IPA / ADAL Publication Plagiarized Another’s Copyrighted Work and Violated Intellectual Property Rights

BY SCOTT M. GRAFFIUS | ScottGraffius.com

ipa-adal-publication-plagiarized-and-violated-intellectual-property-rights---lwres






Graffius, S. M. (2026, June 25). IPA / ADAL Publication Plagiarized Another’s Copyrighted Work and Violated Intellectual Property Rights. ScottGraffius.com. https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/ipa-adal-plagiarized-and-violated-intellectual-property.html

If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section at the end of this piece.




Introduction



The Institute of Public Administration (IPA) is one of Saudi Arabia's oldest and most influential government institutions. Established by Royal Decree in 1961, it serves as the Kingdom's principal institution for developing the capabilities of public-sector employees, conducting administrative research, and advising government entities. Today, its work is closely aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 and includes leadership development through the IPA's Academy for Developing Administrative Leaders (ADAL), executive education, consulting, research, and organizational transformation. Integrity and ethics are explicit themes.

The IPA/ADAL emphasizes integrity and ethical leadership. However, IPA/ADAL’s 2024 publication, "Leading Talent and Developing Teams - Session 2 - Teams Life Cycle," plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" property and violated his intellectual property rights. IPA/ADAL's conduct contradicts its own principles. Their violation is disgraceful, unprofessional, unethical, immoral, and unlawful. This case is not yet resolved.

Intellectual property rights grant creators exclusivity, attribution, and control over their use. These protections are fundamental to innovation. Because Saudi Arabia is a member of the Berne Convention and the World Trade Organization's TRIPS Agreement, Graffius's copyright is legally protected under international law in this case. He presents details of the violation to uphold his intellectual property rights, hold IPA/ADAL accountable, and deter future violations.




Scott M. Graffius' Copyrighted "Phases of Team Development"



Graffius is an expert on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with and analysis of team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his novel work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to advance the effectiveness of teams.

Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, universities, publications, media outlets, and others around the world have featured and used Graffius' "Phases of Team Development." Select examples include:

  • Adobe,
  • American Management Association,
  • Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
  • Bayer,
  • Boston University,
  • Broadcom,
  • Cisco,
  • DevOps Institute,
  • Government of Finland,
  • Hasso-Plattner-Institut für Digital Engineering GmbH,
  • IEEE,
  • Johns Hopkins University,
  • Journal of Neurosurgery,
  • Microsoft,
  • Ohio State University,
  • Oracle,
  • Technical University of Munich,
  • Torrens University,
  • Tufts University,
  • UK Sports Institute,
  • United States National Park Service,
  • United States Tennis Association,
  • University of California at San Diego (UCSD),
  • University of Waterloo,
  • Warsaw University of Technology,
  • Yale University, and
  • many others.

Its adoption highlights its utility and value as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In
2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development" material.

Organizations engage Graffius to develop and deliver compelling, unforgettable talks and workshops. To date, he's presented sessions at 98 conferences and other events across 25 countries, including:

  • Armenia,
  • Australia,
  • Brazil,
  • Canada,
  • Czech Republic,
  • Finland,
  • France,
  • Germany,
  • Greece,
  • Hong Kong,
  • Hungary,
  • India,
  • Ireland,
  • Lithuania,
  • Luxembourg,
  • Nepal,
  • Netherlands,
  • New Zealand,
  • Norway,
  • Romania,
  • Sweden,
  • Switzerland,
  • United Arab Emirates,
  • United Kingdom,
  • and the United States.

Graffius’ "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is key to many of those sessions. His rate card and a listing of his engagements are
here and here, respectively.




IPA/ADAL 2024 Publication Plagiarized Scott M. Graffius 2019 Copyrighted Work and Violated His Intellectual Property Rights


Scott M. Graffius first introduced his intellectual property in 2008, and he periodically updates it. The 2019 edition was the version plagiarized and exploited in violation of his intellectual property rights. Details follow.

