5 Great Professional Organizations for Project Management Professionals

5 Project Management Professional Organizations

  • Project Management Institute
  • American Management Association
  • International Project Management Association
  • Association for Project Managers
  • Chartered Institute of Project Management

Project managers oversee the planning, executing, and controlling of project to its completion, often with non-negotiable budgets, making effective managers valuable assets to any organization. One way to build knowledge and credibility is through professional project management organizations.

1. Project Management Institute

Founded in 1969, Membership in Project Management Institute (PMI) has over 2.9 million members and includes learning opportunities, access to current publications, and networking within the large PMI community. PMI’s training and development is disseminated via online courses, podcasts, webinars, and certifications. PMI members can access 1000+ tools and templates on their website and find relevant jobs on their job board. PMI’s global standards for project management are among the most respected in the world, increasing its professional knowledge through research projects, symposiums and surveys. Membership options include individual, student, retiree, and group rates.

2. American Management Association

The American Management Association (AMA) is not only a project management association that offers training, networking, and publications, but it also supports a Women’s Leadership Center (WLC), promoting the efforts of women in the field of project management. The WLC is a safe environment for women to exchange knowledge, build relationships, and develop skills. Seminars, workshops, and virtual learning through WLC are tailored to the specific concerns of women within the project management community. Members within AMA’s WLC can build professional profiles online, allowing individuals to connect with peers across industries.

3. International Project Management Association

The International Project Management Association (IPMA) is an association of about 70 different organizations. Membership in IPMA is acquired through a local affiliation. IPMA offers services for individuals, projects, and organizations. Individuals can acquire certification and international recognition for their work, while projects can be measured against IPMA Project Excellence Baseline® (or PEB) to determine whether it meets their internationally recognized standards. The association has also developed the IPMA Organisational Competence Baseline®, the OCB, as a tool for organizations to measure their structures and processes and evaluate the competencies of their managers.

4. Association for Project Managers

Founded in 1990, The Association for Project Managers (APM) is a professional association that focuses on design, construction, and owner organizations. It prides itself on disseminating the latest information on industry trends and compensation and benefits. Like most associations, APM offers training through seminars, workshops, and project management publications. However, it’s APM’s focus on engineers, architects, facilities managers, and owners/clients that makes it unique. APM also offers on-site training and educational programs for all levels of project managers. APM is one of the smaller project management associations; however, what they lack in numbers, they make up for in personal attention.

5. Chartered Institute of Project Management

Chartered Institute of Project Management (CIPM) is a UK based, global professional project management association. Membership extends across industry sectors from finance to education. The associations prides itself on its contribution to the 2020 vision of developing African markets and into world class status. CIPM offers courses through the accredited institution Project Management College, UK, College of Supply Chain Management, UK.

Related Resource: Top 24 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s in Project Management 2018

Organizations for project management professionals are valuable resources for developing project managers who are searching for networking and educational opportunities. Through professional project management associations, individuals can often strengthen their portfolios and become respected industry leaders.