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PRINCE2 7 vs PRINCE2 6: The Changes That Actually Matter for Senior PMs
PRINCE2 7 and PRINCE2 6 are two of the version-wise upgrades of these globally-renowned project management frameworks. The 6th edition of PRINCE2 was launched by the framework’s certification body, AXELOS, whereas the 7th edition of PRINCE2 was released in 2023 after it was acquired by PeopleCert in 2021.
If you wonder what these version upgrades regarding PRINCE2 project management framework mean as a ground-up understanding for the project managers, the simple answer is they are not just an update to the professional study materials. Rather, they represent a crucial transition of an entire methodology, industrial standard, and operational guidelines under these certifications, enabling professionals like senior project managers or businesses to govern the entire project development lifecycle systematically.
And why not?
Given the nature of how today's business world is fast evolving, a version upgrade in the PRINCE2 is relevant in the context of handling complex project development, where enforcing team collaboration from diverse departments working in tandem with predefined goals is one of the major attributes of experienced senior project managers.
Now, the big question for senior project managers is how the 7th edition of PRINCE2 holds its respective values for senior project managers based on changes it has introduced compared to the details in its old version, PRINCE2 6. This is what the write-up breaks it down, highlighting the core shifts in these two certifications and what they mean for senior project managers.
Changes taking place in this globally-renowned project management framework called PRINCE2 based on its version upgrades serves as a great reminder for senior project managers. For instance, these changes fundamentally reframe how the executive accountability is handled, apart from the impacts they cast on financial scrutiny and human leadership at the enterprise level.
For a senior project manager, these changes also make them aware that sticking to the PRINCE2 version that is becoming outdated is thankless or misplaced loyalty for the project management framework. This is due to the fact that whatever management language and framework PRINCE2 6th edition teaches is being retired by the modern corporate world. Therefore, senior project managers must pay heed to these specific editions or changes for several reasons as elaborated in the following manner:
The focus of PRINCE2 6th edition was process-driven, which resulted in critics believing that it treated project development like a machine and overshadowing what human contributions bring to the table in a project development success.
No doubt, the PRINCE2 6th edition had a structured framework but it required teams, more often than not, to navigate what appeared a complex administrative cycle of logging, tracking and signing off documents, something touted as an overhead that didn't go down well on project managers working at the coalface who felt being treated as just 'resources' on a chart.
On the other hand, PRINCE2 7th edition is more like recognizing the value of human contribution and integrating the same across the entire methodology of project development lifecycle. Moreover, the change also points out to the fact that senior project managers need to change the way they lead the project development. They need to oversee how team members get along, talk and work together, instead of tracking their performance outputs.
The senior leaders must demonstrate inspiring leadership styles that motivate team collaborations across diverse departments, helping people adapt to new tools or ways of working rather than imposing the change onto them.
The 6th edition of PRINCE2 made it necessary for project managers to see if every project is justified through a robust business case, but it goes without saying that it remained fixated on ensuring that the project in development lifecycle doesn’t deviate from demonstrating financial viability, expected benefits, costs, and risks.
On the other hand, the 7th edition of PRINCE2 framework encourages companies to assess projects through a broader strategic lens by emphasizing long-term business value, sustainability, and the wider impact a project may have on people, society, and the environment. Another noteworthy addition of the latest upgrade of the framework is encouraging senior leaders to identify strategic benefits that may not appear in financial metrics right away, such as stronger cybersecurity, improved customer trust, enhanced brand reputation, and greater organizational resilience.
The new edition favors broader assessment enabling senior project managers to make more balanced decisions that align financial performance with long-term business objectives and sustainable value creation.
On the other hand, the 7th edition of PRINCE2 framework favors long-term impact of a project by evaluating it from different standpoints and factors, such as -
The 6th edition of PRINCE2 framework had one specific problem, that it stared down a narrow track of dates and dollars while ignoring everything else crashing down around them.
In other words, it maintained its own rigid philosophy that if a project was built on time and within the allocated budget, it was a complete success. Otherwise, if the project deviated from its approved time and budget, it was declared a governance failure, thus exposing its vulnerability of how meeting those two metrics (time and budget) was crucial for the project from avoiding an administrative crisis.
The 7th edition of PRINCE2 changes that philosophy by recognising humans in a sense that completing a project by meeting those two metrics shouldn't come at the expense of burning out the entire team or hurting the environment. It reassures senior managers that not strictly following the deadlines and budgets is acceptable if the end result is a project of far greater quality, team well-being, and environmental safety.
