In an interview conducted by Scott Spence with Brad Bigelow, a key author of PRINCE2 V7, various updates and insights into the latest version of PRINCE2 were discussed. Bigelow was approached to contribute to the new PRINCE2 guide due to his extensive experience in project management, including his involvement with PMI and the PMBOK, as well as his work at NATO. His role was to update and refine the chapters on plans, quality, and issues in PRINCE2.

Bigelow emphasized the practical application of PRINCE2, aiming to make the guidance more applicable to real-world project management challenges. Although he succeeded in making the chapters more practical, he acknowledged that they became longer than in the previous edition. The revisions included responding to changes in the project management field, such as a greater embrace of agile methodologies and the growing importance of sustainability and change management.

For the chapter on plans, Bigelow focused on clarifying language and addressing essential aspects of project planning. He introduced the use of work breakdown structures as a tool for organizing project activities, complementing the product-centric approach of PRINCE2. This addition was intended to help project managers better organize both the outputs (products) and the work processes of their projects.

In the quality chapter, Bigelow shifted the focus to integrate quality considerations more closely with the planning process. He argued for a logical flow from planning to execution, emphasizing that quality management is a crucial part of planning.

The chapter on issues, previously known as change, was revised to distinguish more clearly between ongoing issues within a project and changes to the project baseline. Bigelow stressed the importance of open communication with stakeholders and the careful evaluation of issues to determine whether they warrant changes to the project's baseline documentation.

Bigelow also touched upon the challenges of misinformation in project environments, highlighting the need for project managers to maintain clarity about the project's objectives and manage stakeholder communications effectively.

Overall, the interview provided insights into the thought process behind the updates in PRINCE2 V7, focusing on making the framework more practical, relevant, and adaptable to current trends in project management.