Appendix X5

Research and Development for

The Standard for Project Management
X5.1 INTRO D UC T IO N
The purpose of this appendix is to provide insight into how the update to The Standard for
Project Management was developed. Content includes:
▶ Rationale for a move to a principle-based standard,
▶ Overview of the research conducted prior to the development of the standard,
▶ Description of how the standard was developed, and
▶ Information on how the content in the standard was validated.

X5.2 THE M O V E T O A P RIN C I P L E - B A S E D S TA NDA R D

Since 2010, PMI’s standards program has included research in addition to practitioner
experience to develop standards. Academic research, market research, focus groups, and
practitioner experience have been inputs when updating many of the standards documents,
including The Standard for Project Management.

As early as 2012, research suggested a move away from a prescriptive, process-oriented standard
toward one that requires reflection to apply in practice. Since that time, many of PMI’s standards have
moved to a principle-based format, such as The Standard for Program Management – Third Edition
and The Standard for Portfolio Management – Fourth Edition. In addition, as part of supporting the
development of ISO standards, PMI participated in discussions within ISO TC2581 regarding the need
to shift to a narrative- or principle-based approach and away from a process-based approach.

1
International Organization for Standardization Technical Committee 258, Project, Programme,
and Portfolio Management.

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Appendix X5 227
 Comments by the review teams and exposure draft participants collectively affirmed the shift
of The Standard for Project Management away from a process-based approach to a principle-based
standard in keeping with research findings and practitioner need.

X5.3 R ES E ARC H FO R T H E S TA NDA R D

FOR P RO J E C T M AN A G E M E NT
Prior to updating The Standard for Project Management, significant research and review were
conducted, including:
▶ International project management standards or standards-like documents along with lean,
agile, and design thinking principles and some of the mostly commonly used frameworks.
This research helped to identify common practice areas and themes that served as inputs
into developing the principles in the The Standard for Project Management.
▶ PMI research, such as Pulse of the Profession®, which indicated that more organizations
and practitioners are embracing agile and hybrid models along with new ways of working
(i.e., tools, frameworks, technologies, etc.).
▶ Review of published white papers, thought leadership articles, and related documents
to elicit underlying principles.
▶ Focus groups and workshops to gather stakeholder input for improving the usability
of The Standard for Project Management.

Analysis of the research led to the conclusion that more organizations are embracing a variety
of project management approaches. Some organizations are moving toward a hybrid approach
which mixes predictive and adaptive practices. Organizations and project teams are tailoring their
approaches to the needs of the industry, organization, and project. These findings indicated that the
PMI standard needed to reflect a more holistic and inclusive view of project management applicable
to predictive, hybrid, and adaptive approaches.

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228 PMBOK ® Guide
 All of this information contributed insights to the development process for exploring:
▶ A shift from a process- to a principle-based focus that would reflect the full spectrum
of the various ways that projects are managed.
▶ Potential new content areas for inclusion, such as benefits realization management,
organizational change management, and complexity, in alignment with the practice guides
in those areas.
▶ Moving any “how to” content to a more interactive and adaptive medium and adapting that
content to better reflect a range of considerations based on industry, type of project, and
other important characteristics.
▶ Broadening the focus of the standard to be inclusive of all projects and placing more
emphasis on the desired outcomes from the project.

X5.4 STA N D ARD D E V E L O PM E NT P R O C E S S

Developing the standard included ensuring global stakeholder representation from a broad
range of industries and the various approaches to managing projects.

X5.4.1 D E V E LOP ME N T AN D REVIEW T EA MS

Prior to developing the content for the standard, a Development Team and two review teams
were formed. Approximately 450 individuals applied to participate on the teams. Twelve people were
selected for the Development Team and approximately 70 were selected to participate in one of
two review teams. The Development Team and review teams were comprised of stakeholders from
around the globe and across industry segments and roles (e.g., government, practitioners, academic,
consulting, and organizational providers). The teams included expertise in delivering projects using
predictive, hybrid, and adaptive approaches.

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Appendix X5 229
 X5.4.2 C O NTENT
The standard is comprised of three sections: Introduction, A System for Value Delivery, and
Project Management Principles.

The Introduction includes key terms and concepts associated with project management. Much
of this information is consistent with previous editions.

Content in the section on A System for Value Delivery draws on content from PMI foundational
standards2 as well as research on benefits realization management and organizational agility. The
content is presented with a focus on delivering value and is inclusive of the various ways in which
value is created.

The Project Management Principles section evolved throughout the development and validation
process. The initial concepts for the principles were identified through the research discussed
previously. The Development Team worked individually and collaboratively to identify potential
principles and then grouped them into affinity categories. Each category was further analyzed and
decomposed to include a list of keywords associated with each category. The potential categories and
keywords were composed into an initial draft, which was then reviewed and commented on by the
entire Development Team to ensure the intent of the principles was reflected in the draft.

It is important to note that the principles are intended to be broadly based. Nothing in the
principles is intended to be dogmatic, restrictive, or prescriptive. The principles are aligned with,
but not duplicative of, the content in the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.

It is not possible to generate the “right principles” as each project and organization is different.
Therefore, the principles are designed as a guide for people working on projects. Project professionals
and others working on projects can seek to be aligned with the principles, but they are not intended
to provide instructions for managing projects.

X5.5 VA L ID AT IN G T H E S TA N DA R D
Content in the standard was validated using three main approaches: global workshops,
iterative development, and public exposure draft.

2
The Standard for Program Management – Fourth Edition and The Standard for Portfolio Management – Fourth Edition.

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230 PMBOK ® Guide
X 5 . 5 . 1 G LOBAL WOR KSHOP S
Throughout the development process, global workshops were held where the move to a
principle-based standard was presented and workshop participants were asked to explore guiding
principles for project management. Workshops were presented in Dublin, Ireland (PMI Global
Congress – EMEA); Bangalore, India; Brazilia, Brazil; Ottawa, Canada (PMI Global Executive Council
meeting); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (PMI Global Conference); and Beijing, China.
These workshops served as input into the Development Team’s work and as validation checkpoints
during development.

X5.5.2 I T E R ATIVE D E VE LOP MENT

The Development Team worked in pairs and small teams to develop the initial content for
each of the three sections that comprise The Standard for Project Management. Once the initial drafts
were integrated, the Development Team and Review Team 1 reviewed and commented on the drafts
of each section of the standard. These reviews produced over a thousand comments which the
Development Team analyzed and addressed to produce a second draft of the full standard. Review
Team 2 reviewed the entire draft standard and provided comments with a fresh perspective to the
Development Team. Those comments were analyzed and integrated into the content, as appropriate.

X5.5.3 E X P OS UR E D R AFT
The draft standard was made available for public review and comment from 15 January to
14 February 2020. Almost 600 individuals submitted comments on the exposure draft. In response
to the exposure draft comments, the content was reorganized and edited for clarity. Most comments
indicated agreement with the intent of the principle-based standard. The Development Team then
reviewed the draft of the standard and gave approval for the draft to go to the Standards Consensus
Committee for consensus ballot per PMI’s Policy for the Development and Coordination of American
National Standards.

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Appendix X5 231
 X5.6 SU M M ARY
Continuing changes in the project management profession and the ways in which projects are
managed support a less prescriptive standard. Industry research, global participation with broad
industry representation, and an iterative review process shaped and validated the move from a
process-based standard to a principle-based standard. Future teams can evaluate the impact of the
shift in presentation of The Standard for Project Management and use that information to enhance or
revise future editions.

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