A visual from Graffius' copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" is below. It is also shown at
https://x.com/ScottGraffius/status/1126788452295401474?s=20, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8kubFUC79k&t=2789s, and other locations. Focus on the text within it.

phases-of-team-development

As shown, Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his 2019 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. It reads: "Copyright © 2008-2019 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."

There was no request to use Graffius' copyrighted property nor did Graffius provide permission.

Nevertheless, IPA/ADAL’s 2024 publication, "Leading Talent and Developing Teams - Session 2 - Teams Life Cycle," plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" property and violated his intellectual property rights.

Excerpts from IPA/ADAL’s 2024 infringing publication are shown below.

ipa-adal-publication-plagiarized-and-violated-intellectual-property-rights---exhibits-lwres

The infringing publication is marked with:

  • The Institute of Public Administration (IPA)
  • IPA's The Academy for Developing Administrative Leaders (ADAL)
  • Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY)
  • National University of Singapore (NAS)

Comparing Graffius' copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" with the IPA/ADAL's 2024 publication reveals IPA/ADAL's blatant plagiarism and violation of intellectual property rights. The infringing publication used Graffius’ copyrighted property on the characteristics and strategies for the phases of team development. Here are some examples:

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Forming:
"Questioning"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Forming:
"Questioning"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Forming:
"Socializing"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Forming:
"Socializing"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Forming:
"Displaying eagerness"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Forming:
"Display eagerness"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Forming:
"Focusing on group identity & purpose"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Forming:
"Focusing on group identity & purpose"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Forming:
"Taking the ‘lead’"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Forming:
"Taking the ‘lead’"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Forming:
"Providing clear expectations and consistent instructions"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Forming:
"Providing clear expectations & consistent instructions"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Storming:
"Resistance"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Storming:
"Resistance"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Storming:
"Lack of participation"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Storming:
"Lack of participation"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Storming:
"Conflict"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Storming:
"Conflict"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Storming:
"Competition"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Storming:
"Competition"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Storming:
"High emotions"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Storming:
"High emotions"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Storming:
"Normalizing matters"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Storming:
"Normalizing matters"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Storming:
"Encouraging leadership"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Storming:
"Encouraging leadership"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Norming:
"Reconciliation"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Norming:
"Reconciliation"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Norming:
"Relief, lowered anxiety"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Norming:
"Relief, lowered anxiety"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Norming:
"Members are engaged & supportive"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Norming:
"Members are engaged & supportive"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Norming:
"Recognizing individual and group efforts"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Norming:
"Recognizing individual & group efforts"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Norming:
"Providing learning opportunities and feedback"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Norming:
"Providing learning opportunities & feedback"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Performing:
"Demonstrations of interdependence"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Performing:
"Demonstrations of interdependence"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Performing:
"Healthy system"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Performing:
"Healthy system"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Performing:
"Ability to effectively produce as a team"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Performing:
"Ability to effectively produce as a team"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Performing:
"Celebrating"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Performing:
"Celebrating"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Performing:
"’Guide from the side’ (minimal intervention)"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Performing:
"’guide from the side’ (minimal intervention)"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Adjourning:
"Shift to process orientation"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Adjourning:
"Shift to process orientation"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Adjourning:
"Sadness"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Adjourning:
"Sadness"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Adjourning:
"Recognizing change"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Adjourning:
"Recognizing change"

🟢 Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" specifies this for Adjourning:
"Providing an opportunity for summative team evaluations"
🔴 IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 "Leading Talent and Developing …." has this for Adjourning:
"Providing an opportunity for summative team evaluations"

In further evidence of apparent knowing and willful violation, in addition to word-for-word copying, the authors seemed to attempt to conceal the deceit by slightly altering certain words. For example, “Displaying eagerness” was changed to “Display eagerness.” In full context, IPA/ADAL's use was still plagiarism and infringement.

IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 publication used a material amount, including the heart of, Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted property.

IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 publication failed to acknowledge Graffius' ownership of his content. It did not quote, cite, or otherwise credit Graffius. By doing so, its authors/owners misled others into falsely believing that the authors/owners of the IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 publication are the owners of Graffius' respective intellectual property.

IPA/ADAL's infringing publication has damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.

