Standards Comparison

    PRINCE2

    Voluntary
    2023

    Project management methodology for governance and control

    VS

    MAS TRM

    Mandatory
    2021

    Singapore guidelines for technology risk management in finance.

    Quick Verdict

    PRINCE2 provides structured project governance for global organizations, while MAS TRM enforces technology risk controls for Singapore FIs. Companies adopt PRINCE2 for repeatable delivery success; MAS TRM ensures cyber resilience and regulatory compliance.

    Project Management

    PRINCE2

    PRINCE2 7th Edition (Projects IN Controlled Environments)

    Cost
    €€€
    Complexity
    High
    Implementation Time
    6-12 months

    Key Features

    • Exception-based management using tolerances and escalation
    • Continued business justification throughout lifecycle
    • Structured around 7 principles, practices, processes
    • Mandatory tailoring to project scale and context
    • Stage-based governance with board decision gates
    Technology Risk Management

    MAS TRM

    MAS Technology Risk Management Guidelines 2021

    Cost
    €€€€
    Complexity
    High
    Implementation Time
    12-18 months

    Key Features

    • Board and senior management accountability
    • Proportional risk-based implementation
    • Third-party risk management
    • Cyber resilience and defence-in-depth
    • Annual penetration testing for internet systems

    Detailed Analysis

    A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.

    PRINCE2 Details

    What It Is

    PRINCE2 7th Edition (Projects IN Controlled Environments) is a process-based project management framework. It provides structured governance, decision rights, and control for projects of any scale or complexity. The key approach is principle-driven with mandatory tailoring to context, emphasizing value delivery through stages and exceptions.

    Key Components

    • **7 PrinciplesGuiding obligations like continued business justification, manage by exception, and tailoring.
    • **7 PracticesContinuous disciplines (Business Case, Organizing, Plans, Quality, Risk, Issues, Progress).
    • **7 ProcessesLifecycle from Starting Up to Closing a Project. Built on management products (e.g., PID, registers); certification via Foundation and Practitioner levels.

    Why Organizations Use It

    Delivers repeatable governance, reduces executive overhead via tolerances, improves success through tailoring. Supports auditability, risk control, and stakeholder alignment. Builds trust in public-sector and regulated environments; enables hybrid agile integration for competitive delivery.

    Implementation Overview

    Phased rollout: gap analysis, tailoring blueprint, training, pilots, assurance. Applies to all sizes/industries globally. Voluntary certification; focuses on coaching and templates for pragmatic adoption.

    MAS TRM Details

    What It Is

    MAS Technology Risk Management (TRM) Guidelines (January 2021) are supervisory guidelines issued by Singapore's Monetary Authority (MAS) for financial institutions. They provide a risk-based framework for managing technology and cyber risks, emphasizing governance, controls, and resilience to protect confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA).

    Key Components

    • 15 sections covering governance, risk frameworks, secure development, IT service management, resilience, access controls, cryptography, cyber operations, assessments, and audit.
    • Synthesised into 12 core principles like board accountability, asset management, third-party oversight.
    • Proportional implementation based on risk profile; no fixed controls but defence-in-depth approach.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Mandatory for MAS-supervised FIs to avoid enforcement (fines, license actions).
    • Enhances cyber resilience, operational stability, and customer trust.
    • Supports digital transformation while mitigating threats.

    Implementation Overview

    • Phased: governance setup, asset inventory, control design, testing, third-party management.
    • Applies to banks, insurers, fintechs in Singapore; scalable by size/complexity.
    • No formal certification; demonstrated via audits, metrics, board reporting.

    Key Differences

    Scope

    PRINCE2
    Project management governance, principles, practices, processes
    MAS TRM
    Technology/cyber risk governance, controls, resilience

    Industry

    PRINCE2
    All industries worldwide, any project size
    MAS TRM
    Singapore financial institutions only

    Nature

    PRINCE2
    Voluntary project management methodology
    MAS TRM
    Supervisory guidelines with enforcement

    Testing

    PRINCE2
    Stage boundary reviews, tailoring assessments
    MAS TRM
    Annual penetration testing, vulnerability scans

    Penalties

    PRINCE2
    No legal penalties, certification loss
    MAS TRM
    Fines, license revocation, enforcement actions

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about PRINCE2 and MAS TRM

    PRINCE2 FAQ

    MAS TRM FAQ

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