What is IPMA and what this model can offer to Brazil - Part III

4 levels for PM individuals

The IPMA Council of Delegates established IPMA's universal four level system (4-L-C) in 1998. The certification in project, programme and portfolio management was then realised by the certification bodies of the Member Associations.

The certification schemes and systems of the certification bodies (as defined in the ISO/IEC standard 17024) became a great incentive for the project, programme and project portfolio managers and the project management associates to

·         expand and improve their technical, behavioural and contextual PM competence

·         continue the development of their education and experience in PM

·         improve the quality of PM

·         last but not least – achieve the project, programme and portfolio objectives better.

The benefits of the certification are

·         for the project management personnel:
an internationally acknowledged certificate of their PM competence

·         for the suppliers of project management services:
a demonstration of their employees' professional competence

·         for the clients:
more certainty to get the state-of-the-art services from project management professionals.

For these purposes, the knowledge and experience in the 20 PM technical, 15 PM behavioural and
11 PM contextual competence elements are assessed.

The eye of competence represents the integration of all the elements in the 3 ranges of project management as seen through the eyes of the project managers when evaluating a specific situation. The eye also represents clarity and vision.

Project management career paths typically refer to the following functional roles and responsibilities in practice:

·         Project management associate (IPMA Level D^®)
A project management associate works within the team to complete the task.

·         Project manager (IPMA Level C^®)
is required to manage several functions within one organisation working on a project or sub-project with limited complexity or manage people from several organisations working on a project or sub-project with limited complexity, including clients and contractors.

·         Senior project manager (IPMA Level B^®)
is required to manage people from several organisations or organisational units and disciplines working on a complex project, supported by project management staff.

·         Projects director (IPMA Level A^®)
is required to manage a complex portfolio or programme, directing the project managers, supported by project management experts.

Within these roles, the level of competence (including knowledge and experience) changes and develops over time. The IPMA 4-L-C system offers the opportunity for individuals to develop and reflect on their competence in relation to their roles. These levels also provide a suitable framework for developing career paths in organisations as well as creating suitable development programmes for individuals and organisations.