Global Solutions and Experience
In many ways and by multiple measures, 2020 was one of PMI’s most successful years. The pandemic provided the impetus to advance a number of key initiatives – such as online proctoring – that we had long contemplated and that have helped advance our digital-first strategy.
We benefited too from special circumstances like the upcoming PMP exam change. That drove total membership to 652,000, up 8.5 percent year-over-year, and boosted our total certifications to 1.9 million.
We also continued our work enhancing PMI’s infrastructure. We executed production launches of ERP, CRM, E-Commerce and membership platforms. We integrated Disciplined Agile/FLEX and Brightline into the organization more fully. And we implemented our ATP program with more than 500 ATPs now operating around the world.
Perhaps most gratifying was our work to support stakeholders struggling through the pandemic. To enhance their experience of PMI, we launched our Virtual Experience Series, reaching 47,000 attendees in 146 countries, and offered more than 150,000 free courses and 550,000 PDUs.
2020 was indeed a leap-frog year. We demonstrated enormous agility through a once-in-a-lifetime crisis and are now primed for success in 2021 and beyond.
PMI Membership
652K+
UP
8.5%
Year-Over-Year
Virtual Experience Series
47K
Members
146
Countries
Future Insight: Leadership – The Skill You Can’t Get from the Books
Hear from project professionals around the globe on the skills that they think will make you stand out as a leader in your organization.
Expanding Our Product Portfolio
PMI continues to explore and unveil a range of new products, services and channels to enhance the relevancy of the project management community.
More than ever, successful project practitioners are those that can leverage the right tool, method and framework for the right problem to deliver the right outcome for their employers. PMI’s portfolio of products – whether it’s Citizen Developer, predictive, Agile, lean or design thinking – enable individuals to do just that.
Our expanded product portfolio provides choices – opportunities to learn and evolve to gain tailored skillsets.
Examples of our expanded product portfolio include:
Disciplined Agile Certification Suite: A range of agile certifications designed to help you tackle challenges throughout each step of your career, with an emphasis on leveraging the DA tool kit to tailor the best agile approaches to the unique needs of your organization.
PMI Citizen Developer™: The first of its kind, platform-agnostic learning tools and resources for organizations seeking to implement and scale Citizen Development (CD) practices, offering the hyper-agile ways of working needed to facilitate large-scale change with no-code/low-code platforms.
PMI Project Management Ready™: An early-entry project management certification available to those who do not yet have a high school diploma and/or may not have the experience and education required for our entry-level professional certification, the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) exam.
PMI Citizen Development Body of Knowledge
86% of IT decision-makers say the biggest challenge to digitally transform their business is too few software developers.
That’s where the power of citizen development comes in—with no-code/low-code platforms, anyone can build applications without software expertise, significantly faster, and at a fraction of the cost.
Throughout 2020, PMI laid the foundation to emerge as a leader in citizen development, including the launch of the PMI Citizen Development Body of Knowledge (CDBOK™), a centralized resource to help individuals and enterprises understand best practices for implementing citizen development within an organization at scale.
PMI Disciplined Agile
PMI has strengthened our position in the agile marketplace and provide even more value for our members, via Disciplined Agile (DA). In 2020 we announced a new Agile certification journey comprised of five certifications: Disciplined Agile Scrum Master (DASM), Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master (DASSM), Disciplined Agile Coach (DAC), Disciplined Agile Value Stream Consultant, and our existing PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP). DASM and DASSM were both launched in Q4 2020.
We have integrated FLEX into DA to become DA FLEX, the value stream portion of the DA tool kit. We also integrated the DA and FLEX web sites into PMI.org and have merged DA membership and certifications into the PMI infrastructure. Our DA training offerings are a key component of our Authorized Training Partner (ATP) program.
Case Study: Disciplined Agile Changes Everything
Franklin Templeton used the full suite of Disciplined Agile training offerings, including team-based training, Product Owner training, and training in agile for managers.
As Disciplined Agile spread across the organization, other efficiencies included leaner teams, fewer and less severe quality defects, quicker decision times, and a greater sense of empowerment among employees enjoying the autonomy that came with a
new way of working.
