# PRINCE2 Directing a Project > Draft Directing a Project (DP) documents aligned with PRINCE2. Covers Project Board authorization decisions, ad hoc direction, exception handling, stage gate approvals, and project closure authorization. Tags: Project Management, PRINCE2, Governance, Decision Making ## Example Prompts - Draft a Stage Authorization Decision with tolerances and business case review - Write an Exception Decision Record documenting the Board's response to a tolerance breach - Create a Project Closure Authorization confirming product acceptance and benefits handover URL: https://rakenne.app/skills/prince2-directing/index.md Try this skill: https://rakenne.app/a/?skill=prince2-directing ## Overview Draft Directing a Project (DP) documents aligned with PRINCE2. Covers Project Board authorization decisions, ad hoc direction, exception handling, stage gate approvals, and project closure authorization. ## Getting Started Upload the relevant End Stage Report, Exception Report, or project status materials to the workspace and activate the *PRINCE2 Directing a Project* skill. The agent will help you draft Board-level authorization decisions, exception responses, and governance documentation. --- ## Example Conversation Below is an example of a typical session preparing a Stage Authorization Decision for a Project Board meeting. The agent reviews stage performance and drafts the Board's decision record. > **You:** We're at the end of Stage 2 (pilot phase) of our ERP implementation. The pilot ran 2 weeks over schedule but came in EUR 15K under budget. All 3 pilot products were delivered and accepted. I need to prepare the Stage Authorization Decision for the Board to approve Stage 3 (full rollout). The End Stage Report is in `reports/end_stage_2.md`. > > **Agent:** I've reviewed the End Stage Report. Let me draft the Stage Authorization Decision. A few questions: > > 1. What tolerances do you want to propose for Stage 3? The project-level tolerances are +/- 10% cost, +/- 4 weeks schedule. > 2. Are there any risks from the pilot that the Board should consider before approving rollout? > 3. Has the Business Case been updated to reflect the pilot results? > > **You:** Proposed Stage 3 tolerances: +/- EUR 50K cost, +/- 3 weeks schedule, scope tolerance of one deferred module. Main risk from the pilot: data migration took 40% longer than estimated — we need to factor that into the rollout plan. Business Case is updated: ROI improved slightly because pilot licensing costs were lower than expected. > > **Agent:** I've drafted the Stage Authorization Decision covering all Board perspectives. Here's a summary: > > - **Stage 2 Review** — schedule overrun of 2 weeks (within project tolerance), cost underrun of EUR 15K, all products accepted, one lesson on data migration estimation > - **Business Case Review** — still justified, ROI improved from 1.8x to 1.9x due to lower licensing costs > - **Risk Assessment** — data migration risk upgraded to High with revised estimates built into Stage 3 plan; overall risk exposure acceptable > - **Stage 3 Plan Assessment** — 14-week rollout, EUR 280K budget, all 3 departments, revised data migration timeline > - **Tolerances Set** — cost: +/- EUR 50K, schedule: +/- 3 weeks, scope: one module deferral permitted > - **Decision** — recommend: Authorize Stage 3 > > The draft is saved as `decisions/stage_3_authorization.md`. The Board members section has placeholders for names and the decision date. --- ## Document Excerpt Below is a representative excerpt from a **Stage Authorization Decision** prepared with the skill. --- ### Stage Authorization Decision — ERP Implementation Stage 3 (Excerpt) **Project:** Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation **Decision Point:** End of Stage 2 / Authorization of Stage 3 --- #### 1. Stage Under Review — Stage 2 (Pilot) | Dimension | Planned | Actual | Variance | Within Tolerance? | |---|---|---|---|---| | Duration | 8 weeks | 10 weeks | +2 weeks | Yes (project tolerance: +/- 4 weeks) | | Cost | EUR 95,000 | EUR 80,000 | -EUR 15,000 | Yes | | Products | 3 delivered | 3 delivered and accepted | On target | Yes | | Quality | All reviews passed | 2 conditional passes resolved | Acceptable | Yes | **Key Finding:** Data migration activities took 40% longer than estimated. Root cause: legacy data quality issues required additional cleansing. Lesson applied to Stage 3 estimates. #### 3. Business Case Review | Metric | At PID | Current (updated) | Change | |---|---|---|---| | Total project cost | EUR 520,000 | EUR 505,000 | -EUR 15,000 | | 3-year net benefit | EUR 420,000 | EUR 445,000 | +EUR 25,000 | | ROI | 1.8x | 1.9x | Improved | | Payback period | 22 months | 21 months | Improved | **Conclusion:** Project remains justified. Benefits case has strengthened. #### 5. Decision | Item | Detail | |---|---| | **Decision** | **Authorize Stage 3 (Full Rollout)** | | **Conditions** | Data migration estimates must include 40% buffer based on pilot learning. Stage 3 plan to be updated before work begins. | | **Stage 3 Tolerances** | Cost: +/- EUR 50,000. Schedule: +/- 3 weeks. Scope: one module may be deferred to post-project. | | Board Member | Role | Signature | Date | |---|---|---|---| | [Executive name] | Executive | _________ | _________ | | [Senior User name] | Senior User | _________ | _________ | | [Senior Supplier name] | Senior Supplier | _________ | _________ | --- *This excerpt is illustrative. Final content must reflect the specific project's data and governance context.* --- Back to [Skill Library](https://rakenne.app/skills/index.md)