Brian Kooyman

AIPM National President 1994-1995

I first became involved in an official capacity with the AIPM in 1987, when it was called the Project Managers Forum.    My involvement was through Tracey Brunstrom & Hammond, which was one of the original signatory organisations that established the Project Managers Forum (PMF) back in the mid 1970’s.      From 1989 to 1991, I was the New South Wales Chapter President and during this period was an original Director of the reconstituted Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) when it was formed from the PMF in February 1989.

I became the National Vice President and Chairman of the Professional Affairs Committee in 1992, and held these positions until my election in 1994 as the National President.

I remember these were very challenging years, as the task of turning what was a “forum” and networking group into an “Institute” that could properly represent its members was like nearly starting with a clean sheet of paper.    It was in 1992 that the concept of Registered Project Manager was developing, and during this period we were required to address the concept of developing Competency Standards for project management, a task that was quite new to the professions –  in fact I believe we were the first professional Institute to undertake Competency Standards

During those early years of the 1990’s, I remember many long hours worked in the evenings and at weekends (particularly in Canberra working from executive members homes) developing the AIPM membership structure, Code of Ethics and the Competency Standards.    The final draft of the Competency Standards were completed and submitted to Federal Government organisations for endorsement in 1995, but it took until 1996 for them to be finally endorsed.

Since our formation the Institute had relied on the dedication and hard work of volunteers, and although we had Chapters in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia; we did not have a permanent National Office.    This was established in 1995 in a serviced office at Mosman Junction in Sydney, and at last we had a national home and some national office staff, we were no longer just a volunteer organisation.

During this period, AIPM membership grew to 2 –21/2 thousand, and I recall the difficulties of balancing the budget for income versus expansion costs and the careful planning for the budget by Gordon Lynas, who was then Treasurer.    The grants we received from ANTA to further develop the Competency Standards were extremely welcome.

During this period we also re-opened discussions with WAPMA (the Western Australia Project Management Association) which later led to the formation of the Western Australia Chapter of AIPM.

It was also during this period that the AIPM raised its international profile, forming links and agreements with the PMI (USA), IPMA (Europe) and the APM (UK).     AIPM had been the first institute to introduce Competency Standards and this created substantial interest with the other project management institutes around the world.

In reflecting on those early years, I am extremely grateful to have been involved and been able to contribute and work with such a dedicated group of people that spent so many hours working together, it is an experience never to be forgotten or missed.

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