Prince2 is short for PRojects IN Controlled Environments 2. As the name suggests, it is the second major version of a standard set of project management protocols. Prince2 training is widely recognised in a broad range of industries, both in the UK and in many other countries, since Prince2 is generally considered to be the standard way of managing projects of all sizes and scopes.

The origins of Prince2 lie in the late 1980s, as a system of IT project management. Despite these more narrow beginnings, Prince2 training soon spread to areas outside of the IT world, since it was realised that it could be applied far more broadly than its original founders had intended. Prince2 was formulated in 1996 as generic system, and is now used worldwide. It is the de facto standard for the UK government (the original version had been conceived as the government standard for IT project management).

Prince2 training is therefore invaluable because it instructs an individual in a well-known set of protocols which, while standard and documented, are also flexible and can be adapted to the circumstances of the project in hand. Prince2 is, for example, full scalable; it can be used for large projects as well as smaller ones. It may be that very small projects are not worth implementing Prince2 for, due to the level of work needed in checking processes, but essentially it is designed to be tailored to the project in hand.

The most recent iteration and changes for Prince2 training occurred in 2009, updating it for the modern business environment, simplifying it and addressing potential weaknesses or areas of misunderstanding in the former version. The idea is that it focuses on processes (which sets it apart from other project management methods), giving clarity for the project in terms of who is responsible for what, and when and how different goals need to be met.

The advantages of Prince2 training are numerous. Firstly, of course, is the project management training itself; it gives the project leader a clear overview of how to go about carrying the project through to completion in the most timely and efficient way, and how to adapt to problematic circumstances as and when they arise. Because it is a well-known methodology, it also has the advantage of providing a ‘common language’ for talking about the project – vital if other companies or agencies are involved. Similarly, its popularity and widespread use means that it is well documented, and therefore training is comparatively easy.

Like the use of Prince2 itself, Prince2 training is carried out the world over. Those with some project management experience may find it possible to study without formally enrolling in a course; however, the qualifying exams still need to be entered and passed. These take the form of a one-hour, multiple-choice test (for the Foundation level) and a 2.5 hour essay-based exam (Practitioner level). The exams are administered by the Association of Project Management (APM).

Organisations which offer Prince2 training must be accredited by the APM, meaning that there is a high degree of standardisation and reliability in the quality of any training received. Similarly, trainers have to renew their accreditation every three years, and receive yearly checks in the meantime. Practitioners who qualify from their Prince2 training will need to be re-accredited every five years, by means of a shorter (one hour) exam.