Combining PRINCE2 Roles — Watch Out

PRINCE2 explicitly allows roles to be combined for smaller projects. Tailoring the organisation structure to fit the project's scale and complexity is not just permitted — it is expected. But some combinations are explicitly prohibited, and others require careful thought.

Combinations That Are Prohibited

PRINCE2 prohibits the following combinations because they create irresolvable conflicts of interest:

• Executive + Senior Supplier — The Executive owns the Business Case; the Senior Supplier represents the delivery team's interests. These interests are frequently in tension. Combining them removes the check between commissioning and delivery.
• Executive + Senior User — Less obviously problematic, but the Executive is meant to represent the broader organisational investment, while the Senior User represents those who will use the outputs. Combining them biases the board towards operational concerns at the expense of strategic value.
• Project Manager + Executive — The Project Manager manages day-to-day and escalates to the board. If the Project Manager is also the Executive, there is no one to escalate to — the governance check disappears entirely.

Combinations That Require Caution

Project Manager + Team Manager: On small projects, the Project Manager managing one or more work packages directly is common and reasonable. The risk is that the Project Manager loses the perspective of the managing layer — they become too close to the delivery detail to maintain the strategic view. It works, but be aware of the tension.

Senior User + Project Manager: The Project Manager delivering a project that affects their own area can work, but requires discipline to avoid the Project Manager prioritising their own operational preferences over the agreed scope.

What Combinations Are Fine

In practice, the following combinations are common and unproblematic on small projects:

• Senior User + Senior Supplier (where the user and supplier interests are aligned)
• Project Manager + Project Support (on very small projects)
• Multiple Team Manager roles held by the same person