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Chartered Status
Do you have the support of the APM Membership?
Engagement with the membership at events such as the branch forum and member surveys has proved extremely positive. Official notification of the proposal was provided to members via the AGM calling notice in 2007. Of the proxy votes received, over 96% were in favour while at the AGM itself there was unanimous support.
Corporate members are also very keen that we become a Chartered body at the earliest possible opportunity in order to raise standards amongst the project management community.
What is the process for obtaining a Royal Charter?
Following a successful preliminary application in April 2008 the formal Petition and draft Charter were submitted and presented to Her Majesty at the Privy Council meeting on the 9th October. The Queen formally referred the Charter to a committee of the Privy Council for consideration and report. The fact of the application was published in the London Gazette for 8 weeks inviting representations.
No representations had been received when the gazetting period expired on the 4th December. As soon as the Privy Council has received approval from its government and legal advisors the Charter will be submitted to the Queen at a Privy Council meeting with the recommendation of the Privy Council. The Petition and draft Charter can be found here.
Is APM planning to change its name?
Not currently. APM is a well recognised and regarded name. The organisation’s visual identity was revised in 2005 and this has helped establish APM as a modern progressive authority in its field.
There is no established best practice in this area; organisations such as the Engineering Council, Institution of Engineering Technology and British Computer Society have all thrived without overtly promoting their Charter in their name. It is likely that APM will adopt a strap line reflecting its new chartered status.
How is the programme organised?
Chartered and Beyond is a four year, £500,000 programme with three phases. The first phase covers the Privy Council application process including legal aspects and the formation of a new Chartered Body. The second phase will establish a register of Chartered Project Professionals and the third will develop APM and its capabilities to take advantage of the benefits of Chartered status. The phases will overlap.
How will it be funded?
APM is currently seeking financial and other support from a number of organisations to supplement the association’s funds generated from business-as-usual and from its reserves. Any organisation interested in assisting is asked to contact Mike Nichols, Chairman at the APM’s offices at Princes Risborough.
What will Chartered Practitioners be called?
Chartered Practitioners will be known as Chartered Project Professionals (ChPP) to ensure distinction within the market and to reflect the broad range of professional activities involved in the management of projects and programmes.
Why ‘Chartered Project Professional’?
The decision to adopt the term Chartered Project Professional provides APM with the opportunity to recognise all professionals working in a project environment. This includes project managers, programme managers, project support officers, project directors and specialists such as planners. The decision reflects a long held APM value of inclusivity - ie it is open to all members of the project community. It is this value that led to the association’s name change from Association for Project Managers to Association for Project Management in 1996.
It also reflects the practice adopted by recently Chartered similar organisations such as the Chartered Quality Institute and the British Computer Society.
Why ‘ChPP’ and not ‘CPP’?
APM originally alighted on CPP but could not overcome objections from bodies which already held a trademark over those letters. Consequently ChPP was chosen and successfully negotiated.
Why do we need Chartered Project Professionals?
Being admitted to the register of Chartered Project Professionals will indicate that your competence and your commitment to the highest standards have been assessed by authoritative project professionals. It will identify you as having competences that employers value and which are comparable to standards applicable in the rest of the world.
What will be the requirements for APM members who want to become Chartered Project Professionals ?
We have to set the entry criteria at an appropriate level to satisfy the Privy Council that we are regulating the profession at a level where the Public Interest is protected. (Being granted a Royal Charter is a form of government regulation). So there is much still to be thought about as to who should be admitted and what the assessment process will be. We have already decided that it will be a combination of knowledge and experience based on the Competence Framework.
The Privy Council’s requirement is for a programme of compulsory continuing professional development.
As soon as we are able we will publish details of the assessment procedure and invite applications.
For existing APM members who already are chartered with another professional body: how will that transfer across to the APM if at all?
It is currently the intention, in time, to allow members of other professional bodies to join the register of Chartered Project Professionals subject to APM being satisfied that the ChPP entry criteria will be upheld and that the standard of behaviour required by the Code of Conduct of the other body is as high as APM’s. An equivalence matrix will be developed to ensure fairness.
I’m considering taking an APM qualification, how will this affect me when I apply for Chartered Status?
APM is in the process of defining the specific requirements for Chartered Project Professional. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate relevant knowledge, experience and a commitment to continuing professional development as part of their application. All existing project management qualifications will be considered relevant to any application.
How does Chartered Project Professional translate internationally, especially into Europe, against Euro Ing, etc.?
Royal Charters have a powerful resonance overseas and will cement the association’s position as a key player in the development of European and global standards and qualifications. Other chartered bodies have used their position to develop a strong overseas profile, for example BCS has 15 overseas branches whilst larger institutes such as the IET and CIMA operate in over 30 international locations.