14. PRINCE2 Focus: Wraps up the project with a controlled closure process, ensuring all objectives are met, lessons are documented, and products are handed over.
  15. AgilePM Integration: Ensures all products delivered iteratively are fully integrated and meet the business case requirements before project closure.

Advantages of Combining PRINCE2 and AgilePM

  • Enhanced Flexibility: AgilePM’s iterative delivery allows adaptation to changing requirements within PRINCE2’s structured governance.
  • Improved Visibility: AgilePM’s frequent reviews and updates ensure stakeholders remain engaged and informed, complementing PRINCE2’s reporting mechanisms.
  • Risk Reduction: Early and incremental deliveries reduce the risks associated with late-stage failures.
  • Scalable Framework: PRINCE2’s scalability and AgilePM’s focus on delivery efficiency make the combined approach suitable for projects of any size.

Practical Example

Scenario: Launching a new product with both hardware and software components.

  1. Use PRINCE2 to initiate the project, set governance structures, allocate resources, and define high-level objectives.
  2. Use AgilePM for iterative software development, delivering functional prototypes in short cycles.
  3. Hold PRINCE2 stage-end reviews to evaluate overall progress, using AgilePM outputs to demonstrate iterative achievements.
  4. Combine Agile retrospectives with PRINCE2 lessons learned to inform future projects.

By integrating PRINCE2’s governance with AgilePM’s iterative approach, organisations can achieve a balance of control and flexibility, making it easier to deliver successful projects in dynamic environments.

Why might Organisations need more than one project management approach?

It is common for organisations to adopt both PRINCE2 and AgilePM because these methodologies address different aspects of project management, allowing organisations to handle a variety of projects effectively. Here’s why organisations might use both:

1. Different Types of Projects Require Different Approaches

  • PRINCE2 is well-suited for predictable, structured, and highly regulated projects where outcomes, timelines, and budgets need strict control (e.g., infrastructure projects, compliance initiatives).
  • AgilePM is ideal for dynamic, innovative, and evolving projects, especially those involving software development, digital transformation, or customer-centric solutions.

Organisations often run both types of projects concurrently, requiring the flexibility to apply the appropriate methodology.

2. Balancing Governance with Flexibility

  • PRINCE2 provides a structured governance framework with clear roles, responsibilities, and processes, ensuring control and accountability.
  • AgilePM offers flexibility in delivery, enabling teams to adapt to changing requirements and deliver value incrementally.

Combining these methods ensures that while governance and oversight are maintained, teams can also remain responsive and customer-focused.

3. Scalability Across Teams and Projects

  • PRINCE2 is highly scalable for large projects with multiple teams, offering a top-down view for executives.
  • AgilePM focuses on team-level execution, promoting collaboration and iterative delivery.

By combining these approaches, organisations can scale governance while allowing teams to operate efficiently at a granular level.

4. Addressing Stakeholder Needs

  • PRINCE2 provides detailed reporting and documentation, which is essential for senior stakeholders and compliance purposes.
  • AgilePM ensures continuous engagement with end-users and operational teams, enabling quick adjustments to deliver what stakeholders value most.

This dual focus helps organisations meet both high-level and operational stakeholder expectations.

5. Supporting Digital Transformation

In today’s fast-paced world, many organisations are undergoing digital transformation. This often requires:

  • PRINCE2 for managing infrastructure changes and high-level planning.
  • AgilePM for iterative development and delivery of digital products, allowing organisations to adapt quickly to technological changes.

6. Reducing Risks While Encouraging Innovation

  • PRINCE2 mitigates risks through rigorous planning, stage controls, and risk management processes.
  • AgilePM reduces risks by delivering small, incremental value throughout the project, allowing issues to be identified and addressed early.

Using both approaches provides a balanced way to innovate without exposing the organisation to undue risks.

7. Organisational Growth and Maturity

As organisations grow, their project portfolio often becomes more diverse, requiring:

  • PRINCE2 to handle traditional projects and ensure strategic alignment.
  • AgilePM to manage innovative, customer-focused projects that require agility.

This combination supports an organisation’s evolution, enabling it to deliver a wide range of projects effectively.

