PM² (pronounced “P-M squared”) is a project management methodology developed and endorsed by the European Commission (EC). It is the official project management methodology of the EC, incorporating elements from a range of widely accepted best practices in project management, and builds heavily on PMBOK, PRINCE2, IPMA-ICB, CMMI, TEMPO, and operational experience from EU institutions. In essence, the PM² methodology provides: Project governance structure Process guidelines Artefact templates Guidelines for using the artefacts Set of effective mindsets. PM² certification exams are available in the 28 EU countries via Prometric, but are only available to EU institutions' staff. In 2016, the European Commission issued an open guide to the PM² methodology, freely available through the EU Bookshop/Publications. However, as of July 2017, the certification program is still available only to the EU institutions' staff. A synopsis of PM² was published in 2018 by the European Commission (PM² Overview) and was translated in numerous languages to support the roll out of the methodology to the European (primarily) countries. History The PM² methodology was developed in 2007, and the first version was released via the PM² Wiki in 2008. Some milestones in the development of methodology include: 2007: Introduction of roles and responsibilities for IT projects. 2008: Introduction of PM² 2009: Pilot implementation of PM² 2009 Project management courses for PM² 2011: Endorsement by CTI. 2012: Release of the PM² Training Programme for IT Projects 2012: Release of the PM² Guide, 1st Edition (PDF) 2012: Training Courses for Business Managers 2013: Release of the PM² Methodology 2.0 and the PM² Guide, 2st Edition (PDF) 2013: Introduction of PM² Certification Level-2 2014: Release of Agile@EC 2016: Release of Agile@EC Guide, 1st Edition 2015: Release of the PM² Methodology Guide ver. 2.5 2016: Release of the PM² Guide, Open Edition 2018: First Open PM² Conference 2018: Release of the PM² Guide ver. 3.0 Supporting Bodies 1. Centre of Excellence in PM² (CoEPM²) The purpose of the Centre of Excellence in PM² is to provide the European Commission and EU Institutions with high-quality Project Management infrastructure, support, training and consulting services. The CoEPM² supports the PM² Methodology, coordinates an inter-institutional Project Support Network (PSN), and promotes the wider adoption of PM² through the Open PM² Initiative. 2. The PM² Alliance Member-driven and volunteer-led, the PM² Alliance is an international, not-for-profit organisation. Founded by PM² practitioners, the Alliance brings together individuals from institutions, companies and the academia