The Project Management Institute (PMI) is a not-for-profit professional organization for the project management

Project management

Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end , undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value...

 profession with the purpose of advancing project management.

Overview

The Project Management Institute (PMI) offers a range of services to the Project Management

Project management

Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end , undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value...

 profession such as the development of standards, research, education, publication, networking-opportunities in local chapters, hosting conferences and training seminars, and maintaining multiple credentials in project management. These credentials are:

• Certified Associate in Project Management
  Certified Associate in Project Management
  Certified Associate in Project Management is a credential offered by the Project Management Institute . As of July 2009, there were 8,976 active CAPM certified individuals worldwide....
  
   (CAPM)
• Project Management Professional
  Project Management Professional
  Project Management Professional is a credential offered by the Project Management Institute . , there were 393,413 active PMP certified individuals worldwide...
  
   (PMP)
• PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)
• PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)
• Program Management Professional
  Program Management Professional
  Program Management Professional is a credential offered by Project Management Institute to certify individuals as having requisite experience in program management...
  
   (PgMP)

In addition to career development credentials, PMI offers one certification:

• Organizational Project Management Maturity Model Certified Consultant (OPM3-CC)

PMI has recruited volunteers to create industry standards, such as "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge", which has been recognized by the American National Standards Institute

American National Standards Institute

The American National Standards Institute is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organization also coordinates U.S. standards with international...

 (ANSI).

Certification

Launched in 1984, PMI's first certification was the PMP. Around 370,000 people now hold the PMP certification. In 2007, it earned the ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation from the International Organization for Standardization

International Organization for Standardization

The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...

 (ISO). Credential holders do not have to be members of PMI.

To initially obtain a PMI credential, individuals must pass an examination consisting of multiple choice questions. To maintain most PMI credentials, holders must earn Professional Development Units (PDUs) which can be earned in a variety of ways such as taking classes, attending PMI global congresses, contributing to professional research or writing and publishing papers on the subject. Most credentials must be renewed every three years.

Standards

PMI standards are targeted at projects, programs, people, organizations and the profession. Currently, some of the published standards are:

• A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) -- Fourth Edition (2008). Recognised by the American National Standards Institute
  American National Standards Institute
  The American National Standards Institute is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organization also coordinates U.S. standards with international...
  
   (ANSI) as an American National Standard (ANSI/PMI 99-001-2008).
• The Standard for Program Management—Second Edition (2008). Recognised by the American National Standards Institute
  American National Standards Institute
  The American National Standards Institute is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organization also coordinates U.S. standards with international...
  
   (ANSI) as an American National Standard (ANSI/PMI 08-002-2008).
• The Standard for Portfolio Management—Second Edition (2008). Recognised by the American National Standards Institute
  American National Standards Institute
  The American National Standards Institute is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organization also coordinates U.S. standards with international...
  
   (ANSI) as an American National Standard (ANSI/PMI 08-003-2008).
• Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3
  OPM3
  The Organizational Project Management Maturity Model or OPM3 is a globally recognized best-practice standard for assessing and developing capabilities in Portfolio Management, Program Management, and Project Management. It was published by the Project Management Institute...
  
  ) -- Second Edition (2008). Recognised by the American National Standards Institute
  American National Standards Institute
  The American National Standards Institute is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organization also coordinates U.S. standards with international...
  
  (ANSI) as an American National Standard (ANSI/PMI 08-004-2008).
• Construction Extension to the PMBOK Guide—Second Edition (2007)
• Government Extension to the PMBOK Guide—Third Edition
• Practice Standard for Earned Value Management (2005)
• Practice Standard for Project Configuration Management (2007)
• Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures—Second Edition (2006)
• Practice Standard for Project Risk Management (2009)
• Practice Standard for Scheduling (2007)
• Project Manager Competency Development Framework—Second Edition (2007)

According to PMI, standards are developed by volunteers in an open, consensus-based process including an exposure draft process that allows the public to view the standard draft and make change suggestions.