At the present time, Construction Project Management is a practice that is not regulated and it is performed by individuals who are not required to have any formal construction related education or experience. While structure designs and inspections are performed by individuals who are licensed and/or certified, the execution part of the construction process is not performed by professionals with the critical knowledge to make judicious decisions when a problem arises or to execute a project in a way that provides the most benefits to investors and society. An individual lacking the correct knowledge will not recognize a developing conflict because they do not know how building systems work or fail.

In order to guarantee that the civil engineering professional is adequately equipped with the correct knowledge and experience to correctly perform his responsibilities, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) established committees that created a master plan with a series of prerequisites for the licensure and professional practice, of which the ASCE’s Body of Knowledge (BOK) is the foundation. The ASCE visualizes the Civil Engineer as the professional who has acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to provide solutions to structural problems, while protecting the environment and public health and welfare. This BOK is based on Bloom’s Taxonomy, along with guidelines of how to achieve reaching the minimum required level of knowledge in each of the 24 “Outcomes” (Categories). One of these “Outcomes” is Project Management (13), which in nature, as previously explained, is a civil engineering practice.

Another institution that seeks to guarantee that Project Managers have the minimum required BOK to proficiently perform their duties by awarding accreditation is the Project Management Institute (PMI). This BOK describes different elements, processes, procedures and practices that constitute a project and interrelate during a project lifecycle in broader terms; meaning that it can be applied to projects across industries. The implementation of its standards is considered to be “good practice”, as described in the PMBOK. It is composed of 13 chapters. The first 3 chapters describe the Project Management practice, organizational influence, project lifecycle and the Project Management process. The rest 10 chapters describe inputs, tools and techniques that will produce a desired output for each category. This BOK will help a Project Manager to be aware of a general composition of a project, but does not provide technical information related to construction.

Construction Project Management is inherently a Civil Engineering practice due to the BOK that is required not only for construction project success, but for public safety, health and welfare, as well as to the development and preservation of societies. To guarantee optimal performance of structures, reduced risks and environmental protection, Construction Management practice should be more strictly regulated. The ASCE BOK not only seeks to prepare Civil Engineers to have successful projects, but to make them agents of the development and preservation of society, as well as professionals responsible for the prediction and management of problems. The PMBOK is not construction specific, therefore, it lacks critical knowledge that Construction PMs should have.