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ABOUT

The IPMA-SA is the only Member Association and Certification Body in South-Africa affiliated to the International Project Management Association (IPMA), which has 70 (seventy) member countries world-wide, making our candidates internationally certified.

The IPMA-SA is the only project organization in South-Africa which focuses beyond the knowledge of candidates, by considering knowledge as well as experience and behavior in a project context as equally important components of successful project management. Hence, the offering of the IPMA-SA is unique and the contribution towards training and/or certification is based on establishing a competent basis for project managers on all levels of project management, i.e. from team member to portfolio manager.

IPMA-SA is a not-for-profit company with the purpose to enhance project management capabilities in South-Africa and on the African Continent.

The Mission of IPMA-SA is to promote professional project management and move people forward. Professional project management means a deep understanding of project and general management tools, techniques and what is considered as “best practices”. It requires a fundamental understanding of business and wealth creation processes. It requires a suite of Values and Guiding principles that will permit the project manager to do what is right rather than just expedient decision-making. Respect for the values and cultures, health and safety, and the environment of the interested parties is paramount.

IPMA-SA formulated the following guiding statements.

  • IPMA-SA board must representative project management interest groups as far as possible.

  • An affiliation with a mature international organisation with an international acknowledged certification programme and standards; hence the affiliation with IPMA.

  • Cooperate with the government agencies where possible.

  • Encourage IPMA ExBo to engage in the developing world and at the United Nations and with national governments; hence the suggestion to have a Vice President: Development at the IPMA ExBo.

  • Promote professional project management competence and corporate excellence rather than only “Skills”; hence the choice of IPMA®. IPMA PM 4-L-C is to be the certification offering in the SA market of the best choice.

  • Promote a unified SA management culture; hence the efforts towards unity resulting in FPMO.

  • Accreditation of training materials and lecturers consistent with the requirements of the ICB4 and ICR4. This will provide a basis for upgrading the SA training service providers to an international level.

  • Provide a platform and a bridge for U’Buntu-cultured persons to join the project management profession both nationally and in Africa; hence our relationships in Zambia and Congo, and the promotion of the PC 4-L-C system.

Our vision at the IPMA-SA is to be the prime professional body for project management in South-Africa. To be the first call for project management practitioners to enhance their career and profession in project management. Integrated into the vision of the IPMA-SA, is the responsibility to extend into and establish project management on the African Continent.

At the IPMA-SA we are aware that not all candidates are involved in formal project management. Hence, the IPMA-SA has adopted an approach that a project can be defined as follows; where a project is considered as a task or activity that has a start and end date, with explicit objectives, using resources, interacting with its environment and requires certain behavioural competencies to execute the task/activity successfully.

Thus allowing practitioners from other industries to apply for IPMA certification status, which will provide a basis for a career path in project management.

The objectives of IPMA-SA are to:

  • Maintain and promote a professional body for Project Management in South Africa with links to international organizations like IPMA, to benefit from the networking and exchanges that international organizations afford.

  • Develop and promote a common Management understanding in South Africa through bodies like FPMO (a federation compromising of founding members IPMA-SA, IMC, and SAIM) and other Management organisations. When possible, IPMA-SA contributes to PM at governmental level.

  • Continuous evaluation of needs of practicing PM’s and employers of PM’s to refine products and services.

  • Formulate Project Management training and competence programmes.

  • Accredit Training Services Provider courses and lecturers to ensure that members receive Project Management training for complex projects. This is different to the many programmes that focus on rule-based Project Management training for the non-complex PM environment. IPMA-SA accredit trainers (min. Level-B) and accredit training material to meet IPMA ICB4 requirements.

  • Evaluate and develop organization Project Management maturity and certify them to be “Project Ready”. 

  • Promote Project Management competence certification to accredited standards (like ISO 17024) and IPMA certification rules, and the ICB standard.

  • Do consulting work in project management.

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