Three interests, always represented
The project board represents three interests: business (value for money — the executive), user (those who will use the outputs or be affected — the senior user), and supplier (those providing the resources and expertise — the senior supplier). All three must be represented; the executive decides.
Why it is like this
These are the three ways a project fails — unaffordable, unusable, undeliverable — and each has a different person who can see it coming.
Not to be confused with
Three people. Roles can be shared or combined, and a board can have several senior users, but the executive role is never shared: PRINCE2 requires a single point of accountability.
In practice
On a small internal project one person may hold executive and senior user. Two people jointly holding the executive role is not permitted.
Source: Managing Successful Projects with PRINCE2, 7th edition (PeopleCert, 2023) — PRINCE2 7, §7 — organizing. Read on .
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Predict Check yourself
A board proposes two joint executives so that two departments are equally represented. What does PRINCE2 say?
Show the answer
Not allowed — the executive is a single point of accountability; add senior users or senior suppliers instead.
Roles may be combined and shared in various ways, with the executive as the stated exception: one person, accountable.