The Project Board has authority over the project — but it relies entirely on the Project Manager for the information it needs to exercise that authority well. The quality of governance decisions is directly proportional to the quality of the information provided. The Project Manager's job is not just to manage — it is to make the board's job as easy as possible.
Avoid Jargon
PRINCE2 has a specific vocabulary, and it is useful internally — but Project Board members are often senior business stakeholders, not project management practitioners. A Highlight Report full of PRINCE2 terminology will be harder to engage with than one written in plain language.
Translate. "The Quality Register shows three planned reviews in this stage" is less useful than "We have three product sign-offs planned this stage — two are on track, one is at risk due to resource availability."
Visualise the Picture
A project status that can be understood in 30 seconds is more likely to prompt the right decision than one that requires careful reading. Use visual indicators — RAG status, simple timelines, a one-page dashboard — that let the board grasp the project's health quickly before diving into detail.
The board's time is limited. A well-designed one-page overview that shows where you are, where you're going, and what decisions are needed is worth more than a ten-page report that buries the signal in the detail.
Present Options with Recommendations
When you escalate an issue or exception, don't simply present the problem and wait for the board to solve it. Present the problem, two or three realistic options, and your recommendation — with reasoning.
This respects the board's authority (they make the decision) while doing the analytical work that the Project Manager is uniquely positioned to do (they understand the project's detail). It also makes the meeting efficient: the board can accept the recommendation, modify it, or choose an alternative — but they are not starting from scratch.
Keep the Board Informed Between Meetings
Surprises at stage boundaries are a governance failure. If something significant is developing — a risk materialising, a key resource becoming unavailable, a scope creep risk — the board should know before the formal Highlight Report lands. An informal heads-up is better governance than a formally correct report that delivers bad news the board had no time to prepare for.