Project managers can change the world

GpmFirst is raring to go after the brief lull of the summer vacation, and our Guest Editor this month is setting the bar high by encouraging all project managers to get out there and change the world! Reinhard Wagner – our Guest Editor, and President of the International Project Management Association (IPMA) – talks ‘projectification‘ and […]

Different stages of organisational development during projectification

The increasing number of projects (“projectification”) has great impact on organisations, they transform. This transformation can be observed through six stages, which I will explain shortly. – Stage 0: This might be the starting point for a transformation. No projects being performed. The organisation is a typical line organisation, shaped by functional departments running the […]

The complementarity of competence-based and process-based standards

The IPMA Individual Competence Baseline Version 4, or ICB4, is designed as the global competence-based standard for individual competences in project, programme, and portfolio management (3PM) environments. Perhaps the biggest advantage lies in its complimentarity with the world’s process-based PM standards. However, what is the difference between competence-based and process-based standards anyway, and why is […]

Project Canvas – defining projects in a structured way

Canvas is a term not widely known and pretty new to project management. Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canvas) describes it as an extremely durable plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. The same applies to projects, which need a project definition that is sturdy. Over the Fence, an […]

Projects and Project Management in Finland

After returning from a visit to Finland I´d like to continue our series of reports from IPMA Member Countries. Finland is a sparsely populated country in the north of Europe. Most of the 5.5 Million inhabitants live in the south of the country, whilst Lapland in the north only accounts for 3.5% of the population, […]

The Next Generation of Competence: ICB4

What Defines A Competent Project Manager? IPMA’s new flagship standard, the ICB4, is due to be launched in September at the World Congress in Panama. The new standard, named the Individual Competence Baseline, version 4, brings together an expanded set of competence elements that will support a wide range of audiences and uses. IPMA’s goal with the […]

PRINCE2® and ICB3® – Similarities and differences

We often get questions like, how PM standards such as PMBOK, PRINCE2, ICB3 differentiate, why we need them all or why not start a harmonisation. There are similarities between the standards, but there are also differences. Comparing those three seems to be comparing apples and pears. This is why Axelos and IPMA developed a White […]

Seven steps to a strategy for your organisation

Organisations are constantly faced with dynamic change in their context. This requires them to change their vision, mission and strategy from time to time. Projects and programs are intended to execute the strategy and therefore are dependent on a clear set of strategic goals, intended benefits and / or expectations defined by the top management […]

The Next Generation of Competence: ICB4

IPMA’s new flagship standard, the ICB4, is due to be launched in September at the World Congress in Panama. The new standard, named the Individual Competence Baseline, version 4, brings together an expanded set of competence elements that will support a wide range of audiences and uses. IPMA’s goal with the ICB4 is simple – […]

How to avoid killing Project Management softly

What will follow may be observed principally in many countries and in many organisations.