PRINCE2 Foundation

Lesson 17Managing a Stage Boundary Process

Based on AXELOS PRINCE2 material. Material is reproduced under licence from AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.
PRINCE2 is a [registered] trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.
AXELOS is a [registered] trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.
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Objectives

After completing State the purpose and objective of Managing a Stage Boundary process
this lesson, you will
Identify the activities in the Managing a Stage Boundary process
be able to:

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Purpose of Managing a Stage Boundary

The purpose of the Managing a Stage Boundary process is to

enable the Project Board to be provided with sufficient
information by the Project Manager so that it can review the
success of the current stage, approve the next Stage Plan, review
the updated Project Plan, and confirm continued business
justification and acceptability of the risks. [1]

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Objective of Managing a Stage Boundary

The objective is to:

assure the Project Board that all products in the Stage Plan
for the current stage have been completed and approved;
prepare the Stage Plan for the next stage
review and, if necessary, update the Project Initiation
Document;
provide the information needed for the Project Board to
assess the continuing viability of the project, including the
aggregated risk exposure;
record information or lessons that can help later stages of
this or other projects; and
request authorisation to start the next stage.

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Objective of Managing a Stage Boundary (contd.)

In case of exceptions, the objective is to:

prepare an exception plan as directed by the Project
Board; and
seek approval to replace the current stage plan with it.

! Managing a Stage Boundary is not used towards the end of the final stage.

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Managing a Stage BoundaryOverview

This image gives an overview of Managing a Stage Boundary process.

Figure 17.1. Overview of Managing a Stage Boundary. Copyright AXELOS Limited 2013.
Material is reproduced under licence from AXELOS. All rights reserved.
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Managing a Stage BoundaryActivities

As per the PRINCE2 methodology, various management products are updated during this process.
The activities of this process are as follows:

Plan the next stage

Update the Project Plan
Update the Business Case
Report stage end
Produce an Exception Plan

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Managing a Stage BoundaryRecommended Actions

The actions recommended by PRINCE2 include updating and reviewing the following records:

Risk Register and Updated by the Project Managers and reviewed by Project
Issue Register Assurance

Configuration Created or updated by Project Manager and reviewed by Project

Item Records Support and Project Assurance

Quality Register Updated by Project Support and reviewed by Project Assurance

Project Plan Updated to capture actual progress

Business Case May be modified to reflect the updated cost and timelines

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Produce an Exception Plan

One of the important activities that may be performed during Managing Stage Boundary is to
produce an Exception Plan.

Figure 17.6. Produce an Exception Plan: activity summary. Copyright AXELOS Limited 2013.
Material is reproduced under licence from AXELOS. All rights reserved.
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Managing a Stage Boundary ProcessExercise

The following questions are designed to test your comprehension of this process. Please solve them
as a group activity.

Q Which role is responsible for each of the activities of the Managing a Stage Boundary
process? Write activities and roles responsible.

Q How are the seven themes applied within the Managing a Stage Boundary process?

Q Which management products are created, developed, used and reviewed in Managing a
Stage Boundary process?

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 Quiz

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 QUIZ How does the Managing a Stage Boundary process support the focus
1 on products principle?

a. Prepares and distributes an interim report on what has gone well

b. Documents the agreed level of quality for each of the deliverables of
the next stage
c. Re-plans a stage in response to a forecast deviation from tolerance

d. Reviews and if necessary updates the project management team for

the next stage

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 QUIZ How does the Managing a Stage Boundary process support the focus
1 on products principle?

a. Prepares and distributes an interim report on what has gone well

b. Documents the agreed level of quality for each of the deliverables of
the next stage
c. Re-plans a stage in response to a forecast deviation from tolerance
d. Reviews and if necessary updates the project management team for
the next stage
Answer: b.
Explanation: Documenting the agreed level of quality of each of the deliverables of the next
stage ensures that products are up to their specification.

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 QUIZ Which process is used to request the Project Boards approval of the Stage
2 Plan?

a. Managing a Stage Boundary

b. Managing Product Delivery
c. Closing a Project Process
d. Controlling a Stage

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 QUIZ Which process is used to request the Project Boards approval of the Stage
2 Plan?

a. Managing a Stage Boundary

b. Managing Product Delivery
c. Closing a Project Process
d. Controlling a Stage

Answer: a.
Explanation: In PRINCE2, Managing a Stage Boundary is used to request the Project
Boards approval of the Stage Plan.

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 QUIZ
Which activity takes place within the Managing a Stage Boundary process?
3

a. Periodic review of progress against the Stage Plan

b. Obtain approvals for all completed products
c. Escalation of Issue Reports created during the current stage
d. Review of the business justification for the project

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 QUIZ
Which activity takes place within the Managing a Stage Boundary process?
3

a. Periodic review of progress against the Stage Plan

b. Obtain approvals for all completed products
c. Escalation of Issue Reports created during the current stage
d. Review of the business justification for the project

Answer: d.
Explanation: Review of the business justification for the project occurs within the Managing
a Stage Boundary process.

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 QUIZ
Which is an objective of the Managing a Stage Boundary process?
4

a. Request authorisation to start the next stage

b. Ensure that all threats and opportunities for the current stage have been
closed
c. Make certain that work on products allocated to the team for the next
stage is authorised and agreed
d. Implement actions to resolve tolerance deviations from the Stage Plan

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 QUIZ
Which is an objective of the Managing a Stage Boundary process?
4

a. Request authorisation to start the next stage

b. Ensure that all threats and opportunities for the current stage have been closed

c. Make certain that work on products allocated to the team for the next stage is
authorised and agreed
d. Implement actions to resolve tolerance deviations from the Stage Plan

Answer: a.
Explanation: An objective of the Managing a Stage Boundary process is for the Project
Manager to request authorisation from the Project Board to start the next stage.

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 QUIZ
When should the Managing a Stage Boundary process be undertaken?
5

a. Close to the end of a management stage

b. After the completion of each management stage
c. At the end of the final stage
d. At the end of project start-up

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 QUIZ
When should the Managing a Stage Boundary process be undertaken?
5

a. Close to the end of a management stage

b. After the completion of each management stage
c. At the end of the final stage
d. At the end of project start-up

Answer: a.
Explanation: This process should be executed at, or close to the end of, each management
stage. This process is NOT used at the end of the final stage.

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Summary

Here is a quick The purpose of the Managing a Stage Boundary process is to ensure the
recap of what we
Project Board has sufficient information from the Project Manager to review
have learnt in this
lesson: the success of the current stage, approve the next Stage Plan, review the
updated Project Plan, and confirm continued business justification and
acceptability of the risks
According to the PRINCE2 methodology, various management products are
updated during this process
Managing a Stage Boundary is not used towards the end of the final stage

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 Thank You

Prince2 is a registered trade mark of AXELOS Limited, used under permission of AXELOS Limited. All rights reserved.

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reserved.
Reference

[1] Based on Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2, by AXELOS. Managing a Stage Boundary,
Purpose.

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