The Standards Evolution

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What is a standard?

A standard is a document, established by consensus and approved by a recognized body, which provides for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context. Developed under a process based on the concepts of consensus, openness, due process, and balance, PMI standards provide guidelines for achieving specific project, program and portfolio management results.

PMI global standards are the foundation of the profession, helping to ensure your organization’s knowledge and frameworks are up-to-date.

Standards Development

How are standards developed?

Our standards are developed and approved through a consensus-based process that ensures that all interested stakeholders can participate. PMI is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited standards developer, and our process conforms with ANSI requirements.

Why does this matter? ANSI—the American National Standards Institute—provides a fair and transparent process that ensures all voices can be heard. Whether you’re a professional, a member of the public, or simply someone who cares about how things are done, your input counts. No single group dominates the process, and every comment submitted through the proper channels receives a response.

This is part of ANSI’s commitment to due process, a cornerstone of how Standards are developed.

By following ANSI’s Essential Requirements, PMI ensures a level playing field for everyone involved. That leads to stronger, more relevant standards—built by consensus and informed by diverse perspectives.

Policy for the Development and Coordination of American National Standards

The following is an overview of PMI’s standards development process:

  1. A notice is placed on PMI’s volunteer platform for opportunities to participate in standard development. A Development Team of subject matter experts (SMEs) is assembled from the pool of applicants to develop content for the new standard. An additional group of SMEs is selected to serve as a Review Team to provide ongoing feedback as content is developed. PMI’s product owner of the standard serves to assist the teams and provide guidance during the development and review process.

  2. The teams meet over a period of several months to draft and refine the standard.

  3. The draft document is made available for public comment in a Draft Comment Period (DCP). The Development Team considers these comments and revises the draft, as appropriate.

  4. The fully-edited draft is sent for approval to the Standards Consensus Committee (SCC), a group of independent volunteers, who approves the content and determines consensus of each PMI standard. At the same time, the fully-edited draft is posted for another comment period, known as a BSR-8 public comment, fulfilling the ANSI requirement. These comments are addressed per ANSI essential requirements.

Upon approval by ANSI and PMI internal stakeholders, the new standard is made available.

Information about current standards projects and volunteer opportunities can be found at: https://www.pmi.org/standards/about

Comment on existing standards

If you find an error in a PMI standard, have a question or a suggestion for changes, please use our comment form to submit your recommendations to [email protected].

PMI Standards Program Comment Form Download

Current PMI Standards Projects

The Standard for Portfolio Management – Fifth Edition

We are excited to announce the Draft Comment Period for The Standard for Portfolio Management – Fifth Edition. This new edition builds on the foundation of the fourth edition, offering portfolio managers, practitioners, and organizations authoritative guidance for delivering sustained strategic value through effective portfolio management. While the core principles of portfolio management remain, this updated standard reflects the evolving landscape of organizational strategy, governance, and value delivery.

The purpose of this Standard is to help practitioners and organizations align portfolio management with strategic objectives by providing: 

  • An overview of how portfolio management drives organizational value
  • A framework for portfolio governance, performance, and risk management
  • Considerations for managing portfolios effectively across complex and dynamic environments 
  • Updated models, tools, and techniques for modern portfolio management practice

Be a part of the development of this updated standard by accessing the draft and recording your comments via the PMI online Public Comment Portal from 8:00AM EST 8 May to 5:00PM EST 22 May 2026.

Anyone interested is welcome to participate and contribute to The Standard for Portfolio Management – Fifth Edition, helping ensure it becomes a comprehensive and authoritative resource for portfolio management practitioners worldwide.

Keep change requests and justifications succinct and clear. Separate lengthy comments into multiple entries to avoid ambiguity or misunderstanding of intent. Please categorize each individual comment into one of the following three categories:

  • Technical – Relates to the technical aspects of the content presented.
  • Editorial – Addresses grammar, structure, or formatting.
  • General – Provides broad feedback to the team, which may impact the entire document rather than specific sections.

