What is new in PMBOK 8 – An ethics perspective

Imagine a team of explorers crossing a desert. No matter how skilled its members are or how modern their vehicles are, they may not succeed in reaching their destination without a compass. In project management, ethics serve as that compass, guiding decision-making, fostering trust, and ensuring accountability.
 For PMI Members, the compass is the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. Developed even before the first edition of the Project Management Book of Knowledge, the Code was and remains the holder of the guardrails of the project management profession.
PMBOK 7 replaced knowledge areas with performance domains. The 8th is more aligned with the Agile delivery approach, whilst retaining the importance of good governance. Like the previous version, the PMBOK highlights alignment with both internal and external environments. It is important to note the focus on artificial intelligence and sustainability.
Principles of project management
PMBOK 8 simplified the 12 principles from the 7th edition to create a more focused and actionable foundation for modern project management. The principles of project management are aligned with the values of PMI’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. They do not follow the same format, and they are not duplicative; rather, the principles and the Code of Ethics are complementary.
·Adopt a holistic view: Consider the project within its larger organizational and ecosystem context.
·Focus on value: Prioritize delivering tangible value and aligning project outcomes with strategic goals.
·Embed quality into processes and deliverables: Integrate quality throughout the project lifecycle, not just as a final check.
·Be an accountable leader: Take ownership and responsibility for the project's success and outcomes.
·Integrate sustainability within all project areas: Include environmental and social considerations in project work.
·Build an empowered culture: Foster a project environment that empowers team members. 
Enterprise environmental factors: Internal and external to the Organization
·The standard emphasises the impact of organizational culture, structure, and governance. Aspects like vision, mission, values, beliefs, cultural norms, leadership style, hierarchy and authority relationships, organizational style, ethics, and code of conduct remain critical success factors, as well as a framework for ethical decision making. Social and cultural influences and issues. External factors include political climate, regional customs and traditions, public holidays and events, codes of conduct, ethics, and perceptions.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI ethical issues, especially the responsible use of AI tools and the negative impact on project team members, are an especially important aspect. Topics like data privacy and security can be addressed using technical controls. Issues like bias and fairness require special attention from project managers. Lack of clarity on who is responsible when AI-driven decisions go wrong can create confusion and an unending blame game. AI agents cannot be (yet) included in a Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, or Informed (RACI) matrix. Although their use is unavoidable, the responsibility and accountability remain with the human user.
The use of AI is dependent on context, and it should be assessed for each project through a decision-making process to determine when AI can assist with tasks or provide more time for other valuable activities. The evaluation should be focused on the use of AI to produce project artifacts. Initiative-taking measures should be considered to identify and assess the risk of incorporating AI and determine if it is acceptable or it should be controlled.
Below is a list of some ethical concerns related to the use of AI in projects

• Accountability and responsibility: When AI systems are used for decision-making, it is challenging to assign accountability if something goes wrong. AI agents are not members of the project team; they are a tool that should augment human capabilities. Project managers need to establish clear lines of responsibility for the outcomes of AI-driven projects.
• Bias and fairness: AI is still in its infancy, and finding large volumes of good-quality data that can be used to train AI models is difficult. AI models can inherit biases from the data they are trained on, leading to unfair or discriminatory outcomes in areas like task assignment or performance evaluation. These biases can reinforce existing societal prejudices related to factors like gender, race, or socioeconomic status, potentially leading to workplace discrimination and legal penalties.
• Transparency and explainability: The "black box" nature of some AI algorithms makes it difficult to understand how they reach a decision. This lack of transparency can erode trust and make it hard for project managers to oversee, troubleshoot, or validate AI-driven recommendations.
• Over-reliance on AI agents and lack of human oversight: At any point in the project, the control should remain with humans and avoid over-reliance on AI. Lack of knowledge and practice can lead to a decline in critical thinking and human judgment among team members.

Chapter X3.3 (Responsible Use and Ethical Concerns) provides guidance for project managers to mitigate the risks associated with AI, putting the emphasis on project managers to assess the challenges and benefits and make appropriate decisions regarding AI’s use in projects. For example, to avoid bias the standard recommends the following controls:
·Diversification of the data sets on which the AI system is trained;
·Periodic tests conducted on the AI system, with particular focus on bias; and
·Involvement of different teams in the development of the AI system.


Procurement is another ethics area of focus that PMBOK 8 provides guidance on. In chapter X4.9.2, Sensitivity of Legal Actions and Upholding Ethics Codes, the standard provides considerations to avoid impact on project outcomes and stakeholder relationships:
·Nuanced communication.
·Escalation protocols.
·Confidentiality.
·Impartiality.
PMBOK 7 explicitly references the PMI Code of Ethics as a complementary and essential guide for project professionals. This code provides the specific rules for ethical conduct, based on core values of honesty, responsibility, respect, and fairness.

• Contextual application: The principles and the code are designed to be applied within the context of project work. Ethical dilemmas are often encountered when balancing conflicting needs, and the framework provides guidance for decision-making.
• Performance domains: Ethical dilemmas can arise in any of the performance domains (e.g., Stakeholders, Delivery, Performance). The principles and the code provide the tools for navigating these situations and making responsible choices.
• Focus on value: Ethical considerations are a crucial part of focusing on long-term value, rather than just short-term outputs, ensuring that projects are conducted in a responsible and sustainable way. 

Connection to PMI's Code of Ethics

• The principles in the PMBOK 8th Edition align with and reinforce the values in the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, which are honesty, responsibility, respect, and fairness.
• Project managers are expected to apply these principles in their daily work to make ethical choices that lead to positive results and maintain trust. 
• The PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct remains the primary source for detailed ethical guidelines.
• ProjectManagement.com offers webinars that discuss the connection between PMBOK 7 principles and the Code of Ethics.