IPA/ADAL's infringing publication's use of Graffius’ copyrighted property was not "fair use" nor "fair dealing" nor otherwise allowed.

IPA/ADAL's infringing publication violated Graffius' intellectual property rights.

The infringement is disgraceful, unprofessional, unethical, immoral, and unlawful.

Evidence was preserved.




Notes on the Violation



Scott M. Graffius’ copyright ownership details and permission request information are integrated into and appear on his 20193 "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property. It reads: "Copyright © 2008-2019 Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved. For permission requests, contact scott@scottgraffius.com."

There was no request to use Graffius' copyrighted property nor did Graffius provide permission.

Nevertheless, IPA/ADAL’s 2024 publication, "Leading Talent and Developing Teams - Session 2 - Teams Life Cycle," plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" property and violated his intellectual property rights.

IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 publication used a material amount, including the heart of, Graffius’ 2019 copyrighted property.

IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 publication failed to acknowledge Graffius' ownership of his content. It did not quote, cite, or otherwise credit Graffius. By doing so, its authors/owners misled others into falsely believing that the authors/owners of the IPA/ADAL's infringing 2024 publication are the owners of Graffius' respective intellectual property.

IPA/ADAL's infringing publication has damaged the marketability and value of Graffius’ intellectual property.

IPA/ADAL's infringing publication's use of Graffius’ copyrighted property was not "fair use" nor "fair dealing" nor otherwise allowed.

IPA/ADAL's infringing publication violated Graffius' intellectual property rights.

The infringement is disgraceful, unprofessional, unethical, immoral, and unlawful.




Demand, Including Notice



The infringing publication is marked with:

  • The Institute of Public Administration (IPA)
  • IPA's The Academy for Developing Administrative Leaders (ADAL)
  • Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY)
  • National University of Singapore (NAS)

In advance of this article, the following parties were notified via email about the violation and the demand for resolution. Some details are redacted.

The Institute of Public Administration (IPA) and the IPA's The Academy for Developing Administrative Leaders (ADAL)

  • alqudah██ @ipa.edu.sa
  • alshehri██@ipa.edu.sa
  • alyouse██@ipa.edu.sa
  • anzi██@ipa.edu.sa
  • banafe██@ipa.edu.sa
  • bassa██@ipa.edu.sa
  • conta██@ipa.edu.sa
  • custome██@ipa.edu.sa
  • elaya██@ipa.edu.sa
  • ismai██@ipa.edu.sa
  • journ██@ipa.edu.sa
  • leg██@ipa.edu.sa
  • majrash██@ipa.edu.sa
  • sajja██@ipa.edu.sa
  • suppo██@innovgov-ipa.com
  • tami.mono██@ipa.edu.sa

National University of Singapore (NAS) and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY)

  • glob██@nus.edu.sg
  • ips.upda██@nus.edu.sg
  • leg██@nus.edu.sg
  • lkysf██@nus.edu.sg
  • lkysppexec██@nus.edu.sg
  • nus.com██@nus.edu.sg
  • whistlebl██@nus.edu.sg

Additionally, the following were subsequently notified via email.

Saudi Government - Saudi Vision 2030 - Saudi CEDA

  • FS██@ceda.cm.gov.sa
  • HC██@ceda.cm.gov.sa

Secretariat-General, Board of Directors, Institute of Public Administration (IPA)

  • aman██@ipa.edu.sa

President, National University of Singapore (NUS)

  • uprs██@nus.edu.sg




Copyright Applicability



Scott M. Graffius resides in the United States and The Institute of Public Administration/The Academy of Developing Administrative Leaders and National University of Singapore/Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy are in or based in Saudi Arabia and Singapore, respectively.

However, Saudi Arabia and the United States have copyright treaties: UCC Geneva July 13, 1994; UCC Paris July 13, 1994; Berne (Paris) Mar. 11, 2004; WTO Dec. 11, 2005; VIP Feb. 21, 2019; Phonograms July 4, 2023.

