The present article is the first of a series of articles about the Integral Project Management in the construction business in Chile, even though many of the concepts here exposed are extrapolated to the reality of other countries. This phase of the study, discusses the theoretical foundation that defines and sustains the action in this discipline and the professionals who serve in it. In this way, the most pure an broader definition associated with the "Project Management" is presented, the needs of the construction sector who have given the emergence and development of Integral Project Manager (IPM), the consultancy tha these professional can give to the client, the benefits of it, and the areas of knowledge of the construction project that are part of the action field.