Association for Project Management

Association for Project Management
source
Name	Association for Project Management
Formation	1972
Type	Professional body
Headquarters	High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
Region served	United Kingdom; international
Membership	Project professionals, students
Leader title	Chief Executive

Association for Project Management The Association for Project Management (APM) is a United Kingdom–based professional body for project management that represents practitioners across sectors such as construction, information technology, engineering, energy, and transport. It provides qualifications, standards, continuing professional development, and industry guidance, and it engages with policy makers, employers, and academia to promote professional practice in project, programme, and portfolio management.

History

Founded in 1972 amid rapid expansion of project-based work in United Kingdom industries, the organization emerged alongside professional bodies such as Institution of Civil Engineers, Royal Academy of Engineering, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and British Standards Institution to professionalize project delivery. Early links were forged with academic institutions including University of Manchester, Imperial College London, University of Oxford, and Cranfield University as the discipline matured. Through the 1980s and 1990s the body expanded its remit, interacting with public sector programmes such as Channel Tunnel and Thames Tideway Tunnel and private projects like Heathrow Terminal 5 and Crossrail. In the 2000s it aligned with international efforts including ISO, International Project Management Association, and Project Management Institute to influence standards and mutual recognition. Major milestones include chartered recognition campaigns similar to those achieved by Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and collaborations with National Audit Office and Infrastructure and Projects Authority on governance and assurance.

Structure and Governance

The organization is governed by a board of trustees drawn from senior figures in industry and academia, mirroring governance models used by Institute of Directors, Royal Society, British Medical Association, and Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply. Executive leadership includes a chief executive and professional leads who liaise with specialist interest groups representing sectors such as aerospace, oil and gas, rail, and digital services—similar sector groupings found in Airbus, BP, Network Rail, and Microsoft. Regional branches and local forums operate across the United Kingdom and internationally, coordinating with partners like Scottish Government agencies, Welsh Government initiatives, and metropolitan authorities such as Greater London Authority. Advisory committees include chartered panels, ethics committees, and accreditation boards analogous to those of Engineering Council and British Standards Institution.

Membership and Qualifications

Membership grades range from student and affiliate levels through practitioner and chartered statuses, reflecting career pathways comparable to Chartered Financial Analyst Institute and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Routes to membership incorporate academic qualifications from universities such as University of Leeds, University of Cambridge, University of Birmingham, and professional experience from programmes like Crossrail or projects at Rolls-Royce and Siemens. The organization offers mentorship and yellow-belt to advanced practitioner pathways that align with employer expectations at firms including Balfour Beatty, Skanska, Arup, and AECOM.

Certifications and Standards

The body awards a range of certifications spanning introductory credentials to chartered status and professional registration, paralleling certification frameworks like those of Project Management Institute and International Project Management Association. It contributes to national and international standards through engagement with British Standards Institution committees and has informed guidance used by public bodies such as Infrastructure and Projects Authority and oversight by National Audit Office. The certifications are recognized by employers in sectors represented by Network Rail, NHS England, Ministry of Defence, and multinational corporations including IBM and Shell.

Professional Development and Events

Continuing professional development is delivered via accredited courses, workshops, and an annual conference that attracts speakers from organisations including European Investment Bank, World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, and industry leaders from Siemens and HSBC. Regional events connect members with local projects like Manchester Airport Expansion or Aberdeen Renewable Energy Hub, while specialist seminars cover topics reflected in major programmes such as High Speed 2 and EDA-related initiatives. The organization also runs awards recognising excellence in project delivery, akin to accolades given by Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and sector awards hosted by Construction News.

Publications and Research

The organization publishes guidance, technical reports, and position papers addressing best practice in project, programme, and portfolio management, with outputs cited alongside research from London School of Economics, Oxford Brookes University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Periodicals and white papers inform debates on governance, risk, and sustainability and have been referenced in parliamentary inquiries and reports by bodies like House of Commons Public Accounts Committee and National Infrastructure Commission. Research partnerships include collaborations with universities and think tanks such as Centre for Policy Studies and Institute for Government, supporting evidence-based improvements in delivery across sectors including transport, energy, and digital transformation.

Category:Professional associations based in the United Kingdom