Conclusion

Having both PRINCE2 and AgilePM in an organisation is not just about managing different types of projects—it’s about leveraging the strengths of each methodology to create a balanced, adaptable project management framework. This ensures that organisations can respond to changing market demands while maintaining control and delivering high-quality outcomes across their project portfolio.

How to ensure that the 2 approaches can work in the organisation?

When an organisation adopts two project management approaches, such as PRINCE2 and AgilePM, ensuring that everyone speaks the same “language” is critical to avoid misunderstandings, inefficiencies, and conflicts. Here’s how organisations can achieve a unified approach:

1. Develop a Common Framework

  • Create a Tailored Hybrid Framework: Develop a project management framework that integrates the strengths of PRINCE2 and AgilePM. Clearly define how and when to use each approach and their roles in the project lifecycle.
    • For example, use PRINCE2 for governance and overarching project control, and AgilePM for iterative delivery within specific stages.
  • Define Common Terms: Standardise terminology (e.g., “Project Board,” “Sprint,” “Product Backlog”) to avoid confusion. Ensure everyone knows how terms from both methodologies relate to one another.

2. Provide Training and Awareness

  • Cross-Training: Train team members and stakeholders on the basics of both PRINCE2 and AgilePM, even if they only work with one methodology directly. This helps everyone understand the context of discussions.
  • Focus on Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly outline how roles like “Project Manager” (PRINCE2) align with or differ from roles like “Agile Project Manager” or “Product Owner” (AgilePM).

3. Implement Consistent Documentation Practices

  • Unified Templates: Create project documentation templates that incorporate elements from both methodologies, such as combining PRINCE2’s product-based planning with AgilePM’s MoSCoW prioritisation.
  • Use Visual Tools: Employ tools like Kanban boards or dashboards that visually bridge the methodologies, providing a shared view of progress, risks, and outcomes.

4. Establish Clear Governance

  • Define Governance Levels: Clearly outline decision-making hierarchies and escalation paths. For example:
    • PRINCE2’s Project Board governs high-level decisions and strategic alignment.
    • AgilePM teams manage day-to-day execution and iterative progress.
  • Regular Touchpoints: Schedule joint reviews and checkpoints where teams using both methodologies can align on goals, challenges, and progress.

5. Use Collaborative Tools

  • Digital Platforms: Use collaborative project management tools (e.g., Jira, Trello, or MS Project) that allow integration of PRINCE2 and AgilePM practices, ensuring everyone has access to the same information.
  • Shared Communication Channels: Use centralised communication platforms (e.g., Microsoft Teams or Slack) to ensure clarity and transparency across teams.

6. Encourage Cross-Functional Collaboration

  • Integrated Teams: Foster collaboration between teams using PRINCE2 and AgilePM. For example, PRINCE2 managers can attend Agile stand-ups, and Agile team leads can contribute to PRINCE2 stage reviews.
  • Knowledge Sharing: Set up communities of practice where members from both methodologies can share insights and best practices.

7. Monitor and Evaluate Consistently

  • Unified KPIs: Define shared performance metrics (e.g., delivery timelines, budget adherence, customer satisfaction) that apply across both methodologies.
  • Lessons Learned: Include representatives from both approaches in retrospective reviews to ensure continuous improvement.

8. Appoint a Methodology Champion or Liaison

  • Role of a Liaison: Appoint a “methodology champion” or liaison who understands both PRINCE2 and AgilePM. They can bridge gaps, resolve conflicts, and ensure alignment.
  • Methodology Ambassadors: Empower team members to become advocates for collaboration and alignment across the methodologies.

Example in Practice

Scenario: A hybrid project involves setting up a new assembly line (PRINCE2) and developing smart vehicle software (AgilePM).

  • Shared Goals: Define overarching project objectives applicable to both teams, like “launching the new vehicle by Q4.”
  • Aligned Terminology: Ensure everyone knows how terms like “Stage Plan” (PRINCE2) relate to “Sprint Goals” (AgilePM).
  • Unified Communication: Use shared dashboards to show assembly progress and software development milestones side by side.

Conclusion

To ensure everyone in an organisation uses the same language while employing PRINCE2 and AgilePM, focus on creating a unified framework, standardising terminology, fostering collaboration, and implementing consistent communication practices. These steps will harmonise the approaches, ensuring smooth project execution and achieving strategic objectives.

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