Any comment or recommendation you provide will be submitted to the Development Team anonymized. All comments will be reviewed by the Development Team, made up of volunteer practitioners. Any accepted revisions from the Draft Comment Period will be incorporated into the final version of the standard. 

Your thorough review of the entire document and your submission of any recommended changes is encouraged.

Access the comment draft and insert your comments here. Only comments entered using the PMI comment portal during the open period will be considered.

For questions regarding the process, please contact PMI for Support and Service.

 

The Standard for Portfolio Management
Retiring Requirements Management: A Practice Guide

Requirements Management: A Practice Guide is being retired as part of PMI’s transition to a more integrated approach to business analysis and project delivery. Guidance from this publication is now available in Business Analysis: A Practice Guide (Second Edition), along with related PMI resources, providing a more comprehensive and modern foundation for requirements management practice.

Professionals seeking guidance on requirements management should refer to Business Analysis: A Practice Guide (Second Edition). Developed by a global team of business analysis experts, this publication integrates requirements management within the broader business analysis discipline and supports application in both professional and everyday contexts.

Availability of the Retired Publication
Requirements Management: A Practice Guide will remain available as a free digital download for PMI members until 31 March 2026. Printed copies will no longer be produced and will only be available for purchase while existing inventory lasts.

Cover of Requirements Management: A Practice Guide

Call for Volunteers: Standard for Business Analysis Second Edition

PMI is currently accepting applications for both the Development and Review volunteer project teams for the revision of the Standard for Business Analysis. The volunteer teams will be responsible for authoring and providing strategic oversight to the updated content in the publication.

Be part of the content development for this revision which is poised to reflect current practices, emerging trends, and thought leadership in the profession. The update will ensure the Standard remains a relevant, clear, and globally recognized reference for business analysis. It will also strengthen the integration of business analysis with project management and support practitioners and organizations in improving their capabilities while ensuring alignment with the latest editions of the PMBOK® Guide and other PMI publications.

The application window is open from 12 January 2026 to 6 February 2026.  Visit the PMI Volunteer Engagement Platform (VEP) (https://volunteer.pmi.org) to learn more and apply for the Volunteer Development Project Team or the Volunteer Review Project Team using keywords "Business Analysis".

For questions regarding the process, please contact PMI for Support and Service.

 

The Standard for Business Analysis

Navigating Complexity, A Practice Guide - 2nd Edition

We are excited to announce the Draft Comment Period for Navigating Complexity, a Practice Guide – 2nd Edition. This new edition builds on the foundation of the first edition, offering advanced practitioners and organizations practical guidance for recognizing and navigating complexity in projects and programs. While complexity does not alter the core principles of project or program management, it does require heightened attention to interdependence, connectivity, emergence, non-linearity, and multidimensionality.

The purpose of this Practice Guide is to help practitioners and organizations deliver sustained value in complex environments by providing:

  • An overview of how complexity affects projects and programs
  • A practical framework for categorizing project complexity
  • Considerations for managing effectively within complex contexts
  • Case studies, tools, techniques, frameworks, and assessments

Note: The final section containing case studies, tools, and assessments is not included in this Draft Comment Period. However, as this section builds upon insights from the preceding chapters, any accepted revisions from the Draft Comment Period will be incorporated into the final version of that section.

Be a part of the development of this new practice guide by accessing the draft and recording your comments via the PMI online Public Comment Portal from 8 am EST 8 December to 5 pm EST 19 December 2025.

Anyone interested is welcome to participate and contribute to the Navigating Complexity, a Practice Guide – Second Edition, helping ensure it becomes a comprehensive and valued resource for advanced practitioners worldwide.

Access the comment draft and insert your comments here. Only comments entered using the PMI comment portal during the open period will be considered.

For questions regarding the process, please contact PMI for Support and Service.

