IPMA Governance consists of a Council of Delegates, an Executive Board, Executive Director and several Management Boards, working and project groups and a Secretariat. The Council and Board Members are from all over the world and reflect the Global nature of IPMA.

IPMA is member-driven, and volunteer-staffed. Aside from contracts for our Secretariat and the guidance of a Professional Manager, all boards and Member Associations are filled with practicing project or Program Managers. With a geographically-distributed organization, we collaborate on an ongoing basis, and hold board and council meetings regularly around the World. The governing philosophy of IPMA is to achieve agreement through effective communication and by consensus; and to avoid yes/no voting procedures as often as possible.

We recognise that our projects, programmes and project portfolios, affect people, society and the natural environment in various ways, both locally and globally. Project, programme and project portfolio management are growing disciplines in an increasingly globalised world. Through this growth we are presented with new challenges, both in our individual endeavours as professionals and on the whole as a profession.

We believe that by committing to acting ethically we will make our projects, programmes and project portfolios better and that this will serve to further our profession. The IPMA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct lays out the principles and minimum duties we hold towards the project, programme or project portfolio owner, teams, stakeholders, society and natural environment.