Insights and inspiration for project professionals

This article is a recap of a post by Pierre Le Manh, President and CEO of PMI. You can read the original post on LinkedIn.

 

The upcoming PMBOK® Guide – Eighth Edition is generating excitement across the global project management community. With its official release just around the corner, many professionals are curious about what’s new and how it refines our shared standard of practice.

According to our President, PMBOK 8, the new version of the “Codex” of our profession, will be unveiled in just a few days at the PMI Global Summit in Phoenix. It is exciting news for project professionals worldwide.

Before the official launch, Pierre shared a preview (pages 255 to 259) after seeing early reactions on LinkedIn to the recently released table of contents. Some comments had described PMBOK 8 as a “mix of 6 and 7,” which he clarified is a misunderstanding. His goal was to offer transparency so that our community can understand why this edition was created and form its own opinion once the full version is available.

A global, evidence-based effort

The 8th edition was built through four research phases involving thousands of practitioners around the world:

• Qualitative sessions across seven countries
• 3,400 responses to a survey about PMBOK 7
• 9,000 public comments on the draft Guide during the first open consultation
• 3,900 additional comments during the second consultation on the Standard

It is the most community-driven PMBOK ever produced.

What the preview shows

1. PMBOK 8 builds on PMBOK 7 and is not a “rollback.”
   PMBOK 8 maintains the principles and performance domain foundation of PMBOK 7 but simplifies and clarifies them to make them more actionable and to remove overlaps. It places greater emphasis on value, sustainability, AI, and quality integration, and defines project success as when value exceeds effort and expense.
2. Processes are right-sized and integrated.
   The five traditional process groups and 49 processes were never gone; they had been separated from PMBOK 7 and published independently. In the 8th edition, they return as flexible, non-prescriptive anchors that support both predictive and agile approaches and strengthen the link with performance domains. Inputs, Outputs, and Tools & Techniques are listed alphabetically, promoting clarity across various delivery approaches.
3. PMBOK 8 connects the “why,” “what,” and “when.”
   The new structure connects principles (why), domains (what), and focus areas (when) into a single, coherent system for value delivery.

What’s next

The PMBOK 8th Edition will be unveiled at the PMI Global Summitin Phoenix and simultaneously made available on pmi.org on the opening day. It is expected to spark inspiring discussions about how we define project success and continue elevating our profession.

 

Stay tuned, the PMBOK 8th Edition is almost here.

 

Tim Gaens
Director of Membership, PMI Belgium Chapter
membership@pmi-belgium.be