Navigating Complexity

Comment Period for the Agile Practice Guide - Second Edition

We are excited to announce the Draft Comment Period for the Agile Practice Guide – Second Edition. This new edition updates the foundational guide with recent developments including agile practice, social, and strategic changes. Practice changes include the use of AI, an increased prevalence of remote teams and product management. Social changes include terminology changes, sustainability, and an increased emphasis on psychological safety. Finaly, strategic changes include the rise in awareness in enterprise agility and taking a longer-term view of project success.

Be a part of the development of this new practice guide by accessing the draft and recording your comments via the PMI online Public Comment Portal from 8 am EST 25 September to 5 pm EST 8 October 2025.

Anyone interested is welcome to participate and contribute to the Agile Practice Guide – Second Edition helping ensure it becomes a comprehensive and valued resource for practitioners worldwide.

Access the comment draft and insert your comments here. Only comments entered using the PMI comment portal during the open period will be considered.

For questions regarding the process, please Contact PMI for Support and Service.

To learn more about all agile Initiatives visit our PMI agile page and the Agile Alliance website.

Agile Practice Guide

Comment period for the Standard for Artificial Intelligence in Portfolio, Program, and Project Management

The ANSI mandated BSR8 Comment Period for the proposed Standard for Artificial Intelligence in Portfolio, Program, and Project Management is closed.

This new proposed standard establishes a framework to govern the development, deployment, and oversight of AI initiatives within an organization. This standard serves to ensure responsible and effective use of AI while promoting transparency, fairness, and accountability throughout the portfolio, program, and project lifecycle, ultimately contributing to organizational success and societal benefit.

Thank you to those who participated and provided feedback to this valued resource. All comments made and submitted via email following the instructions provided will be reviewed by the Development Team. The Development Team is comprised of volunteer practitioners. If the team chooses to make the requested change, the commenter will see their change incorporated when the standard is published.

Further updates and announcements on availability of publication will be made.

For questions regarding the process, please Contact PMI for Support and Service.

To learn more about all PMIxAI Initiatives visit our AI in Project Management page.

The Standards for Artificial Intelligence

International Standards Activities

To promote the project management profession, PMI volunteers and staff participate in a number of international standards activities.

 

ISO, the International Standards Organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland develops international standards related to a wide variety of topics. ISO’s Technical Committee TC258 develops standards for project, program, and portfolio management and related topics. TC258 has developed the following International Standards published by ISO:

  • ISO 21500 Project, programme and portfolio management — Context and concepts

  • ISO 21502 Project, programme and portfolio management — Guidance on project management

  • ISO 21503 Project, programme and portfolio management — Guidance on programme management

  • ISO 21504 Project, programme and portfolio management — Guidance on portfolio management

  • ISO 21505 Project, programme and portfolio management — Guidance on governance

  • ISO 21506 Project, programme and portfolio management — Vocabulary

  • ISO 21508 Earned value management in project and programme management

  • ISO 21511 Work breakdown structures for project and programme management

  • ISO 21512 Project, Programme and portfolio management — Earned value management implementation guidance.

PMI administers the ISO/TC 258 on behalf of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). For details on current TC 258 activities, please visit the ISO TC 258 website

Interested in participating?

If you are interested in participating in ISO/TC 258, you must first join your country’s mirror committee. Start by contacting your country’s national standards body.

If you or your organization are domiciled in the United States and would like to participate in ISO/TC 258 activities, you can join the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (U.S. TAG), an ANSI-accredited committee comprised of subject matter experts, individuals and entities directly and materially affected by the standards activities of ISO/TC 258. To become a member of the U.S. TAG, email [email protected]. Shape

The U.S. TAG has an ongoing call for technical experts. See a short presentation to learn the requirements for participation and how to apply.

US TAG to ISO TC 258 Outreach Presentation-2023

Members of the U.S. TAG are guided by a Code of Conduct which outlines responsibilities and consequences of any violations.