And Saudi Arabia has strong copyright laws. Singapore and the United States also have copyright treaties: Bilateral May 18, 1987; WTO Jan. 1, 1995; Berne (Paris) Dec. 21, 1998; FTA Jan. 1, 200432; WCT Apr. 17, 2005; WPPT Apr. 17, 2005; SAT Apr. 27, 2005; VIP Sept. 30, 2016. And Singapore has robust copyright laws.

Accordingly, copyright laws apply to this case.





Status



This case is not yet resolved.




Conclusion



The IPA/ADAL emphasizes integrity and ethical leadership. However, IPA/ADAL’s 2024 publication, "Leading Talent and Developing Teams - Session 2 - Teams Life Cycle," plagiarized Scott M. Graffius' copyrighted 2019 "Phases of Team Development" property and violated his intellectual property rights. IPA/ADAL's conduct contradicts its own principles. Their violation is disgraceful, unprofessional, unethical, immoral, and unlawful.
This case is not yet resolved.

Intellectual property rights grant creators exclusivity, attribution, and control over their use. These protections are fundamental to innovation. Graffius presented the details of the violation to uphold his intellectual property rights, hold IPA/ADAL accountable, and deter future violations.

If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear in the Post-Publication Notes section at the end of this piece.




Graffius has generated over $2.51 billion in business value for Fortune 500 companies and other organizations around the world. Put that track record to work for you. For speaking engagements, use the request form; for other inquiries, email him.




About Scott M. Graffius



scott_m_graffius_-_blue_-_1000x1000_-lwres

Scott M. Graffius is a strategic transformation leader who drives AI, Agile, and broader business and technology initiatives to deliver measurable value across projects, programs, portfolios, and PMOs. He is an expert in the teamwork tradecraft of both human and human-AI teams, including the “exotic team dynamics” that emerge. He is also an authority on the temporal patterns of social media, including the half-life of audience engagement.

He’s a practitioner, researcher, thought leader, award-winning author, and keynote speaker who’s taken the stage at 98 conferences and other events across 25 countries.

He’s delivered over $2.51 billion in value for Fortune 500 companies and other leaders in technology, entertainment, financial services, healthcare, and beyond.

Businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities use Graffius and feature his work. Examples include Adobe, Bayer, Boston University, Ford, Gartner, Harvard Medical School, IEEE, Johns Hopkins University, Microsoft, MSN, National Academy of Sciences, Oracle, Pinterest Inc., Project Management Institute, UC San Diego, Verizon, Yale University, and others.

The following sections provide additional information on his experience, contributions, and influence.

Experience

Graffius heads the professional services firm Exceptional PPM and PMO Solutions, along with its subsidiary Exceptional Agility. These consultancies offer strategic and tactical advisory, training, embedded expertise, and consulting services to the public, private, and government sectors. They help organizations enhance their capabilities and results in agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership, supporting innovation and driving competitive advantage. The consultancies confidently back services with a Delighted Client Guarantee™.

Graffius is a former VP of project management with a publicly traded provider of diverse consumer products and services over the Internet. Before that, he ran and supervised the delivery of projects and programs in public and private organizations with businesses ranging from e-commerce to advanced technology products and services, retail, manufacturing, entertainment, and more.

He has experience with consumer, business, reseller, government, and international markets.

Award-Winning Author

Graffius has authored three books.


International Public Speaker

Organizations worldwide engage Graffius to present on tech (including AI), Agile, project management, program management, portfolio management, and PMO leadership. He crafts and delivers unique and compelling talks and workshops.
Graffius has conducted 98 sessions across 25 countries. Select examples of events include Agile Trends Gov, BSides (Newcastle Upon Tyne), Conf42 Quantum Computing, DevDays Europe, DevOps Institute, DevOpsDays (Geneva), Frug’Agile, IEEE, Microsoft, Scottish Summit, Scrum Alliance RSG (Nepal), Techstars, and W Love Games International Video Game Development Conference (Helsinki), and more.

With an average rating of 4.81 (on a scale of 1-5), sessions are highly valued.

The speaker engagement request form is
here.

