The APS is operating in an increasingly complex environment. Policy challenges are less defined, delivery expectations are higher and public scrutiny is intense – and conditions can shift rapidly. Agencies are expected to deliver outcomes with pace, transparency and confidence in the face of uncertainty.
The Complex Project Management Profession (CPM), launched in October 2025, responds to this reality. As part of the APS Professions model, CPM builds workforce capability to navigate complexity across projects, policy and service delivery. It recognises that many APS initiatives require adaptive approaches that go beyond traditional project management.
Change management is a core capability within CPM and one that is already familiar to HR professionals. Complex work almost always involves people‑related change: new ways of working, shifting roles, cultural adjustment and stakeholder engagement. Successful delivery depends not just on plans and milestones, but on how well people understand, adopt and sustain change.
What makes a project or deliverable 'complex'?
There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ in project management: Complexity can exist in traditional projects, as part of a dynamic ecosystem of interactions, when delivering policy or when providing services. A ‘complex project’ is one that requires you to navigate ambiguity, adopt adaptive and experimental approaches and deliver outcomes that reflect broader public expectations – on top of managing time, cost and quality.
For HR professionals, CPM provides a shared framework to apply change expertise in complex initiatives across the APS. It reinforces the critical role HR plays in supporting leaders, preparing workforces and embedding long-term, sustainable outcomes in an increasingly dynamic operating environment.
Project management Ecosystem
Get involved
We encourage you to join the Complex Project Management Profession, to strengthen your skills, access trusted resources and take part in future communities of practice.
You can also engage with the International Centre for Complex Project Management, a global not-for-profit organisation that advances the practice of managing complex projects through research, education and professional collaboration.