ISO 21500 project management standard

ISO 21500 standard

The ISO 21500 standard is developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) based in Geneva, Switzerland. What many people in the project management community may not realize is that the ISO 21500 standard for project management is actually a growing set of standards that cover various elements of project, program, and portfolio management.

Another important thing to note is that other standards organizations such as the Project Management Institute (PMI), the Association of Project Managers (APM), etc. work with ISO to ensure that their standards are consistent with the ISO 21500 series. . This prevents conflicting standards and ensures that the industry moves forward in a consistent manner.

ISO’s technical committee, ISO/TC 258, develops standards for project, program, and portfolio management, as well as related topics. The ISO/TC258 committee has developed the following standards published by ISO to date:

ISO 21500:2012

ISO 21503:2017

ISO 21504:2015

ISO 21505:2017

ISO 21508:2018

ISO 21511:2018

ISO 21500 is a project management guide and can be used by any type of organization, including public, private or community organizations, and for any type of project regardless of complexity, size or duration.

ISO 21500 is a high-level description of concepts and processes that are useful in project management. Projects are in the context of programs and project portfolios, however, ISO 21500 does not provide detailed guidance on managing programs and project portfolios. Issues related to general management are considered only in the framework of project management.

History and purpose of ISO 21500 standard

The ISO 21500 project management guidelines were unanimously approved by 33 countries in an international vote of national standards officials. ISO 21500 was published as an international guide in September 2012. And later it became an international standard.

ISO 21500 can be used as a basis for developing national standards. It is not intended for certification or regulatory purposes, as the current ISO 21500 does not have a certification structure.

ISO 21500 standard target audience

ISO 21500 may be used for different stakeholders:

Project sponsors and executive management, to understand the basic principles of project management to better support and guide the project;

Project managers, project management teams and project team members, to have a common language and structure when using different project management methods, tools and techniques;

Developers of standards and methods to develop project management standards and methods that are consistent at a basic level

ISO 21500 standard text

ISO 21500 is the first family of standards for portfolio, program and project management. These standards will serve as an internationally recognized overall framework that defines project, program and portfolio management. Also, it defines the interaction between PPP processes and the organization in which they serve, including the dimension of governance and communication with current operations. Projects may be organized into programs and project portfolios.

ISO 21500 standard structure

1- Scope of application
2- Terms and definitions
3- Concepts of project management
3-1- Generalities
2-3- Project
3-3- Project management
4-3- Organizational strategy and projects
3-5 project environment
6-3- project governance
7-3- Projects and operations
8-3- Stakeholders and project organization
9-3- Competencies of project staff
10-3- Project life cycle
3-11- project restrictions
12-3- The relationship between project management concepts and processes
4- Project management processes
4-1- Application of project management process
2-4- Process groups and subject groups
3-4- Processes

Definition of “Project Management”

Project management is the application of methods, tools, techniques and competencies of a project. Project management includes the integration of different phases of the project life cycle.

The figure below shows how project management concepts in ISO 21500 are related to each other.

Why is project management important?

ISO 21500 will guide you towards critical project improvement by enabling the project to meet deadlines and time constraints while ensuring minimal disruption to the rest of your business operations. It also enables organizations to meet all project management requirements and minimize the chance of project failure.

Obtaining the ISO 21500 certificate will help you plan and manage the program adequately and monitor the progress of a project. Most importantly, this best practice approach gives you the knowledge and guidance on how to document results. This degree shows that you have the skills to lead a project and manage a team effectively. This degree will help you expand your career opportunities, your skills, and reach a higher level of engagement with your team members. This allows you to identify the appropriate resources needed to deliver projects on time and on budget.

Advantages of ISO 21500

Project management skills

Improve project delivery

Providing a common project management process and principles

Improved and transparent decision making

Help unify the profession by creating a common language and standard processes

Better performance review

Better access to jobs and higher income

increasing the self confiedence