Project Board: Composition and Functions

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The Project Board is a crucial governance body within the PRINCE2® (Projects IN Controlled Environments) framework, responsible for providing overall direction and control to a project. The board ensures that the project remains aligned with the business objectives, delivers value, and is completed on time and within budget. This tutorial, brought to you by FreeStudies.in, will explore the composition and functions of the Project Board, detailing the roles of the Executive, Senior User, and Senior Supplier, and how they work together to guide the project to success.

Overview of the Project Board in PRINCE2®

The Project Board is the highest authority within a PRINCE2® project, responsible for making key decisions, providing direction, and ensuring that the project remains viable throughout its lifecycle. The board is composed of three key roles: the Executive, the Senior User, and the Senior Supplier. Each of these roles represents a different set of interests—business, user, and supplier—ensuring that the project is balanced and aligned with the needs of all stakeholders.

Key Objectives of the Project Board:

• Provide Strategic Direction: Guide the project to ensure it aligns with the organization’s strategic goals.
• Make Informed Decisions: Approve major plans, changes, and resources, and resolve escalated issues.
• Ensure Project Viability: Continuously assess the business case to ensure the project remains viable and worth pursuing.
• Monitor Progress: Regularly review the project’s progress, ensuring it stays on track in terms of time, cost, and quality.

1. Composition of the Project Board

Overview: The Project Board is composed of three key roles, each representing different interests within the project. Together, they ensure that the project is balanced, aligned with strategic objectives, and delivers value to the organization.

Key Roles within the Project Board:

• Executive: The Executive is the ultimate decision-maker on the Project Board and is responsible for ensuring that the project delivers value for money and aligns with the organization’s strategic objectives. The Executive represents the business interests and has the authority to make critical decisions regarding the project.
• Senior User: The Senior User represents the interests of those who will use the project’s products. This role is responsible for ensuring that the project meets the needs of its users and delivers outputs that are fit for purpose. The Senior User provides input on the requirements, quality expectations, and acceptance criteria.
• Senior Supplier: The Senior Supplier represents the interests of those who will deliver the project’s products, typically the technical teams or contractors. This role ensures that the project’s deliverables are of the required quality and are delivered within the agreed-upon time and budget. The Senior Supplier provides expertise on the feasibility of the technical aspects of the project.

Responsibilities:

• Executive: Responsible for the overall success of the project, including ensuring that it meets business objectives and provides a return on investment.
• Senior User: Ensures that the project’s outputs meet the needs of the users and that the benefits outlined in the business case are realized.
• Senior Supplier: Ensures that the project’s deliverables are produced according to specifications and that the resources required to produce these deliverables are available and effectively managed.

Application:

• The Project Board’s composition ensures that all key interests—business, user, and supplier—are represented, providing a balanced perspective on project decisions.

Example: British Airways assembles a Project Board for its IT system upgrade projects that includes an Executive responsible for aligning the project with business goals, a Senior User who ensures that the system meets customer service requirements, and a Senior Supplier who oversees the technical aspects of the upgrade.

2. Functions of the Executive

Overview: The Executive is the most senior member of the Project Board and acts as the project’s sponsor. This role is responsible for ensuring that the project delivers value for money and that it remains aligned with the organization’s strategic objectives.

Key Functions:

• Champion the Project: Act as the project’s sponsor, providing high-level support and ensuring that the project receives the necessary resources and attention.
• Make Key Decisions: Approve major plans, resources, and changes, and resolve any issues escalated by the Project Manager.
• Ensure Business Justification: Continuously review and approve the business case, ensuring that the project remains viable and aligned with the organization’s goals.
• Monitor Project Progress: Oversee the project’s progress, ensuring it remains on track in terms of time, cost, and quality, and that it delivers the expected benefits.

Application:

• The Executive plays a critical role in ensuring that the project remains viable and aligned with the organization’s strategic goals, making key decisions and providing high-level oversight.

Example: Pfizer appoints an Executive in its pharmaceutical development projects to ensure that the project aligns with corporate goals, provides value for money, and delivers new products that meet market needs. The Executive’s oversight ensures that the project stays focused on delivering business value.

3. Functions of the Senior User

Overview: The Senior User is responsible for ensuring that the project’s outputs meet the needs of the users and deliver the benefits outlined in the business case. This role is crucial for defining the requirements and acceptance criteria for the project’s deliverables.