Thought Leadership and Influence

Prominent businesses, professional associations, government agencies, and universities have showcased Graffius and his contributions—spanning his books, talks, workshops, and beyond. Select examples include:

  • Adobe,
  • American Management Association,
  • Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute,
  • Bayer,
  • BMC Software,
  • Boston University,
  • Broadcom,
  • Cisco,
  • Coburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Germany,
  • Computer Weekly,
  • Constructor University - Germany,
  • Data Governance Success,
  • Deimos Aerospace,
  • DevOps Institute,
  • Dropbox,
  • EU's European Commission,
  • Ford Motor Company,
  • Gartner,
  • GoDaddy,
  • Harvard Medical School,
  • Hasso Plattner Institute - Germany,
  • IEEE,
  • Innovation Project Management,
  • Johns Hopkins University,
  • Journal of Neurosurgery,
  • Lam Research (Semiconductors),
  • Leadership Worthy,
  • Life Sciences Trainers and Educators Network,
  • London South Bank University,
  • Microsoft,
  • MSN,
  • NASSCOM,
  • National Academy of Sciences,
  • New Zealand Government,
  • Oracle,
  • Pinterest Inc.,
  • Project Management Institute,
  • Mary Raum (Professor of National Security Affairs, United States Naval War College),
  • SANS Institute,
  • SBG Neumark - Germany,
  • Singapore Institute of Technology,
  • Torrens University - Australia,
  • TBS Switzerland,
  • Tufts University,
  • UC San Diego,
  • UK Sports Institute,
  • University of Galway - Ireland,
  • US Department of Energy,
  • US National Park Service,
  • US Soccer,
  • US Tennis Association,
  • Verizon,
  • Wrike,
  • Yale University,
  • and many others.

Graffius has played a key role in the Project Management Institute (PMI) in developing professional standards. He was a member of multiple teams that authored, reviewed, and produced:

  • The Standard for Artificial Intelligence in Portfolio, Program, and Project Management
  • Agile Practice Guide – Second Edition
  • A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Eighth Edition
  • A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Sixth Edition
  • The Standard for Program Management – Fourth Edition
  • Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures – Second Edition
  • The Practice Standard for Project Estimating – Second Edition

He was also a subject matter expert reviewer of content for the PMI’s Congress. Beyond the PMI, Graffius also served as a member of the review team for two of the Scrum Alliance’s Global Scrum Gatherings.

Acclaimed Authority on Teamwork Tradecraft

Scott-M-Graffius-Phases-Of-Team-Development-2026-Update-v26010307G2-jpg-lwres

Graffius is a renowned authority on teamwork tradecraft. Informed by the research of Bruce W. Tuckman and Mary Ann C. Jensen, over 150 subsequent studies, and Graffius' first-hand professional experience with, and analysis of, team leadership and performance, Graffius created his "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property as a unique perspective and visual conveying the five phases of team development. First introduced in 2008 and periodically updated, his work provides a diagnostic and strategic guide for navigating team dynamics. It provides actionable insights for leaders across industries to develop high-performance teams. Its adoption by esteemed organizations such as Yale University, IEEE, Cisco, Microsoft, Ford, Oracle, Broadcom, the U.S. National Park Service, and the Journal of Neurosurgery, among others, highlights its utility and value, solidifying its status as an indispensable resource for elevating team performance and driving organizational excellence. In 2026, Graffius added human-AI teamwork—including the "exotic team dynamics" which emerge when advanced AI collaborates as a teammate—to his "Phases of Team Development."

The 2026 edition of Graffius' "Phases of Team Development" intellectual property is here.

Expert on Temporal Dynamics on Social Media Platforms

scott-m-graffius-lifespan-halflife-of-social-media-posts-update-for-2026-summary-visual-v26012207-jpg-lwres

Graffius is also an authority on temporal dynamics on social media platforms. His "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research—first published in 2018 and updated annually—delivers a precise quantitative analysis of post longevity across digital platforms, utilizing advanced statistical techniques to determine mean half-life with precision. It establishes a solid empirical base, effectively highlighting the ephemeral nature of content within social media ecosystems. Referenced and applied by leading entities—such as Fast Company, GoDaddy,
Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Ministère de la Culture (French Ministry of Culture), Pinterest Inc., PNAS, and Telecommunications Policy, among others—his research exemplifies methodological rigor and sustained significance in the field of digital informatics.

