The Standards Evolution

Setting the gold standard in project management for over 50 years

See All PMI Standards

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 ANSI BSR-8 Comment period for The Standard for Portfolio Management, Fifth Edition. This revised standard 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.

Be a part of the development of this revised standard by reviewing and submitting comments during the ANSI BSR-8 comment period from 24, July 2026, 8:00AM EST to 7, September 2026 5:00 PM EST.

Anyone interested is welcome to participate and contribute to The Standard for Portfolio Management, Fifth Edition ensuring it becomes a comprehensive and valued resource for practitioners worldwide.

To ensure a fair and efficient process that allows us to provide quality Standards to the PMI community faster, the ANSI BSR-8 comment period will be facilitated through a user-friendly public comment platform. In submitting comments every effort should be made to provide clear requested changes with rationale or justification supporting the change request.

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.

To submit comments, click the "Submit Comment to ANSI" button within the portal. This action will automatically send your comments to both PMI and ANSI, and a copy of your submission will be delivered to the email address associated with your account. There is no need to download comments or submit them separately by email. Comments must be submitted during the public review period, which runs from July 24, 2026, at 8:00 AM EST through September 7, 2026, at 5:00 PM EST.

All comment files submitted will be reviewed by the Development Team, made up of volunteer practitioners, and will initiate feedback and response to the commenter. Any comment or recommendation you provide will be submitted to the Development Team anonymized.

Access the comment draft and insert your comments here. Only comments submitted as per above during the open period will receive a response via email.

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

The Standard for Portfolio Management

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.