Standards
IPMA® as the basis for certification
The global IPMA® standard in project management
As the GPM’s certification body, PM-ZERT’s certifications are based on the standards of the International Project Management Association (IPMA®). These are underpinned by the globally uniform ICB® competency standard. The ICB is the standard to which all IPMA member organisations and certification bodies adhere in order to ensure the uniform certification of project management competencies. This standard has formed the basis for the global certification of project managers since 1997 and is internationally recognised. The currently valid version of the PM standard is ICB4, on the basis of which further standards have been developed.
The Baseline – IPMA® Standard Individual Competence Baseline
PM-ZERT’s certifications are based on the Individual Competence Baseline (ICB®), the competence standard of the International Project Management Association (IPMA®). The current version of the standard, ICB 4, was published in 2015 and has been in use in Germany since 2018. The ICB provides a blueprint for successful project management and describes the competencies required for this: What must a project manager be able to do in project management? What skills must they demonstrate during certification?
There are many project management standards on the market. Based on good practice approaches and using process models, they provide guidance on the successful execution of projects. The ICB takes a different approach: it focuses on the practical competencies of the people involved.
As project management has also undergone many changes in recent years, the IPMA has not only adapted the standard to current requirements but has also set trends. The ICB 4 is reflected not in one, but in three competency standards: in project management, programme management and portfolio management. Within these, it identifies and describes 28 competency elements, grouped into the three areas of contextual competencies (‘Perspective’), personal and social competencies (‘People’) and technical competencies (‘Practice’).
