PMI PMP Code of Professional Conduct

In March 2002, the PMP Certification Examination changed to include an additional performance requirement specific to professional responsibility in the practice of project management. With the news media routinely reporting ethical lapses and abuses of professional judgment in various industries and companies, the PMI PMP Code of Professional Conduct clearly establishes what is and is not appropriate in the performance of professional project management services.

The PMI PMP Code of Professional Conduct focuses on conflicts of interest, truthful representation, and your responsibility to the profession, the customers, and the public. Most of the information contained in the PMI PMP Code of Professional Conduct will seem obvious and intuitive upon your initial read, but it ensures that all PMP-certified practitioners have an equal understanding of the responsibilities for honesty and integrity in the profession.

The PMI PMP Code of Professional Conduct is not a component of the PMBOK; rather it is a one-page stand-alone document available on the PMI website. It should be read carefully and thoroughly.

Of the six knowledge areas tested, professional responsibility accounts for 14.5% of the PMP Certification Examination. This means 29 of the 200 multiple-choice questions concentrate on professional responsibility. The inclusion of professional responsibility in the PMP Certification Examination is a testament to the value placed on ethical standards and integrity in the profession.

Where Do I Find the PMI PMP Code of Professional Conduct?

The PMI PMP Code of Professional Conduct is available on the PMI website, www.pmi.org/info/PDC_PMPCodeOfConductFile.asp.

If this URL is inactive or no longer works, visit the PMI website, select Professional Development and Careers from the available headings across the top of your screen, and a drop-down menu appears.

Select Certifications from the drop-down menu. The certifications menu appears on a new screen page with menu options on the left of the screen.

Select Project Management Professional. A new screen page appears with Code of Professional Conduct as a menu option on the left of the screen.

Select Code of Professional Conduct. A new screen page appears with an Adobe file of the document.

The PMI PMP Code of Professional Conduct accounts for one out of every seven questions on the PMP Certification Examination. This is only a one-page document but is the basis for a significant number of exam questions.

The PMI PMP Code of Professional Conduct is comprised of two sections: Responsibilities to the Profession, and Responsibilities to Customers and the Public. Both sections ask you to apply ethical standards to your work, acting in an accurate, trustworthy, honest manner while acknowledging and minimizing conflicts of interest.

In the first section, these responsibilities are concentrated in your obligation to the profession, while the later section applies these requirements in light of your accountability to customers. You are asked by PMI to support and adhere to all of these responsibilities.

Read through this chapter and become familiar with the terminology, specifically understanding how each concept is used in reference to the PMI PMP Code of Professional Conduct. After you have developed a frame of reference for these terms in conjunction with the Code, memorize the outline provided in Table 8.1. The outline allows you to recall the information connected with each area in detail during your examination.

Table 8.1. Outline of the PMI PMP Code of Professional Conduct

Professional Responsibilities	Summary
To the profession	Compliance with all organizational rules and policies Candidate/certificant professional practice Advancement of the profession
To the customers and the public	Qualifications, experience, and performance of professional services Conflict of interest situations and other prohibited professional conduct