Iso 21500-2021
Iso 21500-2021
Second edition
2021-03
Reference number
ISO 21500:2021(E)
© ISO 2021
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ISO 21500:2021(E)
Contents Page
Foreword......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... iv
Introduction...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................v
1 Scope.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
2 Normative references....................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
3 Terms and definitions...................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
4 Project, programme and portfolio management concepts....................................................................................... 3
4.1 General............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3
4.2 Projects, programmes and portfolios................................................................................................................................... 4
4.3 Organizational environment........................................................................................................................................................ 5
4.4 External environment........................................................................................................................................................................ 5
4.5 Strategy implementation................................................................................................................................................................. 6
4.6 Integrated governance and management approaches.......................................................................................... 7
5 Standards on project, programme and portfolio management............................................................................ 8
5.1 General............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 8
5.2 Overview....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
5.2.1 Core standards.................................................................................................................................................................... 9
5.2.2 Supporting standards and vocabulary........................................................................................................... 9
5.3 Benefits of using standards on project, programme and portfolio management....................... 10
5.3.1 General................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
5.3.2 Project management................................................................................................................................................... 10
5.3.3 Programme management....................................................................................................................................... 10
5.3.4 Portfolio management.............................................................................................................................................. 10
5.3.5 Governance......................................................................................................................................................................... 11
5.4 Organizational considerations for selection................................................................................................................ 11
Bibliography.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/
iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 258, Project, programme and portfolio
management.
Introduction
This document provides overarching guidance for the use of the standards on project, programme and
portfolio management prepared by ISO/TC 258, and an overview of these disciplines and the related
governance in an organization.
The audience for this document includes, but is not limited to:
— practitioners and professionals of project management, programme management and portfolio
management;
— executives, senior management, sponsors and other governing bodies overseeing projects,
programmes and portfolios;
— project, programme and portfolio stakeholders;
— academia;
— developers of national standards, organizational standards, industry standards and public policy;
— users of any of the standards on project, programme and portfolio management prepared by
ISO/TC 258.
1 Scope
This document specifies the organizational context and underlying concepts for undertaking project,
programme and portfolio management. It also provides guidance for organizations to adopt or improve
project, programme and portfolio management using the standards prepared by ISO/TC 258.
This document is applicable to most organizations, including public and private organizations and it is
not dependent on the size and type of the organization. It is also applicable to any project, programme
and portfolio, regardless of complexity, size or duration.
Further guidance on project, programme and portfolio management, and the governance thereof, is
given in ISO 21502, ISO 21503, ISO 21504 and ISO 21505.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3.5
governing body
person, group or entity accountable for the governance (3.4) of an organization, organizations or a part
of an organization
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 21506:2018, 3.26]
3.6
opportunity
risk occurrence that would have a favourable impact
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 21506:2018, 3.36]
3.7
outcome
change resulting from the use of the output (3.8) from a project (3.15)
[SOURCE: ISO 21502:2020, 3.10]
3.8
output
aggregated tangible or intangible deliverables (3.3) that form the project (3.15) result
[SOURCE: ISO 21502:2020, 3.14]
3.9
portfolio
collection of portfolio components (3.10) grouped together to facilitate their management to meet
strategic objectives
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 21506:2018, 3.42]
3.10
3.15
project
temporary endeavour to achieve one or more defined objectives
[SOURCE: ISO 21502:2020, 3.20]
3.16
project management
coordinated activities to direct and control the accomplishment of agreed objectives
[SOURCE: ISO 21502:2020, 3.24]
3.17
sponsor
person responsible for obtaining the resources and executive decisions to enable success
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 21506:2018, 3.78]
3.18
stakeholder
person, group or organization that has interests in, or can affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be
affected by, any aspect of the project (3.15), programme (3.12) or portfolio (3.9)
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 21506:2018, 3.79]
3.19
threat
risk occurrence that would have a negative impact
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 21506:2018, 3.83]
Figure 1 — Example of the context of the governance and management of projects, programmes
and portfolios
— continuous improvement: experience and lessons learned should be captured within the
organizational knowledge base, which should be shared and used to promote future project,
programme or portfolio performance improvement.
