Earning PDUs Is A Breeze

Many Project Management Professionals (PMPs) find it a challenge to earn their 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs) required every 3 years. This is not necessarily as challenging or daunting as many think! It is actually quite easy, and it can (and should!) fit into the regular routine as well as professional and personal goals that most professionals have. Here are some ideas on how PMPs can easily gain the required 60 PDUs in the natural course of business.

Having Personal & Professional Goals Is the Key

First, think about the goals of a Project Manager or Program Manager who needs to earn the PDUs. He or she has varied responsibilities that require skills similar to those of a General Manager. In fact, many PMs aspire to become General Managers some day. So, really, the first step toward incorporating PDUs into the normal course of business is to determine personal and professional goals!

Setting Up an Implementation Plan

With those goals in mind, the next question is "How will I achieve those goals over, say, a 3 year horizon?" Presumably those goals entail building skills, working on certain types of projects, gaining experience with certain types of problems and situations, building a professional network, and honing all-important soft skills. Given that a Project Manager must be a strong communicator and a leader, a big-picture strategic thinker, and inspirational team builder, a great approach is to design a personal program for achieving this while earning PDUs at the same time.

It's About Planning

First, it is good to not leave this type of personal goal-setting and personal strategic thinking to the last minute. This is actually Project Management 101! Professional goals are usually medium to long term in nature, so some planning is in order. The PMI recently changed the rules on dates for earning PDUs, all in favor of each and every individual PMP. In the past, there has been a "race" near the end of each year to earn required PDUs for re-certification. However, at least that has become balanced as the PMI has changed that, and each PMP must re-certify by earning those 60 PDUs by their anniversary date, allowing more time, at least for this current 3 year cycle.

And It's About Execution

So, what are the PMI's requirements, and how can PMPs leverage those best toward achieving their personal and professional goals? First, the authoritative source for PMP re-certification is the PMI's Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) Handbook in the PMI Career Development area. It outlines the five categories within which PMPs can earn PDUs, which are reviewed below in the spirit of making it easy and as a matter of the normal course of business.

Category 1: Formal Academic Education. This refers to education and training at accredited universities. Classes on project and/or program management qualify, as they need to map to the project management processes and knowledge areas in the PMBOK. PMPs need to speak with the university and PMI to clarify the number for PDUs that each course will earn.

Category 2: Professional Activities and Self-Directed Learning. This category fits nicely into the time and goal scheme for many PMPs, but there are some limitations on how many PDUs can be claimed in some cases. Here are some examples:

a. Author a book - up to 40 PDUs

b. Day to day project management work (i.e. any PMP's job, if it includes 1,500 hours per year as a project manager) - 5 PDUs per year.

c. Teach a project management course - up to 10 PDUs

d. Speak at a local PMI chapter dinner meeting - 5 PDUs.

e. Self Directed Learning (i.e. read a project management book, listen to a project management oriented podcast) - up to 15 PDUs per 3 year cycle, and requires 'proof'

Category 3: Registered Education Providers (REPs) of the PMI. This includes relatively expensive on classroom courses, or less expensive online project management training courses (1 PDU per course hour as per PMI rules). Other options, with networking as a side benefit, include PMI monthly chapter dinner meetings (1-2 PDUs) or special seminars and PMI Specific Interest Groups (SIGs) meetings.

Category 4: Other Providers. Project management related training by non PMI REPs also qualifies, a fact that is commonly misunderstood among PMPs. This includes seminars, project management training in-house, and online courses from non-REPs where the content maps to the PM Processes and Knowledge areas. Just like REP training, non-REP training qualifies for 1 PDU per course hour as per PMI rules. The PMI requires course descriptions and receipts or transcripts in case of audit.

Category 5: Volunteer Service. Service can be for a PMI Chapter or another volunteer organization where project management is clearly exercised. Elected officials earn 10 PDUs, and regular volunteer 5 PDUs per year. PDUs earned can easily total less than the hours spent, but other benefits include networking with peers, PM community involvement, and the personal growth that comes with volunteering.

A Call for Action for PMPs

The purpose of PDUs is to keep PMPs engaged and growing professionally. The Call for Action is for PMPs to assess their PDU needs and map them to their personal and professional goals. Then it is a matter of finding the preferred methods, as outlined above and authoritatively listed in the PMI's "PMP Credential Handbook" at http://www.pmi.org/PDF/pdc_pmphandbook.pdf, and get into action on a regular basis toward achieving goals - and earning PDUs.