Introduction

This International Standard provides guidance on the key concepts and processes of project management that are essential to, and impact the performance of, projects.

The intended audience for this International Standard includes:

• Senior managers and project sponsors, helping them gain a deeper understanding of the principles and practices of project management and enabling them to offer proper support and guidance to project managers, management teams, and project members.
• Project managers, project management teams, and project members, ensuring they have a common framework to compare their project standards and practices with those of others.
• Developers of national or organizational standards, offering a foundation for developing project management standards that align with core concepts used globally.
  
  

Overview

ISO 21500 was created to provide guidance on the fundamental concepts and processes of project management, with the aim of implementing processes and best practices to enhance project management performance. While the standard outlines important concepts and processes, it does not offer detailed guidance, and general management topics are limited to their relevance to project management. The ISO standard is modeled after the Project Management Institute’s Body of Knowledge (PMBoK), though there are key differences.

The ISO 21500 standard is relatively concise, at just 47 pages, and focuses on the introduction of project management processes, their inputs, and outputs. In contrast, the PMI’s PMBoK is over 450 pages long and provides detailed descriptions of processes, inputs, outputs, and associated tools and techniques. Both standards incorporate the concept of processes as an integral part of project management. Both ISO and PMI divide project processes into five groups, with slight differences in labeling. The differences between the two standards are minimal in terms of process groups and knowledge areas. The main distinction is in the level of detail and the inclusion of specific tools and techniques—ISO 21500:2012 does not provide such detail. Another notable difference is the introduction of the new subject of “stakeholder management” by ISO.

The guidance in this standard can be applied to any type of organization, whether public, private, or community-based, and to any project, regardless of its complexity, size, or duration.

Although ISO 21500 is placed in the context of program and project portfolios, it does not provide detailed guidance on managing these portfolios.

It aims to enhance the understanding of the principles and practices of project management.

Key Clauses of ISO 21500:2013

ISO 21500 is structured into the following main clauses:

• Clause 3: Project Management Concepts
• Clause 4: Project Management Processes
  
  

Clause 3: Project Management Concepts

This clause outlines the key concepts that apply to most projects and the environments in which they are executed. According to ISO 21500, the essential project management concepts include:

• Project
• Project management
• Organizational strategy and projects
• Project environment
• Project governance
• Projects and operations
• Stakeholders and project organization
• Competencies of project personnel
• Project life cycle
• Project constraints
• The relationship between project management concepts and processes
  
  

Clause 4: Project Management Processes

This clause identifies the recommended project management processes to be utilized throughout the project lifecycle, whether for the entire project or for individual phases.

The project management processes can be viewed from two perspectives:

1. Process Groups for Project Management:
   These process groups include processes applicable to any project phase. Each group is defined in terms of its purpose, description, and primary inputs and outputs, and they are interdependent. The process groups are designed to be independent of specific application areas or industries.
   The five process groups are:

   • Initiating: Processes performed to define a new project or a new phase of an existing project, including obtaining authorization to begin the project or phase.
   • Planning: Processes to define the project scope, refine objectives, and outline the necessary actions to achieve the project’s goals.
   • Executing: Processes to complete the work outlined in the project management plan and meet project specifications.
   • Monitoring and Controlling: Processes to track, review, and regulate project progress and performance, identify areas requiring changes, and implement those changes.
   • Closing: Processes to finalize all activities across all process groups and formally close the project or phase.
     
     

2. Subject Groups for Collecting Processes by Topic:
   These groups consist of processes applicable to any project phase, defined in terms of their purpose, description, and primary inputs and outputs, and are interdependent. Like process groups, subject groups are independent of industry focus or application areas.