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profession has in fact been given much attention. Crawford (2004) explains how the project
management professional associations originated as communities of practice - informal gatherings and
forums for networking, exchange of ideas and information. Communities of practice (Wenger and
Snyder, HBR 2000) are formed when people doing similar things realize they have shared interests. They
understand that there are opportunities to improve their practices and their performance by sharing
knowledge and experience. The members are informally connected by this shared expertise and
passion, some meet regularly, but others communicate through digital networks. Wenger and Snyder
(2000) conclude that what characterizes a community of practice is that it´s purpose is to develop the
members' knowledge capabilities and that it is held together by passion, commitment and identification
with the group’s expertise. The project management professional associations as we know them today
began as communities of practice, according to these definitions. All of this has led to the development
of project management as an independent discipline and an ongoing discussion on if project
management could, or should, be regarded as a profession.

Definitions of a distinct body of knowledge and of standards based on that body of knowledge are ways
of marking professional territory (Morris et al., 2000). Assessment and awarding of qualifications
provide a process whereby professionals are recognized as meeting the standards and references of a
profession by demonstrating mastery of the body of knowledge and either minimum or graduated levels
of proficiency or competence (Dean, 1997). A body of knowledge, standards, and related assessment
and qualification processes can therefore be seen as essential building blocks in the formation and
recognition of a profession. Furthermore, it is assumed that a profession provides an important service
in society (Dean, 1997).

Crawford (2004) defined building blocks of a profession as a five-level system. The foundation of this
system is research, on which a body of knowledge and standards are based and demonstrate the plan
and structure of the profession on which the professional standards are based. Education and training
support the standards and at the top of the system are qualifications, based on the standards. The
difference between a body of knowledge and a standard is not always easy to define. Crawford (2004)
pointed out that in the field of project management, there is a strong link between the definition of a
body of knowledge and the development of standards. Jonasson and Ingason (2013) wrote about
professionalism in their book Project Ethics stating that being a professional is not just a career path, but
a combination of education and training that promotes a sense of motivation and a moral sense. They
assume that a professional is very loyal towards clients and has a positive attitude towards the
profession. Representatives of traditional professions are expected to be competent and live lives that
do not undermine their work and professional abilities in any way. They are expected to make their
decisions on morally justifiable grounds, to protect the interests of the relevant shareholders, and to be
aware of the interests of different stakeholders. Last but not least, a professional is expected to provide
high level service to society.

Based on these different inputs, we can present a summarized view of the building blocks of a
profession. This gives an overview of the common characteristics of a profession, and defines the path
towards professionalism, where the profession grows and matures through the addition of new building
blocks, and gains political, social and legal recognition in the process.