IPMA Level-B: Certified Senior Project / Programme / Portfolio Manager

IPMA Level B: Certified Senior Project Manager

An IPMA certification at Level B for project management requires that the candidate has acted in a complex project environment within an organisation.

Eligibility criteria: within the last eight years the candidate needs to have a minimum of five years’ experience as a project manager of which at least three years were in a responsible leadership function managing complex projects. The evidence timescale can be extended by four years to twelve years with justification.

IPMA Level B: Certified Senior Programme Manager

An IPMA certification at Level B for programme management requires that the candidate has acted in a complex programme environment within an organisation.

Eligibility criteria: within the last eight years  the candidate needs to have a minimum of five years’ experience as a programme manager of which at least three years were in a responsible leadership function managing complex programmes. The evidence timescale can be extended by four years to twelve years with justification.

IPMA Level B: Certified Senior Portfolio Manager

An IPMA certification at Level B for portfolio management requires that the candidate has acted in a complex portfolio environment within an organisation.

Eligibility criteria:  within  the  last  eight  years  the  candidate  needs  to  have  a minimum  of five years’ experience  as a portfolio  manager  of which at least three years were in a responsible leadership function managing complex portfolios. The evidence timescale can be extended by four years to twelve years with justification.

Complexity of projects, programmes and portfolios

Project, programme and portfolio complexity is evaluated based on the requirements of eligibility for each certification level, and candidates use suitable examples of evidence for their application to meet the complexity criteria. The evaluation of complexity of each project, programme or portfolio covers:

    Capability-based indicators

• Objectives and assessment of results (output-related complexity): this indicator describes the complexity originating from vague, exacting and mutually conflicting goals, objectives, requirements and expectations.
• Processes, methods, tools and techniques (process-related complexity): this indicator describes the complexity related to the number of tasks, assumptions and constraints and their interdependence; the processes and process quality requirements; the team and communication structure; and the availability of supporting methods, tools and techniques.
• Resources including finance (input-related complexity): this indicator describes complexities relating to acquiring and funding the necessary budgets (possibly from several sources); the diversity or lack of availability of resources (both human and other); and the processes and activities needed to manage the financial and resource aspects, including procurement.
• Risk and opportunities (risk-related complexity): this indicator describes complexity related to the risk profile(s) and uncertainty levels of the project, programme or portfolio and dependent initiatives.

    Context-based indicators

• Stakeholders and integration (strategy-related complexity): this indicator describes the influence of formal strategy from the sponsoring organisation(s), and the standards, regulations, informal strategies and politics which may influence the project, programme or portfolio. Other factors may include the importance of outcomes for the organisation; the measure of agreement between stakeholders; the informal power, interests and resistance surrounding the project, programme or portfolio; and any legal or regulatory requirements.
• Relations with permanent organisations (organisation-related complexity): this indicator describes the amount and interrelatedness of the interfaces of the project, programme or portfolio with the organisation’s systems, structures, reporting and decision-making processes.
• Cultural and social context (socio-cultural complexity): this indicator describes complexity resulting from socio-cultural dynamics. These may include interfaces with participants, stakeholders or organisations from different socio-cultural backgrounds or having to deal with distributed teams.

    Management and leadership based complexity indicators

• Leadership, teamwork and decisions (team-related complexity): this indicator describes the management/leadership requirements from within the project, programme or portfolio. This indicator focuses on the complexity originating from the relationship with the team(s) and their maturity and hence the vision, guidance and steering the team requires to deliver.
• Degree of innovation and general conditions (innovation-related complexity): this indicator describes the complexity originating from the degree of technical innovation of the project, programme or portfolio. This indicator may focus on the learning and associated resourcefulness required to innovate and/or work with unfamiliar outcomes, approaches, processes, tools and/or methods.
• Demand for coordination (autonomy-related complexity): this indicator describes the amount of autonomy and responsibility that the project, programme or portfolio manager/leader has been given or has taken/shown. This indicator focuses on coordinating, communicating, promoting and defending the project, programme or portfolio interests with others.

Complexity is measured against that of similar projects, programmes or portfolios for the level applied for in its profile environment and each complexity indicator is scored. When more than one project, programme or portfolio is provided by the candidate, each is independently assessed by the assessors who only accept competence evidence from projects, programmes or portfolios that meet the minimum complexity requirements for the level at which the candidate has applied.

Competence baseline for assessment

The frame of reference during the assessment process is the IPMA ICB and its component CEs. It is the IPMA standard for certification and is used for the assessment of candidates by each CB. The IPMA ICB has a number of CEs, each of which has a number of Key Competence Indicators (KCIs). The assessment of a candidate is undertaken at the CE level using the KCIs to support the assessment. The IPMA ICB definition of individual competence is the ‘application of knowledge, skills and abilities in order to achieve the desired results in a work environment’. The assessment of a B-level candidate  is based on the demonstration  of the CE applied in a complex project, programme or portfolio environment.

Exam questions, interview questions and simulation case studies used for level B (where appropriate) are formulated such that they allow candidates to demonstrate the application  of knowledge, skills and abilities across the various assessment  methods used.

To achieve Level B, candidates must demonstrate sufficient evidence of 80% of the domain CEs defined in the IPMA ICB, in a complex environment. To demonstrate sufficient evidence against a specific CE, candidates need to demonstrate a minimum of 50% of the KCIs.

Progress payments for the certification fees may be made using our Level-B Certification Online Payment Form (Members) and Level B Certification Online Payment Form (Non-Members).