New surveys reveal project profession’s views on APM

Association for Project Management (APM) has released results from two new surveys that paint a detailed picture of members’ and non-members’ views of the organisation and the service it has been providing since the outbreak of coronavirus.

Earlier in the year APM undertook an annual study to gather views from respondents on the membership experience but recognised that a lot had changed since it was carried out so conducted a follow-up survey on how the Association had responded since the pandemic.

The surveys were:

• Membership satisfaction research – carried out between 12 March and 6 April to gather views from our audience on the membership experience. Key findings include:
  • APM’s overall average rating from members and non-members remains consistently positive, at 4.1 out of 5;
  • the membership net promoter score (a measure of how likely members are to recommend an organisation to others) has increased by 16 points over the past year to +45;
  • 90 per cent of members stated they were likely to renew their APM membership, with being a member of a chartered body and belonging to a professional community the top reasons;
  • respondents were very satisfied with the APM Body of Knowledge (92 per cent) and the APM Competence Framework (90 per cent), both of which were also seen as highly important;
  • those who have achieved Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) status continue to feel proud of being chartered, with this agreement statement having an average score of 6.5 out of 7.

There are a number of developments APM have gained from the research including what each membership grade values from their benefits package to help ensure their membership experience continues to improve. APM’s chartered status continues to be important to new and existing members, so providing more support – in particular to less experienced or newer members – to understand their own professional journey would be of value.

• APM’s response during the coronavirus pandemic – conducted between 13 May and 20 May 2020 to determine how effective APM’s response has been to the coronavirus pandemic for members, Corporate Partners and Corporate Affiliates, in light of the unprecedented changes that everyone has experienced. The results showed:
• over two-thirds (68 per cent) have found APM’s responses to the situation as either helpful or very helpful with regular communication and our increased webinar programme being rated as the most helpful actions;
• over three-quarters (77 per cent) of respondents rate APM’s service during these challenging times as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, resulting in an average score of 4.1 out of 5;
  • approximately three-quarters (74 per cent) were satisfied with the communications APM sent out during these challenging times.

Respondents were also asked what more APM could do to support them during these challenging times and it was clear that members are still dedicated to their professional development. Continuing to offer digital means to support them in their studies and providing opportunities to network is important. Webinars have also been of value recently during lockdown so exploring opportunities to widen the webinar programme would be welcomed, while also exploring ways to communicate in a more tailored, succinct way.

‘Responsive, relevant and sustainable’

Dayner Proudfoot, brand and insights manager at APM, said: “Life has changed significantly for many people since the onset of coronavirus and it is important to view the results of these surveys in that context. However, it is reassuring to know that those we represent are satisfied with the service we provide.

“Surveys like these are important because listening to our members, our partners and the world around us helps ensure we remain responsive, relevant and sustainable in a constantly changing word. We will continue engaging with our membership, the wider project profession and new sectors and communities, to ensure APM remains the model of a sustainable professional body, whatever the future may bring.”