Project Management Institute and Det Norske Veritas Certification Launch Strategic Alliance on OPM3 Ancillary Products and Services.

EDINBURGH, Scotland -- Alliance Designed to Provide More Accessible Assessment and Improvement Network for PMI's Organizational Project Management Maturity Model

Project Management Institute (PMI(R)), the world's leading not-for-profit professional association for the project management profession, and Det Norske Veritas Certification (DNV), the world leader in providing services for managing risk, today announced the creation of a strategic alliance to make more readily available the suite of Ancillary Products and Services (APS) for PMI's Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3(R)). Announcement of the strategic alliance was made in conjunction with PMI's Global Congress 2005-EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa), being held in Edinburgh, Scotland, from 23-25 May 2005.

OPM3 was launched by PMI in December 2003, and is a new standard developed specifically to determine the maturity of project management application throughout an entire enterprise. Unlike PMI's standard for a single project, embodied in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK(R) Guide)-Third Edition, OPM3 is designed to measure the degree of project management being applied to multiple projects on an organization-wide basis.

The OPM3 APS will be offered by DNV on PMI's behalf, and consist of three basic elements -- training, tools and services -- with DNV serving as the exclusive provider of OPM3 Assessor and Improvement Specialist training, testing, certification and registration services. Neither PMI nor DNV themselves will offer OPM3 assessment or improvement services. Instead, those tools will be offered to consultancies which, in turn, will offer them to business and governmental agencies interested in measuring the level or project management maturity within their respective organizations.

Announcing the strategic alliance at PMI's Global Congress in Edinburgh, PMI CEO Gregory Balestrero said, "This truly is a monumental step for the project management profession, and for both PMI and DNV as we make more readily available a portfolio of products and services to help organizations measure their level of project management maturity. We are especially pleased that DNV, with its long history of accomplishment in providing certification of management systems throughout the world, has agreed to join us in this alliance on OPM3 APS. I am convinced this alliance will enable us, on a global scale, to more effectively position project management as the key competency that links strategy with execution, resulting in better organizational performance, regardless of the industry or service."

Richard Stolk, DNV Certification Country Manager for Benelux and the U.K., commented, "The alliance with PMI is strategically important to DNV on a worldwide basis. We are excited about the opportunity to enhance the application and value of OPM3 through the development of these tools and services."

About PMI: With over 160,000 members in nearly 150 countries, Project Management Institute (PMI(R)) is the global advocacy organization for the project management profession. PMI is actively engaged in setting professional standards, conducting research and providing access to a wealth of information and resources. PMI also promotes career and professional development and offers certification, networking and community involvement opportunities.

For more than 35 years, PMI has advanced the careers of practitioners who have made project management indispensable in achieving business results. For more information, please visit www.pmi.org.

About DNV: Det Norske Veritas Certification (DNV) is an independent, autonomous foundation established in 1864 that is working to safeguard life, property and the environment. Headquartered in Oslo, Norway, DNV comprises over 300 offices in more than 100 countries, with 5,800 employees, and has been a leader in the development of assessment, certification and improvement tools since 1977.

DNV is a world leader in providing certification of management systems, products and personnel to a wide range of industries. They have issued more than 50,000 certificates against management system standards including ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, and dispensed more than 600,000 individual personnel certifications.

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