Legal Project Management Competency Framework (LPMCF)
The Business Education Institute, an Australian Government approved registered training organisation specialising in project management, and the International Institute of Legal Project Management worked with industry to develop the original internationally-recognised Legal Project Management Competency Framework™ (LPMCF) that is now leading to an assessment tool pending release in 2023.

The original LPMCF was formed in 2017 by research of:

  • five key project management-related competency frameworks published by global and national professional bodies;
  • project management-related competency frameworks published by government entities;
  • project management-related competency frameworks published by private sector entities having commercial models;
  • project management competencies being defined in legal profession regulatory competencies;
  • market evidence from legal practice based on skills detailed in job advertisements);
  • LPM-related position descriptions of actual legal project practitioners in the industry; and
  • a survey instrument that gained industry engagement feedback from global LPM experts in nine different countries./span>

The LPMCF represents an international standard that sets out the competency skills for both the Legal Project Associate and the Legal Project Practitioner levels, and provides a guideline for training curriculum for use by universities, colleges and private training providers for legal project management-based education, certification and qualifications.

THE NEW ASSESSMENT TOOL

Since 2020, a IILPM working group comprising Todd Hutchison (Chair), Aileen Leventon, Antony Smith, Ignaz Fuesgen, and David Rueff Jr had been working on a updated online assessment tool for the  Legal Project Manager Competency Assessment tool.

As incumbents in the Legal Project Manager role are extending from just lawyers to now becoming a career path for allied legal professionals, such as para legals, as well as professionally certified project managers, this tool will provide a critical contributor to highlighting professional development insights for those aspiring to the role.  

With these differing career entry pathways, the competency model has to look toward both the legal environment knowledge and legal project management specific knowledge, following five key areas: the practice of law: the legislative, procedural rules and ethical responsibilities of the practice of law; the legal industry ecosystem: the industry knowledge of the roles of legal professionals, buyers and consumers involved in legal services; legal operations: the policies, processes, information management and the associated supporting technologies of the business of law; the legal project lifecycle: the approach, methods and techniques of defining, planning, delivering and closing legal matters and other projects; and the people dynamics: the soft skills required to engage key stakeholders and lead legal project team.

The context and integration of these five knowledge areas are the basis for assessing gaps in the capabilities and growth opportunities for an aspiring legal project manager. In order to identify such gaps in knowledge and to develop a custom professional development plan, those assessed would be rated across five levels of practice capability: Uninformed, Aware, Knowledgeable, Competent and Accomplished. Each level includes a robust profile of the associated knowledge, skills and experience typically required.

This competency model will be soon tested across the 13 countries where IILPM Accredited Training Providers reside, and extended to our practicing graduates that exist in 57 countries. This will provide a robust tool for legal service providers and inhouse counsel alike to use in assessing current and emerging legal project managers.

Download the IILPM_Legal Project Manager Competency Assessment Model_2022 model design.

The model is currently being converted to an online assessment tool that will produce your customised report and will be made available soon.