“The only source of knowledge is experience” – Albert Einstein
Living by the quote, PRINCE2 projects seek knowledge from previous experience. In this article we will see how past experience, lessons learnt and seeking external experience etc. help manage the project better.
Every project has an element of uniqueness and hence it is difficult to manage them the same way. The element of uniqueness in projects makes it interesting to manage, if not, all projects will be same. In such cases a definitive process will be good enough to manage the project thus limiting the involvement of skilled sources.
PRINCE2 methodology recommends project leaders, managers to document their project progress, lessons learnt, steps taken to address or overcome any difficulties etc. for future reference. For instance, a project team working on a XYZ project may not have the experience of managing such project in the past. The company may have handled such projects in the past and the learning outcomes are documented. This document serves as a great reference point for the current team to start the project. If an organization handling a new project which they have not done in the past, it is recommended to seek external experience.
All projects should provide scope of learning to the project team. Such learnings should be recorded in all reports and reviews so that it remains a source for future reference. Such good practise will help to implement improvements during the life of the project. Continuous improvement will help organization to improve delivery and create more values.
PRINCE2 methodology highly recommends project team to learn from experience and the lessons learnt are documented during different stages of the project. Such experience provide great value in the future when starting, progress and closure of project. This enables PRINCE2 projects or project teams to have prior knowledge about a projects complexity and refer to something which can act as a useful guide. In other words, it is one of the main aspects for successful projects.