Key Functions:

• Define User Requirements: Provide detailed input on the user requirements, quality expectations, and acceptance criteria for the project’s deliverables.
• Monitor Quality of Deliverables: Ensure that the project’s outputs meet the defined quality standards and are fit for purpose.
• Ensure Benefit Realization: Monitor the project’s progress to ensure that the benefits outlined in the business case are realized and that the project delivers value to the users.
• Provide User Feedback: Act as the voice of the users on the Project Board, providing feedback and ensuring that user needs are considered in all major decisions.

Application:

• The Senior User ensures that the project’s deliverables meet the needs of the users and that the project delivers the expected benefits.

Example: Siemens appoints a Senior User in its infrastructure projects to represent the needs of the end-users, ensuring that the final deliverables, such as new facilities or systems, meet user requirements and quality standards. The Senior User’s involvement ensures that the project delivers value to the users.

4. Functions of the Senior Supplier

Overview: The Senior Supplier is responsible for ensuring that the project’s deliverables are produced according to the required quality standards and are delivered on time and within budget. This role provides technical expertise and ensures that the necessary resources are available to deliver the project’s outputs.

Key Functions:

• Provide Technical Expertise: Offer technical advice and ensure that the project’s deliverables are feasible and can be produced to the required standards.
• Manage Supplier Resources: Ensure that the resources required to deliver the project’s outputs, such as personnel, equipment, and materials, are available and effectively managed.
• Ensure Quality of Deliverables: Oversee the production of deliverables, ensuring that they meet the specified quality standards and are delivered on time.
• Coordinate Supplier Activities: Manage the activities of external suppliers and contractors, ensuring that their work aligns with the project’s objectives and schedule.

Application:

• The Senior Supplier ensures that the project’s deliverables are produced to the required quality standards and that the necessary resources are available and effectively managed.

Example: Unilever appoints a Senior Supplier in its global supply chain projects to oversee the production of deliverables, such as new manufacturing processes or systems, ensuring that they meet quality standards and are delivered on time. The Senior Supplier’s involvement ensures that the project’s outputs are feasible and of high quality.

5. The Collective Functions of the Project Board

Overview: The Project Board functions as a collective decision-making body, ensuring that the project remains viable, aligned with business objectives, and on track to deliver its expected benefits. The board makes key decisions, provides direction, and resolves issues that cannot be handled by the Project Manager.

Key Collective Functions:

• Approve Major Plans and Resources: The Project Board reviews and approves the project’s plans, resources, and budgets, ensuring that they are aligned with the business case and strategic objectives.
• Authorize Project Stages: The board authorizes the start of each project stage, ensuring that the necessary resources are in place and that the project is ready to proceed.
• Resolve Escalated Issues: The board resolves issues and risks that have been escalated by the Project Manager, providing direction and making decisions that impact the project’s success.
• Monitor and Review Progress: The board regularly reviews the project’s progress, ensuring that it stays on track and that any deviations from the plan are addressed promptly.
• Ensure Business Case Viability: The board continuously assesses the project’s business case, ensuring that it remains viable and aligned with organizational goals.

Application:

• The Project Board functions as a unified decision-making body, ensuring that the project is governed effectively and that all major decisions are made with the collective input of the Executive, Senior User, and Senior Supplier.

Example: Toyota uses a Project Board in its automotive development projects to collectively approve project stages, resolve escalated issues, and ensure that the project remains viable and aligned with the company’s strategic goals. This collective approach ensures that the project is governed effectively and that all major decisions are made with input from key stakeholders.

Conclusion

The Project Board is a critical governance body within the PRINCE2® framework, responsible for providing strategic direction, making key decisions, and ensuring that the project remains viable and aligned with business objectives. Composed of the Executive, Senior User, and Senior Supplier, the Project Board ensures that all key interests—business, user, and supplier—are represented in the decision-making process. By understanding the composition and functions of the Project Board, organizations can ensure that their projects are governed effectively and that they deliver the expected benefits. Real-world examples from companies like British Airways, Pfizer, Siemens, Unilever, and Toyota demonstrate how these roles are applied in practice to achieve successful project outcomes. This tutorial on Project Board: Composition and Functions, brought to you by FreeStudies.in, equips you with the knowledge and tools needed to implement an effective Project Board in your projects.

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