The International Project Management Association (IPMA) is a federation of 66 member nations, who collaborate to promote the recognition of project management and engage stakeholders around the world in advancing the discipline.

IPMA’s Council of Delegates has met at a time of significant change and uncertainty in the global business and political landscape. The meeting in Sydney, Australia, reaffirmed the critical role that project management plays in the delivery of sustainable social and economic outcomes in organisations and countries of all levels of development across the globe. This was demonstrated by the increased reliance on project management capability as a means to improve delivery and reduce risk.

Research indicates that projects in developed countries contribute in excess of 30% of national GDP, and that 80% of “high-performing” projects are led by a certified project manager yet globally we are still plagued with high project failure rates and billions of dollars of unrealised investment return. For the first time from Sydney, the member nations issue a call to action for government and industry around the world to explicitly pledge advocacy and support of the project management profession. We are calling on all nations to formally recognise the profession of project management, and dedicate certified project management resources to deliver their commitments to their shareholders and stakeholders.

IPMA President Reinhard Wagner confirmed IPMA’s stance saying “IPMA is like the United Nations of project management, and our member associations create wealth for their nations. It will only be through harmonising our practices and approaches that the power of the project management discipline will force a collective global shift and we will see tangible improvement in productivity, innovation and competitiveness.“

This communique has been released concurrently by all 66 member associations of IPMA.