What is this standard about?
This British Standard sets out principles and guidance on how to sponsor, direct and manage projects to achieve desired project outcomes efficiently and effectively. It also improves an organization’s project management capability.
Who is this standard for?
It’s as relevant to small organizations and small projects as to major organizations with multimillion pound projects spanning several years. Specifically, the standard provides guidance to senior managers, project practitioners and those who interact with project teams, regardless of project management experience. This includes:
- Managers in organizations that undertake projects
- Project sponsors
- Project managers
- Team managers and members
- Project support staff, including members of project management offices
- Business and technical specialists
- Educators and trainers
Why should you use this standard?
This standard gives guidance on planning and executing projects and on applying project management techniques, project management vocabulary and business related project risk.
Users will achieve the desired outcomes of a project efficiently and effectively, as well as continually improving their organization’s project management capability.
The standard is relevant to all industry sectors as well as the public, private and voluntary sectors, regardless of the size or type of organization or project. The principles relate to projects of all sizes, complexity and duration, and their application should be proportional to the circumstances and needs of the organization delivering them.
What’s changed since the last update?
This is a revision of BS 6079-1:2010 which removes duplication and enables BS 6079 Parts 2, 3 and 4 to be withdrawn, hence this standard is now called: “BS 6079”. It is a full revision and introduces the following principal changes:
- It formally recognizes the organizational context of projects through the introduction of the "higher level management" role and its associated activities
- Activities relating to the definition, design, development, verification and validation of a project’s primary outputs are added
- It focuses on the importance of projects being driven by organizational needs, drawing on cross-functional teams of specialists in pursuit of the stated business objectives. To this end, the text includes a fully revised set of accountabilities and process models which explicitly differentiate the directing of a project, with a view to achieving the benefits; from managing a project, with a view to delivering the outputs.