PMBOK vs PRINCE2: Comparison and Differences

Every Project Manager wants their project to be completed efficiently and effectively. However, success can elude you if proper plans and frameworks are not followed. Implementing a framework is necessary but which framework to choose for your project? There are infinite Project Management frameworks, and it is impossible to compare all of them. Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and PRojects IN Controlled Environments (PRINCE2) are two of the most popular Project Management frameworks. You must first know the Difference Between PMBOK and PRINCE2 to implement any of them.   

According to the 9th Global Project Management Survey - Pulse of the Profession by PMI, organisations implementing a Project Management framework are 28 times more likely to achieve their targets than those not implementing such a framework. PMBOK is a Project Management standard developed in the USA to address companies' Project Management related issues. 

Axelos created PRINCE2 to have a consistent Project Management approach across an organisation regardless of the department. In this blog, you will learn what is PMBOK, how it can help in Project Management and the Differences between PMBOK vs PRINCE2 with a detailed comparison. 

Table of Contents  

1) What is PMBOK?  

2) How does PMBOK aid in managing a project?  

3) What is the difference between PMBOK and PRINCE2?  

4) Which methodology to choose?  

5) Conclusion    

What is PMBOK?

The Project Management Institute (PMI), one of the pioneers in Project Management, developed the PMBOK. It is a standard that provides complete guidelines for Project Management processes; it's practices, terminologies and approaches. It benefits organisations as it helps them optimise processes to achieve their target and avoid failures. Above all, it can help these organisations to standardise procedures throughout.   

PMBOK is a collection of standard frameworks that helps implement best practices while managing a project for its successful completion. It follows a systematic approach where the first phase should be completed to move on to the next stage. It is also very versatile, and you can optimise them for any scenario regardless of the industry, project and team size.    

PMBOK was created by the PMI in the year 1969 with the idea of facilitating a place where Project Management professionals can interact. They can share their ideas and the problems unique to this profession.   

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How does PMBOK aid in managing a project?  

The recurring problem that many project managers face is project failure. The primary purpose of creating the Project Management principles and methodologies was to avoid project failures. PMBOK was also created for the same reason; further, it can improve the success rate of projects. It will also help you achieve that success within the specified timeline and cost. It does this by standardising procedures in all the departments in a company.   

The procedures and protocols will remain the same regardless of where the project is executed. The best part about PMBOK is that you can use these principles for any company you work for. So, if you join a different firm, you can still apply the same procedures you used in your previous firm. These guidelines are very powerful since they contain information about previous project failures and will guide you on avoiding them. In addition, it can prevent most of the risks and will steer you on the right path if things go wrong. Ultimately, it all comes down to your ability to use these guidelines.   

PMBOK Guide  

The PMBOK guide simplifies Project Management by dividing the Project Management procedures into five manageable groups. These groups are called PMBOK process groups that you can use to manage any project. The very first PMBOK guide was released in the year 1996 by the PMI, which updates this guide regularly and, over the years, has released many editions.  

The latest PMBOK guide was released in 2017 and is in its sixth edition. This guide will help in efficient Project Management, and you can use it as a reference for dealing with any problems in your project. You can effectively rely on it to solve any issue since this guide is regularly updated. 

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What is the difference between PMBOK and PRINCE2?

Although both PMBOK and PRINCE2 deal with Project Management, they differ greatly. Now let's compare PMBOK and PRINCE2 and look at the differences between them:

Approach

PMBOK is more of a standard that you can use as a reference book, whereas PRINCE2 is more of a methodology that contains step-by-step procedures. You can use the instructions of PMBOK anytime you run over a problem in your project. However, you can do that with PRINCE2 since it is a brief guide. So, the main Difference between PMBOK and PRINCE2 is one is standard, and the other is a set of procedures.

Level of Difficulty

In terms of difficulty, PRINCE2 principles are very easy to apply, while on the other hand, PMBOK guidelines can be complex and challenging to implement. PMBOK covers many domains, and a beginner may find it difficult, whereas PRINCE2 is relatively simple and straightforward. Hence even a beginner can easily understand the concepts of PRINCE2.

Ability

With PRINCE2, you can extend more control over the project's flow. You can assign new roles and responsibilities with PRINCE2 as it outlines procedures for assigning the Project Management team roles. If a Project Manager incorporates the PRINCE2 framework, then everyone in the team knows their responsibility and job.

Here, the entire process is simplified because not everyone is working on everything there will be fewer conflicts. But you can't do that using PMBOK since it focuses primarily on the role of Project Manager. Almost all the responsibilities like preplanning, allocating resources, and other decision-making fall on the project manager's head.

Depth

PRINCE2 is a very brief guide that prioritises creating a strong use case for the project to improve the decision-making process. PMBOK, on the other hand, is a very extensive guide that covers many topics with deep insight. However, it gives little importance to the decision-making process and creating a strong use case.

Primary focus

PRINCE2 primarily focuses on improving the technical skills of a Project Manager, but not on improving the soft skills. While PMBOK greatly stresses improving the soft skills first rather than giving more significance to the technical skills.

Domains

PRINCE2 doesn't explain the procedures involved in Project Management at length and overlooks many domains. However, it does talk about the roles of Project Management in detail. On the contrary, PMBOK describes the steps and procedures involved in Project Management.

Purpose

Whether it is PMBOK or PRINCE2, they both were created for efficient Project Management and do exactly that. Moreover, they will ensure that the flow of the project is smooth. If there's a disruption at any time, you can always look at their guidelines which will guide you on how to fix the issue.PRINCE2 was specifically created to address these needs across various organisations under the UK government. Since it was first introduced in 1996, its popularity has skyrocketed, and more organisations are now implementing the PRINCE2 framework to manage their projects. 

Which methodology to choose? 

PMBOK VS PRINCE2, are you confused about which framework to choose? PMBOK and PRINCE2 are useful frameworks that are unique in their own way. Trying to decide which framework you want can be a headache. In this section, you will get clarity on which framework to choose.   

PMBOK is considered a standard rather than a methodology, while PRINCE2 is more of a methodology. However, PMOK is a very extensive guide, often regarded as complex by some. It explains Project Management concepts and steps at great lengths.  

PRINCE2 is a methodology for Project Management. It is very brief and doesn't explain the Project Management steps in detail as PMBOK does. But it does explain the roles and responsibilities of a Project Management team in detail, which PMBOK fails to do so. Regardless of industry and location and no matter where you go, you are more likely to work in a team. So, learning about working in a team and how to assign roles and responsibilities in a team is an indispensable skill.

Conclusion    

We hope you enjoyed reading this article and understood the Difference between PMBOK and PRINCE2. Both of these powerful frameworks can help you manage projects better as well as help you grow your individual skills. Picking one of them can be tricky, but we hope this blog helped you improve your decision-making.   

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