PRINCE2 7 Foundation · Quick refresher
See the whole project journey
Seven processes, connected responsibilities.
9 minute study lesson · Processes · Original learning material
What you will understand
- Distinguish governance, management and delivery processes.
- Describe the purpose of a management stage boundary.
- Recognise that the process model is not a single one-off sequence.
The idea
The processes help different management levels work together. Some prepare decisions, some govern the project, and some coordinate or deliver authorised work. They interact throughout the project.
Starting up a project checks whether there is a sensible basis for initiation. Initiating a project establishes the management foundations and a clearer understanding of the proposed investment. They are related activities with different purposes.
Directing a project is the project board’s governance process and spans the project. During delivery stages, the project manager uses Controlling a stage while teams use Managing product delivery. These are connected perspectives on authorised work, not consecutive departments in a production line.
Managing a stage boundary supplies evidence and plans for a board decision about what comes next. It occurs as needed at management stage boundaries rather than only once at the end. Closing a project prepares a controlled end, including the final position and handover; the board authorises closure through Directing a project.
An original fictional example
Authorising the next release stage
A library-system project has completed its first delivery stage. The board needs evidence of progress, an updated view of the business case and a plan for the next stage.
The decision
The project manager prepares the stage-boundary information. The board considers authorisation through Directing a project.
Why it makes sense
Preparing a recommendation is different from giving the authority to continue. The process model keeps those responsibilities visible.
A common confusion
The mistaken idea: The seven processes are seven steps completed once each in a strict line.
The distinction: Directing spans the project, delivery and control interact, and stage-related processes can repeat.
The lifecycle is a network of decisions and delivery, not just a checklist.
Points to remember
- Keep the process purpose separate from the name of a role.
- Directing a project belongs to the project board.
- Stage-boundary preparation does not itself authorise the next stage.
Your takeaway
The processes connect decisions, control and delivery across a project. Read the interactions as well as the order.
This independently written explanation is supplementary study material. It is not official examination content. Read about our content and its limitations.