Managing Stage Boundaries is all about the change from one stage to another. The Project Manager has to prepare a report on the stage just gone and a plan for the upcoming one. Managing Stage Boundaries is a process in the Prince2 project management methodology.

What is it? Aims of the Process are:-

 *Gather the results of the current stage
 *Plan the next stage
 *Check the effect on the Project Plan
 *Check the effect on the Business Case
 *Check the effect on the risks
 *Report and seek approval.

Why? Stages are the blocks into which projects are split. At the end of each stage the Project Board needs information on which to make decisions.

Firstly the Project Board needs to see if the project is still within tolerances and if the business case is likely to be met.

Secondly the Project Board needs to know what should be happening in the following stage.

Products produced or updated during Managing Stage Boundaries provide them with this information.

Who The Project Manager is responsible almost entirely for this stage.

How Sub-processes in Managing Stage Boundaries are:-

 *Planning a Stage (SB1)
 *Updating a Project Plan (SB2)
 *Updating a Project Business Case (SB3)
 *Updating the Risk Log (SB4)
 *Reporting Stage End (SB5)
 *Producing an Exception Plan (SB6)

As with everything else in PRINCE2, Managing Stage Boundaries is not a one size fits all process. The amount of resources devoted to each sub-process will have to be tailored to the project.

Indeed on some projects a Producing an Exception Plan (SB6) may replace Planning a Stage (SB1).

Products that can be produced or updated in the course of Managing Stage Boundaries are:-

 *End Stage Report
 *Next Stage Plan
 *Updated Risk Log
 *Business Case
 *Project Plan
 *Lessons Learned Log
 *Any PMT changes

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