PRINCE2 6 basically divides its core topics into themes, which essentially makes the methodology for a project development a static list of boxes to check off on a form. The negative fallout of this approach is such that rules associated with project development turn into a boring paperwork chore, something managers fill out once at the beginning of a project and then seldom look at it again.
PRINCE2 7th edition changes this mindset by restructuring these themes into practices, a major change in how a senior project manager expects their team to operate. The upgrade emphasizes that continuous activities must happen at the coalface every single day. This further leads to ensuring that project governance is naturally woven into the team's daily workflow, making the entire development lifecycle more responsive and practical.
It goes without saying that PRINCE2 6th edition was not less than a milestone in the development and evolution of the PRINCE2 framework. It basically perfected the framework's structural geometry by introducing 7 themes, 7 principles, and 7 processes as the global standard for project governance. It was built around a 7-7-7 blueprint which essentially consisted of three lists of seven items to control project development lifecycle from start to finish.
There are 7 core principles which define an overall PRINCE2 methodology governing a project development lifecycle. They consist of key principles such as continued business justification, learning from experience, defining roles and responsibilities, managing by stages, focus on products, and tailoring to suit the project. They overall represent a team's underlying philosophies demanding that a project should not deviate from its financial sense, with every team member working in tandem with a clearly defined job.
The seven themes of PRINCE2 6th edition constitute one underlying note: how to manage a project from start to finish. They define seven areas a project manager has to monitor to keep the project on the track. They cover key essentials, such as determining whether the project is needed in the first place, viable, and achievable. The themes defined the structure regarding project development, outlined roles, responsibilities, and communication channels for stakeholders. They dictated the quality of the project like whether it fits for purpose, details the delivery timeline of the products, identify, assess, and control uncertain events, focus on managing requests for change, and supervise the progress and manage exceptions.
The 6th edition of PRINCE2 methodology is driven by 7 core processes across project lifecycle, from conception to final closure. These processes give a clear timeline to the team. They essentially cover;
The 7th edition of PRINCE2 is the latest upgrade to the globally recognized PRINCE2 framework, giving more focus on human-centric leadership and sustainability apart from transitioning from themes to practices and simplifying roles and responsibilities in departmental team collaborations.
Basically, the latest edition reflects the changing dynamics of the modern business environment through an agile, sustainable and more flexible project management approach.
Unlike PRINCE2 6 which almost ruled out what human element brings to the table in project development, this one includes it as a key essential, emphasizing the critical roles of individuals and team in driving a successful project
While PRINCE2 6th edition maintained its theme-based methodology for project development, the 7th edition of PRINCE2 framework is a new change ruling this out. It maintains a rather different approach favoring practical implementation and real-world guidance than abstract concepts.
One of the greatest features of PRINCE2 7th edition is that it favors sustainability over speedy project development with the philosophy of short-term gain. The new upgrade of PRINCE2 maintains the environmental cost of the project, like minding its long-term impacts on the environment and society, rather than focusing on quick delivery.
While team collaboration from diverse departments is one of the main concepts of PRINCE2 7th edition, the upgrade also accentuates the significance of assigning roles and responsibilities for team members by senior leaders. They are to ensure that every team member is aware of what they are responsible for, allowing the project development lifecycle to continue in tandem with predefined goals without overlapping duties.
The version-based upgrades of PRINCE2 6 into PRINCE2 7 marks a significant shift in this globally recognized project management framework, indicating how senior project managers must know changes made to the new version, ensuring employment of of proper team collaborations with predefined roles and responsibilities in tandem with business and environmental sustainability goals. The shift is indicative of how changes have been happening over the years with project management and what companies expect from senior leaders.
To a greater extent, the 7th edition of PRINCE2 carries much of its core principles from the old counterpart, yet it also places great importance on people, sustainability, flexibility, and delivering long-term value away from the mechanical approach of finalising the development lifecycle.
The changes introduced to the PRINCE2 7th edition, therefore, matter significantly most for senior project managers, given they have now the leeway to determine the viability of a project, not only for short-term gains or its ROI factor, but also for long-term gains, in alignment with environmental sustainability. They need to understand that these changes are beneficial for them to stay better prepared to lead modern projects and make smarter decisions, focusing on improving team collaboration, and adapting to changing project demands.