The 2026 edition of Graffius "Lifespan (Half-Life) of Social Media Posts" research is here.

Education and Professional Certifications

Graffius has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a focus in Human Factors. He holds eight professional certifications:

  • Certified SAFe 6 Agilist (SA),
  • Certified Scrum Professional - ScrumMaster (CSP-SM),
  • Certified Scrum Professional - Product Owner (CSP-PO),
  • Certified ScrumMaster (CSM),
  • Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO),
  • Project Management Professional (PMP),
  • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB), and
  • IT Service Management Foundation (ITIL).

He is an active member of the Scrum Alliance, the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Advancing AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management

Scott M. Graffius continues to advance the fields of AI, Agile, and Project/PMO Management through his leadership, research, writing, and real-world impact. Businesses and other organizations leverage Graffius’ insights to drive their success.

Discover Scott’s Books


Connect with and follow Scott on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and ResearchGate.




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How to Cite This Article



Graffius, S. M. (2026, June 25). IPA / ADAL Publication Plagiarized Another’s Copyrighted Work and Violated Intellectual Property Rights. ScottGraffius.com.
https://scottgraffius.com/blog/files/ipa-adal-plagiarized-and-violated-intellectual-property.html




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Digital Object Identifier (DOI)



DOI coming soon.




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Content Acknowledgements



IPA/ADAL’s infringing 2024 publication, "Leading Talent and Developing Teams - Session 2 - Teams Life Cycle," is marked with several organizations: the Institute of Public Administration (IPA), IPA's The Academy for Developing Administrative Leaders (ADAL), Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY), and National University of Singapore (NUS). The infringing 2024 publication uses Scott M. Graffius’ copyrighted 2019 work, “Phases of Team Development.” Names and marks are the property of their respective owners. “Leading Talent and Developing Teams - Session 2 - Teams Life Cycle," except for material plagiarized from Graffius’ copyrighted work and used in violation of his intellectual property rights, is the property of its authors/owners. Graffius' article on this case includes limited excerpts from “Leading Talent and Developing Teams - Session 2 - Teams Life Cycle," attributed and used under the fair use doctrine for purposes of news reporting, commentary, and analysis. Graffius’ “Phases of Team Development” is copyright © Scott M. Graffius. All rights reserved.




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Tags and Hashtags



  • 5 Phases of Team Development
  • Copyright infringement in IPA | ADAL | NUS | LKY publication
  • Copyrighted property
  • High Performance Teams
  • Institute of Public Administration (IPA)
  • IP Rights
  • Leadership
  • Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
  • National University of Singapore (NUS)
  • Phases of Team Development
  • Project Management
  • Saudi Vision 2030
  • Team Dynamics
  • Team Tradecraft
  • Teamwork
  • Tech
  • The Academy of Developing Administrative Leaders (ADAL)

  • #AcademyOfDevelopingAdministrativeLeaders
  • #ADAL
  • #Agile
  • #Collaboration
  • #Copyright
  • #CopyrightInfringement
  • #HighPerformanceTeams
  • #Innovation
  • #InstituteOfPublicAdministration
  • #IntellectualProperty
  • #IPA
  • #IPRights
  • #Leadership
  • #LeeKuanYewSchoolOfPublicPolicy
  • #LKY
  • #NationalUniversityOfSingapore
  • #NUS
  • #PhasesOfTeamDevelopment
  • #ProjectManagement
  • #PublicAdministrationSA
  • #Team
  • #Teambuilding
  • #TeamDynamics
  • #TeamTradecraft
  • #Teamwork
  • #SaudiVision2030




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Post-Publication Notes



If there are any supplements or updates to this article after the date of publication, they will appear here.




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Copyright



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Content on this site—including text, images, videos, and data—may not be used for training or input into any artificial intelligence, machine learning, or automatized learning systems, or published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written permission of Scott M. Graffius.






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