IPMA aspires a world, in which all projects succeed. Therefore, IPMA promotes competences throughout society to enable individuals, projects and organizations.
Today, IPMA offers a wide range of beneficial services for these target audiences. That includes but is not limited to the Four-Level Certification (4-L-C) for individuals involved in the management of Projects, Programmes and Portfolios (PP&P) as well as Two-Level Certification for consultants in the field of PP&P. Furthermore, IPMA offers Project Excellence Awards and various other awards, which honor the top performance in PP&P, PP&P-related research and for outstanding achievements in PP&P worldwide. ‘Up to the next dimension’, the slogan for IPMA Delta®, which is a service to assess and certify organiZations in a very comprehensive way. It helps organizations to develop their organizational competence in managing projects based on international standards.
It is crucial, that all these activities are based on ethical and professional principles that guide IPMA employees, volunteer officers and project teams as well as those, engaged in our member associations and in PP&P worldwide. The IPMA Council of Delegates adopted this Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct in March 2015 to be mandatory for all people acting on behalf of IPMA. The application of this code enables us reaching our core values “integrity”, “accountability” and “transparency”. Furthermore, we encourage all member associations of IPMA to adopt the IPMA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct within their region. It is also available to the profession as such, e.g. organisations could build their own Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct on this document, top managers could apply this document for their governance in the field of PP&P, and project managers could apply it in their projects.
We want to thank the project team Helgi Thor Ingason, Haukur Ingi Jónasson and Ólöf Embla Eyjólfsdóttir as well as all contributors from our member associations around the world for their support in developing this document.
The IPMA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct will help us moving the project management profession forward!
Reinhard Wagner
President of IPMA
We recognise that our projects, programmes and project portfolios, affect people, society and the natural environment in various ways, both locally and globally. Project, programme and project portfolio management are growing disciplines in an increasingly globalised world. Through this growth we are presented with new challenges, both in our individual endeavours as professionals and on the whole as a profession.
We believe that by committing to acting ethically we will make our projects, programmes and project portfolios better and that this will serve to further our profession. The IPMA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct lays out the principles and minimum duties we hold towards the project, programme or project portfolio owner, teams, stakeholders, society and natural environment.
We acknowledge that our community and the relations between professionals and their clients depend upon trust, mutual respect and the appreciation of our diversity.
We welcome the fact that we, as members of this community and as professionals, work in environments that are charged with various sensitive political, cultural and moral challenges, and we believe we are best equipped to embrace those challenges by being open to and respectful of our differences.
When working with clients, project owners and other stakeholders we act with integrity, accountability and transparency. We realise that our work in project, programme or project portfolio management may present us with a variety of ethical challenges and we believe that it is through these values that we will best be able to meet them.
We welcome the diverse origins of ethical norms – secular and religious alike – and seek to treat difference with respect. We sign the IPMA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct to demonstrate adherence to fundamental principles that must guide all our professional conduct and practice.
The IPMA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct consists of norms that professionals and practitioners should follow, including:
1.2 Anyone working for or within a member of IPMA that has adopted the IPMA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
1.3 Anyone working for or within an organisation that has adopted the IPMA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
1.4 Anyone working for or within a project and/or a programme that has adopted the IPMA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
1.5 Anyone that has signed the IPMA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (e.g. on a voluntary basis or through an IPMA certification).
We acknowledge that the integrity of our profession and practice is protected and sustained by our reputation.
2.2 We reject all forms of bribery.
2.3 We do not participate in projects, programmes or project portfolios which cannot succeed without compromising the principles laid out in this code.
2.4 We strive to maintain and improve upon our professional competences and we take on only projects that we are appropriately qualified to manage.
2.5 We are realistic and truthful in our bidding procedures and we expect the same from our business partners.
2.6 We make reasonable forecasts and provide truthful and accurate reports.
2.7 We make realistic contracts, honour our contractual obligations and deliver results accordingly.
We value our clients, project owners and stakeholders and are especially mindful of the duties owed to them.
3.2 In our stakeholder engagement we remain conscious of the possible consequences our work may have for other interested parties and strive to minimize any negative impact.
3.3 We are on our guard against any biases and unethical influences. IPMA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct 7
3.4 We take reasonable precautions to protect ourselves and our teams against illegal activity and we report any criminal intent or actions to the appropriate authorities.
3.5 We keep project owners and stakeholders appropriately updated at all times.
3.6 We encourage our clients to critically reflect on their expectations and the ethical implications of the project outcome.
We hire people who are well-suited for our projects, programmes and project portfolios, based on their background and experience.
4.2 We ensure the highest level of health and safety measures and provide a healthy and safe working environment.
4.3 We do not participate in projects, programmes or project portfolios that require unsustainable overwork or harmful working conditions.
4.4 We provide training, protective equipment or other methods necessary to ensure a safe working environment.
4.5 If our projects, programmes or project portfolios require that housing facilities are provided, we ensure our employees have access to reasonable privacy and personal hygiene facilities.
4.6 When we encounter challenges deriving from social and cultural differences, we deal with them in a culturally sensitive way.
4.7 We honour the rights of individuals within our teams to celebrate their culture and customs to the extent that it does not inappropriately undermine the morale and mission of our team.
4.8 We do not make use of child labour, forced or bonded labour, or demand illegal overtime.
4.9 We do not accept any form of mental or physical punishment, including any kind of harassment or bullying.
4.10 We do not condone any form of sexual harassment and take precautions to prevent it taking place.
4.11 We do not prevent workers from associating freely with a workers’ association or group of their choosing, or from engaging in collective negotiations.
4.12 We pay at least the legal minimum wage or the local industry standard, if higher than minimum wage, and compensate fairly for overtime.
4.13 We do not discriminate on the basis of gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age or on any other arbitrary grounds.
We strive to understand the cultures we work in, find common ground and establish mutual respect.
5.2 We comply with the relevant laws and regulations of the country or countries we are working in.
5.3 We remain neutral and do not take a political stance in conflict situations.
5.4 We accept social responsibility and seek to develop our professional practices accordingly.
5.5 We uphold and promote high ethical standards even when working under the influence of companies, corporations, institutions or governments whose practices or policies are morally lacking.
We strive to minimize possible damaging effects to the environment, which may come about as a consequence of our projects, programmes and project portfolios.
6.2 We think long-term with regard to the environment and strive for sustainable development.
6.3 We do what we can to reduce waste and emissions to air, ground and water and encourage the recycling of materials and used products.
6.4 We handle, store and dispose of hazardous waste in an environmentally safe manner.
6.5 We use resources efficiently in our projects and programmes and avoid waste.
7.2 We incorporate what we know about technology, science and management of projects, programmes and project portfolios to develop the people with whom we work.
Project Owner
Refers to any individual, group, organisation, institution, association, NGO, governmental agency or transnational body that has initiated and / or has a vested stake in the project, programme or project portfolio.
Stakeholder
Refers to anyone who is directly or indirectly affected by, or who has to bear the consequences of, the project, programme or project portfolio either in delivery or outcome.
Conflict of Interest
Refers to any situation where personal interests may conflict with professional or public interests, or where one party’s obligations towards a second party affect its ability to uphold its obligations to a third party.
Legal Address:
International Project Management Association (IPMA®)
c/o Advokaturbüro Maurer & Stäger
Fraumünsterstrasse 17
Postfach 2018
CH-8022 Zurich
Switzerland
Operational Address:
International Project Management Association (IPMA®)
P.O. Box 7905
1008 AC Amsterdam
The Netherlands
© 2015 International Project Management Association (IPMA®)
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