The updated PRINCE2® portfolio: New qualifications, new possibilities

For many years, PRINCE2® Project Management (and PRINCE2® Agile) have been the go-to frameworks for project delivery. But increasingly, organisations recognise that successful change demands integration across programmes, portfolios, risk and governance structures.

That’s why PeopleCert, the examining body behind PRINCE2, have recently expanded the portfolio to include Managing Successful Programmes (MSP®), Management of Portfolios (MoP)®, Management of Risk (M_o_R)® and P3O®. This update reflects the broader shift in organisations: from delivering isolated projects, to enabling strategic change through coherent programmes and portfolios.

Why the expansion matters

Using the PRINCE2 Project Management or PRINCE2 Agile methodology, alongside these new certifications helps to enhance your knowledge and address questions such as:

• how multiple projects combine into a programme delivering strategic outcomes
• how portfolios of programmes are selected and governed
• how risk is managed consistently across projects, programmes and the operational business
• or how organisational structures (PMOs, portfolio offices) support delivery across the enterprise

By bringing MSP, MoP, M_o_R and P3O into the portfolio, professionals can now build more rounded capability, and organisations can adopt more holistic best-practice.

What are the new qualifications?

Here’s a detailed look at each added certification and how they can help advance and complement your existing knowledge of the methodology.

Managing Successful Programmes (MSP)

MSP is the best-practice framework for managing programmes — coordinated, strategic change endeavours made up of multiple inter-related projects. It provides a clear set of principles, themes and processes to ensure that programmes deliver outcomes and benefits in alignment with organisational strategy.

In essence, MSP bridges the gap between standalone projects (covered by PRINCE2 Project Management) and organisation-wide change, enabling executives and change managers to lead transformative initiatives with rigour and control. 

Management of Portfolios (MoP)

MoP addresses portfolio-level governance: how organisations select, prioritise, balance and monitor collections of change initiatives, projects, and programmes to optimise value, alongside strategy alignment and resource allocation.

As detailed in its definition cycle, the framework emphasises practices such as Understand, Categorise, Prioritise, Balance and Plan, which ensure organisations can see what change initiatives are in play, assess their costs, risks and benefits, and then make decisions accordingly.

P3O® (Portfolio, Programme & Project Offices)

P3O is focused on providing the supporting structures - offices, services and functions - that enable effective portfolio, programme and project delivery.

It defines models (e.g., virtual, temporary, permanent offices), roles, tools and techniques that boost transparency, consistency and decision-making across the change landscape. Importantly, P3O aligns with PRINCE2 Project Management, MSP and M_o_R, meaning it provides the organisational backbone that supports delivery frameworks.

For organisations managing multiple change streams, P3O ensures that governance, performance measurement, resource management and assurance are structured and repeatable.

Within the PRINCE2 portfolio, all frameworks build upon and interact with each other. For instance, PRINCE2 Project Management and PRINCE2 Agile set the standard for project delivery; MSP shows how groups of projects deliver larger outcomes; MoP governs how portfolios of change are selected and governed; M_o_R ensures risk is managed coherently; and P3O ensures the supporting organisational structure is in place.

Getting started

The updated PRINCE2 portfolio signals something important: project management is no longer isolated. It sits within a broader world of programmes, portfolios, risk governance and change. By embracing this, organisations and professionals are better equipped to deliver transformation, manage complexity and create value.

Explore the full PRINCE2 portfolio to see how these globally recognised best-practice frameworks work together to strengthen project, programme, and portfolio delivery.