One of the most misunderstood aspects of PRINCE2 is tailoring.
Some teams treat PRINCE2 as rigid and bureaucratic. Others claim to be “using PRINCE2” while stripping out the very controls that make it effective.
The reality sits in the middle.
PRINCE2 is designed to be tailored—but only in specific, deliberate ways. Understanding what you can adapt and what you must not remove is critical to maintaining governance, credibility, and control.
What Does “Tailoring PRINCE2” Actually Mean?
In PRINCE2, tailoring means adapting the method to suit the project’s context, including:
- Project size and complexity
- Risk profile
- Delivery environment (e.g. government, commercial, regulated)
- Team capability and maturity
Tailoring is not about skipping governance.
It’s about applying proportionate control.
What You Can Tailor in PRINCE2
PRINCE2 allows flexibility in how the method is applied, provided the core structure remains intact.
1. Level of Documentation
You can scale documentation up or down.
Examples:
- A small internal project may use a 5–10 page PID.
- A major infrastructure project may require a detailed, multi-section PID with appendices.
✔ The documents remain, but the depth changes.
2. Management Products (Templates & Reports)
You can:
- Combine documents (e.g. Project Brief + Business Case).
- Simplify registers (e.g. single RAID log for low-risk projects).
- Adjust reporting frequency (weekly vs monthly).
✔ Outputs still exist, but they are fit-for-purpose.
3. Number and Length of Stages
PRINCE2 is stage-based, but:
- Small projects may have 1–2 stages.
- Large projects may have many short, controlled stages.
✔ Stage control stays — structure adapts.
4. Roles Assigned to Individuals
PRINCE2 defines roles, not job titles.
You can:
- Combine roles (e.g. Executive + Senior User in a small project).
- Use part-time or virtual Project Boards.
✔ Responsibilities remain clear, even if one person wears multiple hats.
5. Tools and Techniques
PRINCE2 does not mandate tools.
You can use:
- Excel instead of specialist software
- Agile boards within PRINCE2 stages
- PMBOK techniques for scheduling or risk analysis
✔ The method stays PRINCE2, the tools are flexible.
What You Cannot Tailor in PRINCE2
This is where many teams go wrong.
1. The 7 PRINCE2 Principles
PRINCE2 principles are non-negotiable. If these are removed, you are no longer using PRINCE2.
You must not remove:
- Continued business justification
- Defined roles and responsibilities
- Manage by stages
- Manage by exception
- Focus on products
- Learn from experience
- Tailor to suit the project environment
❌ If a project has no Business Case or no clear accountability, it is not PRINCE2.
2. Governance and Accountability
You cannot remove:
- A Project Board (or equivalent decision authority)
- Clear escalation paths
- Tolerance-based decision-making
❌ Removing governance to “move faster” almost always creates risk and rework later.
3. Business Case Ownership
The Business Case must:
- Exist
- Be owned by the Executive
- Be reviewed throughout the project
❌ A one-off funding approval is not continued business justification.
4. Stage Control and Authorisation
You cannot:
- Skip stage approvals
- Deliver the entire project without formal checkpoints
❌ PRINCE2 without stage boundaries becomes uncontrolled delivery.
Practical Tailoring Examples
Small Project Example
- Combined Project Brief and PID
- Single-stage plan
- Monthly reporting
- Combined Project Board roles
Still PRINCE2 ✔
Large Government Infrastructure Project
- Full PID with strategies and appendices
- Multiple delivery stages
- Independent Project Assurance
- Formal reporting and escalation
Still PRINCE2 ✔
| Mistake | Why It’s a Problem |
|---|---|
| Removing the Business Case | Breaks continued justification |
| No Project Board | No accountability or decision authority |
| No stage boundaries | Loss of control |
| Over-documenting small projects | Creates unnecessary overhead |
| Under-documenting high-risk projects | Increases exposure and audit risk |
Next Steps
If PRINCE2 feels too heavy or too loose in your organisation, tailoring is usually the issue—not the method itself.
Fill in the form below to download the free Project Kick-Off Checklist, which includes prompts to help you tailor PRINCE2 correctly from day one.
If you want to apply PRINCE2 properly without overcomplicating delivery, the PRINCE2 Starter Kit gives you ready-to-use, governance-aligned templates you can scale to suit any project.
Coming soon:
- PRINCE2 for Small Projects Guide
✅ When PRINCE2 is tailored properly, it becomes a powerful, practical governance framework—not a bureaucratic burden.
You Might Also Like
If you’re building confidence with PRINCE2 fundamentals, you may also find The 7 Themes of PRINCE2 – Practical Examples helpful for understanding the core management areas that must be addressed throughout the project lifecycle.
To see how PRINCE2 flows from idea to closure, The 7 Processes of PRINCE2 – Step by Step breaks down each process and explains how they work together in practice.
And if you’re deciding between frameworks, PRINCE2 vs PMBOK vs P3O – Which One Should You Use? helps clarify where each approach fits and how they can be combined.