Over time, Franklin Templeton trained 800 people in 10 countries in Disciplined Agile. It adopted a fully remote approach to training, and feedback surveys found that this was the most effective and popular way of bringing Disciplined Agile to the workforce.
Standards and Publications
In 2020, PMI completed development for the PMBOK® Guide – Seventh Edition, including the revision to the ANSI-accredited Standard for Project Management. Developed through a customer centric and iterative approach, the new edition of the PMBOK® Guide provides inclusive principles for achieving project outcomes and a flexible framework to help project teams tailor their approach. Translation validation was completed for publication in nine languages, in preparation for a 2021 release.
PMIstandards+™ was introduced as a new PMI member benefit in December 2020, expanding and enhancing PMI’s standards experience following a successful MVP launch. PMI members gained access to the content of the PMBOK® Guide – Sixth Edition and the Agile Practice Guide, along with new supplemental content in an accessible, interactive, digital solution. PMI closed out the year prepared for a subscriber launch and the inclusion of the PMI Guide to Business Analysis and the Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures in early 2021.
Responding to needs for a more flexible experience for purchasing our published titles, PMI partnered with Independent Publishing Group (IPG) to fulfill book sales, directly and through their vast reseller network. Through their partnership with Eurospan, PMI has been able to negotiate significant reductions in shipping costs, thereby increasing global access to our expanding library of publications.
In 2020, PMI published four books, four white papers, six issues of Project Management Journal, and seven issues of PM Network and PMI Today. The books published were:
- Choose Your Way of Working (WoW)
- Introduction to Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD)
- Design Patterns Companion
- Citizen Development: The Handbook for Creators and Change Makers
The white papers were:
- Digital Transformation of Traditional PBOs and Modern PNWs
- Introduction: Multilevel Learning in the Project
- Reinventing Megaproject Delivery Models
- Dynamics of New Business Creation – The Contribution of Project Management.
Certifications
PMI certifications offer instant recognition.
Based on rigorous standards and ongoing research PMI certifications help you show your colleagues that you’ve mastered the strategies, tools and communication needed to keep projects moving forward. With a certification behind your name, you show you have the ability to run effective projects and work on any team, in any industry.
PMI continues to develop new certification offerings, including offerings focused on Disciplined Agile, driving transformation with the Brightline Initiative, and Citizen Developer.
Wherever you are in your career, PMI certifications can take you to the next level.
Disciplined Agile Certifications
Project Management Professional (PMP)®
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)®
PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)®
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®
Program Management Professional (PgMP)®
Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP)®
PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)®
PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)®
PMI Project Management Ready™
Reimagining PMI Events for a Virtual World
Throughout 2020, we reimagined our in-person events as a new series of virtual and hybrid experiences. As Bob Chen, PMI Managing Director for China, put it when describing the shift from the traditional PMI China Congress to hybrid event model, "This new hybrid model will be standard for the future, as we know it’s unlikely that the pandemic will just be over and the world will go back to normal. Only people and organizations who are 'gymnastic' can thrive through the pandemic and in the post-COVID-19 recovery."
When PMI launched the Virtual Experience Series last spring, our goals were simple. We wanted to provide our global community with moments of inspiration and hope, with tools of the trade that could be implemented during a disruptive time, and with organic and meaningful ways to make connections with each other.
We did that — and we won awards for it! We inspired, educated, and engaged more than 17,000 virtual audience members from more than 146 countries. The series hosted a wide range of inspiring leaders, including “Daily Show” host Trevor Noah, Nobel Peace Prize Winner Malala Yousafzai, and Chef José Andrés, among many others.
Empowering Changemakers with Free Courses and Resources
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, PMI announced a collection of free digital offerings to help professionals continue to build skills and prepare to advance in a post COVID-19 world. “In today’s environment, organizations and individuals need to be more proactive and agile in their response to change – whether it comes from the market, a competitor or the economy,” said Grace Najjar, Managing Director, PMI MENA. “By launching these online resources, we aim to help professionals navigate this new ecosystem of work so they can be ready for anything. As leaders increasingly look to those that can proactively drive change and deliver results, our goal is to help empower professionals to act as these ‘change makers’ at their organizations.” Many of the resources and courses offered through an online hub benefitted candidates in need of Professional Development Units (PDUs), as well as those looking to build new skills, practices and knowledge sets.
