REPORT
By João Henrique Pettená do Carmo
Project Manager (PMP ®) & International Correspondent
São Paulo, Brazil
Governance as the New Center of Gravity:
What PMBOK 8 Means for
the Brazilian Project Management Market
Introduction
In last month’s edition of the PM World Journal, Prof. João Carlos Boyadjian (one of the founders of PMI São Paulo, the largest PMI chapter in Latin America) offered a detailed assessment of the PMBOK® Guide, Eighth Edition.
His central argument was direct: the most immediately impactful change in PMBOK 8 is the repositioning of governance as the integrating axis of the project life cycle, replacing the previous discourse that many practitioners perceived as philosophically sound but insufficiently actionable.
That assessment, grounded in four decades of practice and teaching, set the stage for this report. This month, we examine what the Eighth Edition means specifically for the Brazilian project management market (a large and mature community of project management professionals and PMP credential holders, a PMP exam transition scheduled for July 9, 2026, and structural challenges in governance and planning maturity that the new guide directly addresses).
1. What Changed: From PMBOK 6 to PMBOK 8 in Three Editions
The evolution of the PMBOK Guide over its three most recent editions reflects a profession searching for balance between prescriptive clarity and adaptive flexibility.
The Sixth Edition (2017) provided a comprehensive process-driven framework: 49 processes organized into five Process Groups and ten Knowledge Areas. It was the reference standard for an entire generation of PMP candidates and organizational PMOs. The Seventh Edition (2021) introduced a paradigm shift, abandoning the process structure in favor of 12 principles and 8 performance domains focused on value delivery. While conceptually forward-looking, it left many practitioners without the operational guidance they needed for daily project execution. The Eighth Edition (2025) attempts to resolve this tension.
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How to cite this report: do Carmo, J. H. P. (2026). Governance as the New Center of Gravity: What PMBOK 8 Means for the Brazilian Project Management Market, report, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue IV, April. Available online at: https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/pmwj163-Apr2026-do-Carmo-project-management-report-from-Brazil.pdf
About the Author
João Henrique Pettená do Carmo
São Paulo, Brazil
João Henrique Pettená do Carmo is a Project Manager (PMP®) based in São Paulo State, Brazil, with 19 years of experience across the energy, infrastructure, engineering, and industrial sectors. He holds an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of São Paulo (USP), an LL.B. from UNISAL/SP, and a Six Sigma Black Belt from Kennesaw State University, with additional specializations in project management from the University of Colorado System and the University of Leeds.
João Pettená has contributed to projects for organizations including AGCO, Boticário, CPFL, General Electric, GLP Properties, Jacuzzi, JBS Seara, Nissin Foods, and Zongshen Machinery. He serves as Brazil Correspondent for the PM World Journal, covering São Paulo and the broader Brazilian market. He has authored professional and academic publications on project, program, and portfolio management, including peer-reviewed contributions to international journals.
João Pettená can be contacted at pettena.joao@pm.me
View other works by João at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/joao-henrique-pettena-do-carmo/
