The Next Generation of Project Management Competence: ICB4

IPMA’s new flagship standard, the ICB4 (Individual Competence Baseline, version 4), brings together an expanded set of competence elements that will support a wide range of audiences and uses. Whether you are pursuing IPMA Certification or simply looking to benchmark your professional competence, the ICB4 provides a comprehensive framework for growth.

The burden has never been higher for project, programme and portfolio managers to produce measurable results on time, on budget, within scope while meeting the quality criteria.

IPMA’s goal with the ICB4 is simple – enrich and improve the individual’s competence in the project, portfolio, and programme management, thereby providing an inventory of competencies that, if fully realized, represents the complete mastery of the Project Management discipline. Professionals seeking structured learning pathways can explore a range of Project Management Courses designed to align with these competence standards.

The ICB4 discusses competencies in terms of Competence Elements grouped into three areas: People, Practice and Perspective.

Managers today need increased people and perspective skills in addition to solid practice. Personal and Perspective aspects of the individual have gained importance relative to the Technical aspects. 

In the ICB4, each competence element includes a handful of Key Competence Indicators (KCI’s). For professionals looking to validate their skills through a recognised credential, IPM Certification offers a structured pathway aligned with international competence standards.

These describe the main aspects of that competitive element and are written to assess competence concerning these KCI’s. To facilitate assessment, every KCI contains, apart from a description, several specific and empirical Measures that indicate necessary or possible actions for this KCI.

This new standard is intended to support individuals’ growth and organizations as they address the challenges of increasingly competitive project environments.

ICB4 is not a ‘how-to guide for project management. It does not present the steps involved in project management but rather is intended to be a companion document to other global standards that focus more on the processes like PMBOK, ISO 21500, and others. For further insights and resources on project management standards and best practices, visit the IPM Blog.