Professional bodies essential in the project management industry

Issued by Trinitas Consulting
The definition of a professional body, as sourced from Wikipedia, is as follows: A
professional association (also called a professional body, professional organisation, or
professional society) is usually a non-profit organisation seeking to further a
particular profession, the interests of individuals engaged in that profession, and the
public interest.
According to the Analytic Quality Glossary, "a professional body is a group of
people in a learned occupation who are entrusted with
maintaining control or oversight of the legitimate practice of the occupation.
Professional bodies have, in some countries, a significant role in
the oversight of education linked to specific professions'. The UK Quality Assurance
Agency for Higher Education (QAA) stated in 2011 that a professional body is an
organisation that oversees the activities of a particular profession and represents the
interests of its members.
Professional bodies also act to maintain their own position as a controlling body.
"This is where control, legitimated by public interest becomes confounded by control
based on self-interest' (Harvey and Mason).
From these definitions, one can draw the core roles and characteristics of a
professional body; a non-profit organisation, seeking to further a particular
profession, maintaining control or oversight of the legitimate practice of the
occupation, safeguarding the public interest and representing the interests of the
professional practitioners or individuals engaged in that profession.
From these broad roles, further duties can be established, such as; ensuring a
balance when conflicting obligations arise while promoting and enforcing ethical
conduct and a high level of education within the profession.
A significant role of the professional body is to inform the Body of Knowledge.
The knowledge framework is a useful basis for the development of academic
programmes which could be supported by the professional body. Failing this input,
learning institutions offer courses that are not linked to the practicing project
manager, but is designed and conceptualised in the towers of the academia.
Relevance and competence are at issue.
Through membership to a professional body the engaging of like-minded
professionals working in diverse environments is enabled. This allows members to
broaden their knowledge base, while the attendance of workshops and certification
programmes contributes to members? personal and professional growth and
development.
Professional bodies in the project management industry provide concepts,
definitions and summaries of project management to facilitate a common
understanding while advising on advancing industry methods and tools.
These bodies provide funding for research and development, provide standards
for the industry as a whole to follow and engage with national and international
standardisation bodies while actively promoting project management at several levels
and creating a network for project managers to engage in.
Within the project management industry, ethical conduct and education are
incredibly important. If there is no professional body present ensuring that standards
are being upheld, the cost of the resultantly poor level and execution of project
management will be crippling.
An example of a project management professional body in South Africa is the
Association for Project Management South Africa (APMSA), which was launched in
the "90s. The aim of this professional body is to promote project management best
practice and to serve the needs of the APMSA members and the profession as a
whole through the development and promotion of project support services knowledge
standards and competence standards.
In an effort to ensure a high level of education within the project management
industry, APMSA runs events to improve knowledge and practice in the field of
professional project management.
APMSA is affiliated with the International Project Management Association (IPMA)
and has embarked on the IPMA certification initiative for project management.
Certification is assessed according to ISO 17024 requirements through a separate
organisation. APMSA has a comprehensive Study Guide which serves as the APMSA-
IPMA Body of Knowledge for use in this APMSA-IPMA Project Manager Certification
Programme.
This strategic objectives of this professional body include to; promote best-
practice in project management, offer comprehensive support to assist with
professional project management development and practices, lead the profession in
setting the standards for project management in South Africa, champion the
profession through the enhancement and improvement of the understanding of
project management as a profession and to develop and nurture strategic
partnerships to advance the work of the professional body.
Within any industry, country, office or household, where weak leadership and
guidance is available, wayward and unethical action becomes evident. Although this
may only be perpetrated by a handful of inhabitants or participants, the effect on
the community is devastating. Without professional bodies to serve various
industries, havoc occurs as industries function as a law unto themselves.
Therefore, the importance of professional bodies - and the resultant promotion of
the profession, building of skills in the industry, development of a deeper
understanding, enhancement of fundamental comprehension, instilment of values and
guiding principles and the cultivation of respect and environmental protection -
cannot be overemphasised.