What is the ICB4?
The IPMA Individual Competence Baseline (ICB4) is the global standard for individual competences in project, program and portfolio management.
How Is The ICB4 Different?
The ICB4 is focused on Competences, as opposed to process or knowledge areas. The 29 Competence Elements within the ICB4 focus on behaviours and outcomes. Competence is recognised to include knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience to create project managers who are better equipped to handle modern, complex projects.
IPMA’s four-level certification process is aligned with the ICB4 and is a stronger predictor of project management success than a one-time, knowledge-based test.
What Is Inside the ICB4?
A central concept of the ICB4 is the ‘eye of competence’, which represents the three management domains of project, program, and portfolio management.
Based on a specific model, individuals should excel in perspective competences that address the context of his or her project, program or portfolio, people competences that address personal and social topics and practice competences that address the specific technical aspects for managing his or her project, program or portfolio.
Summary
- 5 Perspective competence elements
- 10 People competence elements
- 14 Practice competence elements
Each competence element is measurable and consists of a definition, the purpose, a description of the content, knowledge areas, skills and a set of key competence indicators with a description and measures.
IPMA offers a four-level certification program based on the IPMA Individual Competence Baseline (ICB4): IPMA levels A, B, C, and D.
History
The International Project Management Association (IPMA) is a leading worldwide not-for-profit project management association with more than 70 member associations. IPMA published the first official version of the ICB (Version 2.0) in 1999, with a small modification in 2001. Version 3 was published in 2007 and Version 4 in 2015. Version 5 is expected in 2026.
Target Audience
The target audience consists of project, program and portfolio managers and staff as well as general managers, assessors, coaches, HR managers and trainers involved in project, program and portfolio management. This list is by no means exhaustive.
Scope and Constraints
The IPMA Individual Competence Baseline version 4 delivers a comprehensive inventory of competences that an individual needs to possess or to develop to successfully realise projects, programs or portfolios. None of the other frameworks or methods for project, program or portfolio management does this. The ICB4 framework is therefore most suitable for the development and assessment of individual project, program and portfolio managers. Further the ICB4 is applicable for all sectors and industries.
The ICB4 does not recommend or include specific methods or tools. Methods and tools may be defined by the organisation. The project, program or portfolio manager should choose appropriate methods and tools fit for the actual circumstances.