ISO/TC 258 Plenary Week 2025 - A week of global collaboration in the historic city of Évora—bringing together international experts to shape the future of project, programme and portfolio management standards.
The 17th Plenary Meeting of ISO/TC 258 (Project, Programme and Portfolio Management) was held in the historic city of Évora, Portugal, bringing together experts, national standards bodies, and liaison organizations from around the world for a week of collaboration, technical dialogue, and strategic reflection.
Hosted by the Portuguese Institute for Quality (IPQ) in close collaboration with APOGEP (the Portuguese Association for Project Management), the meeting highlighted Portugal’s strong engagement in international standardization and its active contribution to the global development of project management standards. CT 175, coordinated by APOGEP as the Sectorial Standardization Body, was recognized for creating an exemplary bridge between the Portuguese technical community and the international work of ISO/TC 258—ensuring national interests are represented and international standards reach Portugal’s economic and institutional sectors.
Mr. Davide Chaves representing the host ISO National Member Body, Instituto Português da Qualidade [Portugal Institute for Quality]/IPQ, welcomed delegates to Évora and expressed pride in hosting the meeting in Portugal, highlighting Évora’s rich history and cultural identity. Mr. Rui Barroso, representative of APOGEP, recognized the work of CT 175, coordinated by APOGEP, for strengthening the link between the Portuguese technical community and the international work of ISO/TC 258.
“The work of ISO/TC 258 is not merely technical—it directly impacts people’s lives. Standards influence how we build schools, hospitals, transport infrastructure, social programmes, and digital innovation projects. They create trust, predictability, and quality in initiatives that shape our collective future.”
Special recognition was extended to Alexandra Tenera, current Convenor of ISO/TC 258/WG13, and Paulo Sousa, for their leadership, dedication, and commitment to the organization of the plenary and to the advancement of standardization in project, programme and portfolio management.
Pictured (Left to Right): Paulo Sousa, Rui Barroso and Alexandra Tenera.
A Truly Global Gathering
The plenary welcomed broad international participation, with over 69 national delegates and liaison organizations represented through both face-to-face and virtual attendance. Member bodies from Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania joined the meeting, alongside key liaison organizations from the global project management community.
This diversity of participation strengthened the exchange of perspectives and reinforced ISO/TC 258’s role as a truly global platform for collaboration in project, programme and portfolio management standardization.
Photo: ISO/TC 258 Plenary 2025 Group
Technical Working Sessions
In addition to plenary sessions, dedicated working group meetings were held on Monday through Wednesday, providing focused time for technical drafting and standards development. These sessions enabled experts to engage directly in the detailed work of writing, reviewing, and refining standards content across active projects, supporting practical collaboration, deeper technical alignment, and progress on ISO deliverables.
Advancing Standards and Future Work
Throughout the week, members reviewed progress across multiple working groups, including projects on earned value management, work breakdown structures, requirements frameworks, post-evaluation, and the application of artificial intelligence in project, programme and portfolio management. Strategic discussions also addressed future work priorities, emerging topics, liaison engagement, and mechanisms to strengthen participation, coordination, and communication across the committee.
Key themes included:
- Strengthening collaboration across working groups and liaison organizations
- Enhancing communication, engagement, and transparency
- Improving digital working practices and ISO platform use
- Supporting future-focused topics such as AI, competency frameworks, and digital project management
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Photo: ISO/TC 258 Plenary in Session
More Than a Meeting
A key feature of the plenary was the inclusion of daily open forums with Portuguese national experts from academia and the tourism sector. These sessions provided delegates with the opportunity to discuss the relevance and impact of the standards under development on industry practice, while gaining valuable insights from the Portuguese professional community. The dialogue was rich and engaging, offering diverse perspectives from both standards developers and standards users.
Beyond the technical programme, participants experienced the cultural richness of Évora—a UNESCO World Heritage city known for its history, architecture, and traditions. Delegates were invited to enjoy the city’s conventual sweets, local hospitality, and the Alentejo night sky, internationally recognized as a Dark Sky Reserve.
The social programme and Portuguese hospitality were widely praised, with highlights including the official dinner, a visit to the Dark Sky Reserve, wine tasting experiences, and a museum visit—creating meaningful opportunities for informal exchange, relationship-building, and cultural immersion.
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Photo: Visit to Museum of FamÍlia EugenÍo de Almeida
The setting served as a reminder that while the work of standardization is rigorous and technical, it is ultimately about shaping a better future—one built on cooperation, shared knowledge, and global trust.
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Looking Ahead
The committee confirmed that the 18th Plenary Meeting of ISO/TC 258 will be held from 21–25 September 2026 in Shanghai, China, hosted by SAC (Standardization Administration of China)—a proposal accepted with appreciation by the TC.
Photo: Delegation of SAC/China
Plenary Week at a Glance – Timeline
Monday
- Welcome session and host country remarks
- Working Group technical drafting sessions
- Standards writing, review, and coordination
Tuesday
• Working Group technical sessions
• Project drafting and standards development activities
Wednesday
- Advisory group meetings (AG 2 and AG 3)
- Working Group technical sessions
- Opening of plenary
- Roll call of delegations
- Committee governance, reports, and strategic discussions
Thursday
• Working group reports
• Future work discussions and liaison coordination
Friday
• Items for future work
• Lessons learned session
• Confirmation of next plenary meeting (Shanghai 2026)