Australian Institute of Project Management


IPMA Certification


AIPM & IPMA - A Global Partnership

The Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) is the largest professional project management institute in the Australasian region. Established over 32 years ago and with approximately 10,000 Members, AIPM has a solid history of promoting project management professionalism. 

In 2009, AIPM became an IPMA Member Association. AIPM recognised it shares many common objectives with IPMA, particularly the development of world class project management standards and practices. IPMA represents over fifty project management associations around the world. AIPM is also IPMA’s second largest Member Association, giving the AIPM a strong voice within that global PM community.

For Members, AIPM’s IPMA membership provides them with international recognition for their AIPM membership. IPMA’s competence framework provides for project management certification that organisations around the world recognise. This is particularly important for AIPM Corporate Members who have, or are seeking, an international presence.

Certification through AIPM

AIPM is the exclusive IPMA Certification Body for Australia and the only one in Australasia. AIPM is fully endorsed to issue IPMA Certifications. Several AIPM Assessors are able to perform both the RegPM and IPMA Certification assessments. 
There are now two distinct, but complementary, certifications available through AIPM:
  • AIPM RegPM Certification
  • IPMA Certification  
For information regarding RegPM please see https://www.aipm.com.au/html/regpm.cfm. 
 
IPMA Certification Levels


 
 
 Whilst RegPM Certification well prepares project managers to successfully be awarded IPMA Certification, Members who hold current RegPM Certifcation must still undertake an assessment for IPMA Certification because it is a separate certification with a different assessment process.
Global corporations benefit from IPMA’s international presence and recognition as it enables them to use the same certification standards in all countries accross the entire organisation. With IPMA Certification, project managers can keep up with the rapid progression of project management to remain competitive in the market.
 
IPMA Certification levels “broadly” equate to the RegPM levels as shown below:

IPMA Certification

AIPM RegPM Certification

Level D 

Certified Project Management Associate 

CPPP 

Certified Practicing Project Practitioner

Level C

Certified Project Manager

CPPM

Certified Practicing Project Manager

Level B 

Certified Senior Project Manager

CSPM*

Certified Senior Project Manager 

Level A 

Certified Projects Director

CPPD 

Certified Practicing Project Director 

 

CPPE*

Certified Practicing Portfolio Executive
*Not yet available

Pathways to Certification


There are various ways that Project Managers can become IPMA Certified through AIPM:

  • Full Assessment – Individuals can undertake IPMA Certification independently
  • Bridging Assessment – Members who are currently RegPM Certified can add IPMA Certification to their credentials
  • Parallel Assessment – Members can obtain both the RegPM and IPMA Certifications concurrently  

There are different fees associated with each of these Certification pathways.

IPMA Certification is valid for five years from the date of issue and is maintained by undergoing a Recertification Assessment when due.

Each IPMA Certification candidate is individually assessed by independent assessors. Interpersonal skills and personal qualities together with contextual and technical areas are considered along with the candidate’s own project management experience and knowledge.  


Benefits of IPMA Certification

Organisations
  • Verifies to the market that the organisation has competent project managers in international project management best practices
  • Boosts employee morale, engagement and performance through professional education and career advancement
  • Enables organisations to better understand how their project management maturity and performance compares to peers across the world
  • Contributes to the understanding and development of international project management best practices (i.e., competence levels, knowledge, methodologies and tools)
  • Provides a benchmark for organisations in the global recruitment, training and development of project management staff
  • Provides an additional recruitment incentive to attract top project management talent
  • Can be used as a marketing tool by demonstrating organisational commitment to excellence in project management and staff competency in managing projects

Individuals
  • Creates a recognised portfolio of work that can be used for professional marketing on a global scale
  • Advances individual project manager competence levels
  • Gives feedback for project management competency improvement
  • Provides personal development for project managers by using certification levels as “stepping-stones”
  • Increases confidence by internal and external clients that certificate holders can consistently and efficiently implement relevant project management practice methods and tools for successful project delivery

IPMA Eye of Competence

The IPMA Eye of Competence symbolises the human being, which is the most important part of the IPMA Certification candidate assessment. It also symbolises the combination of the three competence ranges considered in the assessment: behavioural, contextual and technical.
 
Each IPMA Certification candidate is individually assessed by independent assessors against the IPMA Competence Baseline (ICB). Interpersonal skills and personal qualities are considered with their own project management experience and knowledge qualifications. 

The people-based assessment and combination of competence areas makes the certification unique. It gives a broader picture of each candidate’s competence and enables companies to match the right project manager with the right project, based on their strengths.
Further Information

Please contact the National Support Office on 02 8288 8700 for more details.