Abstract:
Defining a body of knowledge and developing guides and standards for practice as a basis for education,
training and associated certification or qualification programs are activities generally associated with the
formation of a profession. It is therefore not surprising that, associated with growing interest in and
application of project management, professional associations have taken an active role in this area.
Responding to the needs of industry, governments in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Australia have
resourced the development of standards for project management as part of their national qualification
frameworks.
Enterprises have drawn on these guides and standards, developed by both project management
professional associations and governments, as a basis for shared project management terminology,
corporate project management methodologies and internal accreditation schemes. Many of these
enterprises operate globally, and many project management practitioners aspire to career mobility. Hence
industry and practitioners are interested not only in the assurance of appropriate competency levels but also
in the transferability of standards and associated qualifications across national boundaries. Governments,
concerned with ensuring an internationally competitive workforce are also interested in mutual recognition
and transferability of qualifications.
This paper will report on the underpinning research and progress of an initiative that brings together
professional associations, government standards and qualifications bodies, industry, academic institutions
and practitioners with the shared purpose developing an agreed framework for Global Performance Based
Standards for Project Management Personnel. It is proposed that this framework will form a basis for review,
development and recognition of local standards, providing a sound basis for mutual recognition and
transferability of project management qualifications. Working Session No 3 for this initiative is to be held in
South Africa in May 2004 just prior to the PMSA 2004 Conference.
