How to choose between PRINCE2 and Agile project management courses?

Many working professionals would agree that question like “How can I develop my career from here?” is very common for them to constantly ask themselves. One of the most effective ways to do so is by attaining professional certifications. For project managers, leaders or software developers, having a professional certification in project management such as Agile Project Management, Scrum Master or PRINCE2 can help them gain competitive edge when it comes to internal promotion or external career opportunities. However, many people find it hard to decide which course to take especially when they have so many options out there. Thus, today we will be providing some suggestions and our thoughts for some of you who are considering to choose between the PRINCE2 and Agile Project Management courses.

PRINCE2 is an acronym for Projects IN Controlled Environments. It was developed as a UK government standard for information systems projects and now it is one of the most recognized and respected project management certification around the world with over 1 million certified PRINCE2 professionals. PRINCE2 is based upon a set of 7 principles which guide all aspects of the methodology. It highlights the importance of processes that are to be followed and organizes them into linear and logical steps. The methodology focuses on many fundamental aspects of project management such as roles and responsibilities, business case, organization, change, risk, quality, progress and planning. That’s why many project managers would describe PRINCE2 methodology as a predictive plan based approach which can be really useful for projects with bigger goals as it provides governance and structure. The application of the methodology can help high level management to answer questions such as ‘Is this project feasible?’ and ‘Are the benefits from the project worth the risk?’

Before the Agile methodology came about, development teams would identify problems and work to come out with the complete solution to bring to market in its entirety. Generally, that can be described as the Waterfall approach which follows a specific process or procedure and prioritize on following a plan in managing a project. However, many argued that the approach would require longer duration to complete a project and it is more resistant to change. The Agile methodology, on the other hand allows teams to respond to changing requirements and focuses on iterative and incremental processes to provide early and continuous delivery of solution. The iterative approach is commonly use in software development projects to promote velocity and adaptability since the approach encourages project teams to adjust as they go along rather than following a planned linear path. The Agile methodology in project management promotes collaborative working with the team and the customer to learn and adjust at regular intervals to ensure that the customer’s needs can be satisfied and with outcomes that contribute benefits. The table below provides the summary of the major differences between the PRINCE2 and Agile project management methodologies.

PRINCE2	Agile PM
Controls the management of project	Controls how the work needs to be carried out
PRINCE2 is predictive approach	Agile is adaptive approach
Focuses on the business goals	Focuses on customer requirements
PRINCE2 has 7 principles	Agile has 12 principles
It highlights the fundamental aspects of project management and the importance of processes that are to be followed and organizes them into linear and logical steps which can be useful for projects with bigger goals as it provides governance and structure.	Focuses on iterative and incremental approach which can respond rapidly to change to promote adaptability and velocity to ensure customer’s needs can be satisfied and at a faster rate.

For project managers who are intellectually curious and eager to gain more knowledge and skills in project management should not consider Agile and PRINCE2 methodologies as an “either/or” situation because different methodologies can be useful for different projects, purposes and situations. That is why, at Cybiant we are launching our ‘Project Management Month’ in the coming week. With this initiative we hope to inspire and support project managers to pursue their project management knowledge and skills enhancement journey. During the 1 month period all the virtual and online courses in Project Management are offered with a discount of 15% or you can buy 1 course and get 50% off the second course you buy. The project management courses which are applicable for the promotion are: