A Growing Global Profession: A statement from APM's Chief Executive

New Regions, New Sectors, New Organisations

APM is a champion, protector and friend of the project profession and our vision is to have a world in which all projects succeed. We are the professional body for all project professionals in every sector, whether working in specialist or generalist roles, and wherever they are located in the world. It is part of our strategy for the Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) to become the expected global standard of competence.

To achieve this and to continue to meet the needs of our growing global profession, we have been expanding our activities into new sectors and new geographic regions including internationally. Our increased reach builds capability and capacity into the profession, which in turn supports the delivery of benefits to society.

However, our expanded reach does raise some important ethical questions about the new organisations, sectors and countries we will be working with. For example, what if it becomes apparent there is a misalignment between our values and some of those we work with? Is it right for us to operate in countries where there are concerns about human rights? And is it appropriate for us to work with organisations that could be argued to be contributing to societal issues?

We have not shied away from tackling these important questions and continue to proactively discuss the issues, including at board-level. The situations are often complex and there is rarely a universally accepted approach. Nevertheless all our decisions are made with our values front of mind and with clear consideration of the risks associated with growing our reach.

When it comes to who we work with and where, the guiding principle is that we must support project professionals wherever they are and not deny them access to our community because of the context in which they operate, which may be beyond their control.

However, we are clear that we must continue to be explicit about our commitments and values relating to ethics and to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB). For example, all APM members must adhere to our code of professional conduct, which forbids discrimination against other people. Similarly, ethics and sustainability feature prominently within the competence criteria and assessment process for ChPP. The aim is to share and promote what we believe is right and to encourage positive changes, rather than to avoid situations that are ethically challenging.

When it comes to operating overseas, APM also draws on the advice of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) as well as its own insurers. As a charity, our activity is typically demand-driven and targeted at specific geographic regions to ensure our efforts generate the maximum benefit for the profession we serve.

Of course, APM cannot be expected to change entire cultures. But, as the only chartered membership organisation for the project profession in the world, we will promote our values and beliefs through every interaction we have and every decision we take. On both a personal and professional level, I care profoundly about setting and delivering against a high ethical standard. There will be times when we can be proud of what we are achieving. However, there may be times when we get it wrong. We need to learn the lessons from these experiences and apply them going forwards. Our approach is constantly under review, so if you have feedback for us, please can I encourage you to contact us.

Prof Adam Boddison OBE
Chief Executive – Association for Project Management