Serving Our Global Community Online Proctored Testing
Throughout 2020, many organizations found that their response to the crisis had an unexpected side effect – accelerating innovation.
Beginning in April, PMI began offering project professionals the ability to schedule and take their Project Management Professional (PMP)® exam online from their home or office. The PMP exam now joins two other PMI certification exams professionals can take online: the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® certification exams.
Candidates can now take the exam online using Pearson VUE’s OnVUE online proctored testing software. Like center-based testing, online proctored testing requires candidates to be monitored by a proctor, who is offsite monitoring test takers with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
“In these uncertain times, we are working diligently to provide members and certification candidates with the resources they need to invest in their professional development,” said Michael DePrisco, PMI COO. “Online proctored testing for the PMP exam is an important step in that journey. It has always been in our future, but we prioritized it now to ensure the safety and well-being of our community.”
“PMI achieved great success this year in pivoting quickly to what our members asked for. For example, changing the PMP exam to be online; or adding more content on line so that PDUs could be achieved. These are great examples of our focus on our stakeholders and how we can serve them better.”
– Ben Breen, Managing Director, Asia Pacific
“In 2020, I'm proud that PMI was able to deliver the products, services and offerings that enabled individuals to continue their career journey during unprecedented disruption and uncertainty in the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We delivered no-cost online courses to more than 150,000 individuals, enabled thousands of candidates to sit for the PMP exam on our new online proctored testing platform and launched a series of virtual events that brought high quality content, speakers, and thought leadership to tens of thousands of people around the globe. All of this was made possible by our passionate and dedicated global community of staff, volunteers and organization partners working together to make an impact.”
– Mike DePrisco, PMI Chief Operating Officer
Authorized Training Partner Program ATP Roll-Out
In 2020, PMI launched the new Authorized Training Partner program designed to help stakeholders find high-quality training in preparation to sit for PMP and DA PMI exams. PMI-ATP providers offer in-depth programs that help educate and guide those preparing to take PMI exams on what they need to know – not simply in terms of processes, but the accompanying principles of effective project management.
To earn a designation as a PMI Authorized Training Partner, providers must meet rigorous standards for quality and effectiveness. The program is designed to elevate the quality of training with PMI-approved and vetted instructors and course content, providing a more consistent experience for those aspiring to earn PMI PMP & DA certifications. PMIATP providers ultimately not only help practitioners to more effectively succeed on their exams, but better develop a robust understanding of how project management practices can be applied to a range of their real-world challenges.
As one student said, “This is a global standard. Regardless of my score on the exam, I will be a better leader because I took this course.” The newly launched program has generated a range of positive testimonials from instructors and test takers alike.
“Through our relationship with PMI, Southern New Hampshire University is able to offer our learners critical skills in the area of project management and support them with preparatory material to sit for industry-recognized credentials administered by PMI that are highly sought after across various business industries. The utilization of the ATP model to teach Project Management Professional (PMP)® content in our courses allows us to ensure our students are learning the most relevant, and up-to-date material available in the field of project management by trained experts in the field.”
Zuzana Buzzell, Ph.D.
Associate Dean, Global Campus Business Programs, Southern New Hampshire University
ProjectManagement.com
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2020, PMI’s digital community, ProjectManagement.com, grew even bigger as it welcomed 3.5 million unique visitors from more than 190 countries, offering content in multiple languages.
PMI’s popular digital community attracted 2.6 million on-demand webinar views, and included live and on-demand offerings that championed Disciplined Agile, the Virtual Experience Series, Global Chapters and more.
The community’s practical articles attracted 1.1 million views and helped project managers adapt during a year of uncertainty, while its vast library of templates accounted for 600K downloads. In 2020, the site launched a new Citizen Developer community; hosted 44K live attendees for PMXPO, its largest live event ever; and garnered four Top Ten selections in FeverBee’s Best Online Communities of 2020.
