Project Management Institute

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications.
Primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of the article are generally not sufficient for a Wikipedia article. Please include more appropriate citations from reliable sources, or discuss the issue on the talk page.
This article has been tagged since November 2006.

PMI logo.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) publishes standards related to project management and manages project management certification. Its headquarters are in Newtown Square, outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1 Overview
2 Membership
3 Certification
4 Not For Profit Status
5 Operational Goals
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Overview

PMI, founded by five volunteers and incorporated in 1969, has published a number of standards related to project management, and manages several levels of project management certification.^{[citation needed]}

Its main standard A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge is currently in its third edition, and is the only ANSI standard for project management. The levels of certification are Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), Project Management Professional (PMP), Program Management Professional (PgMP) and the latter being more advanced. The publication, A Standard for Program Management, defines a standard for program managers. PMI has two colleges: the College of Performance Management and the College of Scheduling.

[edit] Membership

As of 2006, PMI reported over 220,010 members and over 180,000 PMP certificants in 175 countries. There are more than 250 local PMI chapters located in 67 countries, and 30 Specific Interest Groups (SIGs).

[edit] Certification

Over 44,000 PMP certifications expire annually; a PMP must document ongoing project management experience and education every three years to keep their certification current. This experience and education is measured in Professional Development Units (or PDU's) and can be earned from a variety of sources (such as taking or teaching classes focused on the Project Management discipline).

[edit] Not For Profit Status

The PMI is self-described as a "not-for-profit" organization.^[1] It has been widely questioned^[vague] if the PMI was established and is currently maintained for the betterment of the Project Management discipline or for profit. PMI attaches fees to various activities related to acquiring and maintaining the PMP certification (e.g. membership fees, certification fees, materials revenue, class fees, etc.) however there does not seem to be any corresponding monetary outlays related to same.^{[citation needed]} As hinted at above, even the instructors for various classes are volunteers who are paid in the form of PDU's. This free labor allow the PMI to enjoy significant and continuing streams of income with minimal expenses.

[edit] Operational Goals

It has been argued^[vague] that if the PMI does exist for the betterment of the Project Management discipline, it would make its materials (namely, the Project Management Body of Knowledge -- or PMBOK) available free of charge. Instead, it is copyrighted and fees are charged to obtain it (whether directly or indirectly through joining as a paying member of the PMI).

To generate even more demand for the certification, the PMI is pushing an initiative to the professional sector: all project managers should be PMP certified. As firms adopt this 'ideal', they are pushing current and prospective employees to get the accreditation.