An integrated governance and management approach for projects, programmes and portfolios,
including the foregoing concepts, should contribute to:
— building a common understanding of the organization’s strategies, objectives, plans and roadmaps;
— developing a focus on the realization of strategic objectives;
— enabling transparency and alignment of the contributions to strategic objectives;
— facilitating communication;
— enabling transparency of resource utilization and the reasons for resource usage;
— making progress clearer through consistent reporting, decision gates and escalation procedures.
The use of project, programme and portfolio management, combined with governance, can provide
guidelines, frameworks, processes and tools to create deliverables, outputs and outcomes to realize
the intended benefits. Taking an integrated approach can support strategy implementation as shown in
Figure 3.
5.1 General
The standards on project, programme and portfolio management prepared by ISO/TC 258 consist of
this document (the overarching standard) and four core standards (ISO 21502 on project management,
ISO 21503 on programme management, ISO 21504 on portfolio management and ISO 21505 on
governance), complemented by supporting standards and a vocabulary (see Figure 4). This clause
5.2 Overview
ISO 21502, the project management standard, provides guidance on concepts and practices for project
Supporting standards provide guidance on using various project, programme and portfolio management
practices.
EXAMPLE ISO 21508 and ISO 21511.
5.3.1 General
Although there are many ways to implement project, programme and portfolio management and related
governance, the use of the standards prepared by ISO/TC 258 provides a structured approach that can
contribute to increasing benefits. This subclause describes the specific benefits of using ISO 21502,
ISO 21503, ISO 21504 and ISO 21505. General benefits of using them include, but are not limited to,
providing a common and internationally recognized frame of reference for concepts, guidelines,
frameworks and processes regarding the application of project, programme and portfolio management,
and related governance.
The benefits of using ISO 21502 include, but are not limited to:
— advancing opportunities to transform ideas into tangible and intangible deliverables, outputs,
outcomes and benefits;
— enhancing organizational strength through project implementation;
— enabling the integrated management of planning, benefits, scope, resources, schedule, cost, risk,
issues, change control, quality, stakeholder engagement, communication, organizational and societal
change, reporting, information and documentation, procurement, lessons learned and other project
management practices.
The benefits of using ISO 21503 include, but are not limited to:
— initiating and coordinating projects to contribute to a desired outcome;
The benefits of using ISO 21504 include, but are not limited to:
— selecting projects and programmes to contribute to the agreed organizational strategy and
objectives;
— maintaining consistent oversight of the projects and programmes that together contribute to
achieving the agreed strategy and objectives;
— developing a systematic methodology to select and prioritize the projects, programmes and
portfolios among competing opportunities;
— establishing and aligning projects, programmes and portfolios with the organization's strategic
objectives;
— enabling alignment among organizational governance and project and programme management;
— improving alignment of strategy and deliverables, outputs and outcomes through value and benefits
management.
5.3.5 Governance
The benefits of using ISO 21505 include, but are not limited to:
— clarifying accountability;
— establishing transparency;
— improving engagement with internal and external stakeholders;
— managing organizational risk exposure;
— clarifying organizational values, ethics and processes.
Bibliography
[1] ISO 21502, Project, programme and portfolio management — Guidance on project management
[2] ISO 21503, Project, programme and portfolio management — Guidance on programme management
[3] ISO 21504, Project, programme and portfolio management — Guidance on portfolio management
[4] ISO 21505, Project, programme and portfolio management — Guidance on governance
[5] ISO/TR 21506, Project, programme and portfolio management — Vocabulary
[6] ISO 21508, Earned value management in project and programme management
[7] ISO 21511, Work breakdown structures for project and programme management