ISO Standards

ISO 21500 – Project Management Standard

This international standard is an excellent guide to project management. Irrespective of the nature of the project, it holistically covers all aspects of project management. The four key phases of project management—initiating, planning, controlling and closing—are embedded in the project management fundamentals and protocols, which are essential to ensure success.

The complete standards, based on the key inputs from the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), are available in a handbook published by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Key Inputs for Better Project Governance

1. Requirement of a project charter
2. Requirement of a project execution plan
3. Requirement of a construction management plan
4. Requirement of a subcontracting management plan
5. Requirement of a communication plan
6. Requirement of a project risk identification and mitigation register
7. Requirement of a stakeholders’ management plan
8. Requirement of a procurement plan
9. Requirement of a project schedule
10. Requirement of a project budget and cost control plan

In most cases, some or many of the above plans are not available at the time of project execution, and that is the main reason for many of the issues in projects. Proper implementation of this international standard with the top management’s commitment will lead to project success.