Certified Project Management Professionals (PMPs) must acquire 60 professional development units (PDUs). Many PMPs used to find this duty to be both costly and burdensome. However, revisions to the standards in recent years have made earning PDUs easier, more pleasurable, and, in many cases, accessible.
You don’t want your PMP to lapse after you’ve worked so hard to obtain it! According to PMI’s most recent Project Management Income Survey, the median salary for PMP holders in the United States is 25% more than for those without PMP certification.
The following are ten ways to earn PDUs in two categories accepted by the PMI: 1) Education and 2) Giving back to the profession:
EDUCATION PDUs
PMI PDUs for education is earned for expanding your knowledge in a way relevant to your certification and work in the project management field. Here are five methods for obtaining education PDUs:
- Read books, articles, white papers, and blogs to keep educated and assist your professional development.
- Watch videos and seminars on your professional activity.
- Podcasts on your professional activity should be listened to.
- Participate in formal or informal learning relating to your professional duties, in or out of the office.
- Enroll in online or in-person courses provided by the PMI’s list of Registered Education Providers (REPs).
You must obtain a minimum of 35 Earn PDUs and a maximum of 60 educational PDUs during each certification cycle. PDUs are calculated as follows: 1 PDU for every hour of learning.
You must get a minimum of 8 educational PMP PDU in each of the three learning areas known as the PMI’s Talent Triangle: technical project management, strategic and business management, and leadership. After earning 24 PDUs (8 technical project management PDUs, eight strategic and business management PDUs, and eight leadership PDUs), you can add to your PDU total in any category up to the maximum of 60 permitted per certification.
Furthermore, you must adequately document all education PDUs that you acquire and have them ready to submit to the PMI if needed. For webinars, you should record the date, time, duration, provider, description, and any notes you take. You should also snap a screenshot of the landing/sign-up page and document the URL.
PDUs FOR GIVING BACK TO THE PROFESSION
Giving back to the industry PDUs reward your contributions to the advancement of the profession by proving your skill and professionalism in the subject and training others. Here are five methods to earn PDUs for giving back to work:
- Employed as a Practitioner
Working as a practitioner, such as a project manager, project coordinator, or project procurement manager, allows you to earn up to 8 PDUs every cycle. If the PMI requests it, make sure you have an up-to-date and thorough job description that validates your actions and duties.
- Produce Content
Creating project management-related material such as blog posts, articles, webinars, and videos is lovely to enhance your profile and educate your peers. Also, it’s a terrific way to earn PDUs at a rate of 1 PDU for 1 hour of activity. Keep copies of all content if the PMI requests verification of your efforts. Simply having a URL (link) may be insufficient, as URLs can change over time, and websites might go down.
- Present your ideas
Presentations at work, at your local PMI chapter, at a community college, or anyplace else (even online) are another rewarding opportunity to share your expertise and earn PDUs. You may earn 1 PDU for each hour of activity, including preparation and research, just as you do for generating content. Make copies of all presentations in case the PMI requests them.
- Volunteer
You can earn 1 PDU for every hour of non-compensated volunteer contribution to a non-employer or non-client organization, including the PMI. You can also provide your domain-related services to other non-profit groups.
- Train and Coach
If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “oh, if I only knew then what I know now…” you may help others benefit from your experiences—the good, the terrible, and the ugly—by coaching and teaching aspiring and experienced professionals. For each hour of service, including preparation, you can earn one PDU. Keep accurate documentation in case your efforts need to be verified.
Utilize the Opportunity to the Fullest
Rather than dreading the requirement to earn PDUs and maintain your PMP certification, we encourage you to seize the opportunity to meaningfully increase your knowledge in relevant areas (more on this below) while giving back and helping others within and outside the project management community—after all. At the same time, not everyone is a project manager; almost everyone works on projects. Your knowledge is precious and in high demand.
Recommendations for Learning
According to a recent Forrester* study, firms have prioritized the following critical areas since the outbreak began:
- We are accelerating the transition to digital business to thrive — not simply survive — in the face of unpredictability.
- Cost-cutting measures include boosting production and focusing on profitability (vs simply eliminating expenses).
- We are increasing the use of data insights in decision making by using visibility across the company.
- Increasing the speed with which we respond to business and market developments.
- It increases one’s capacity to invent.
Naturally, you want your education approach to align with your position, responsibilities, and career path. However, focusing on the goals above in your learning journey should be professionally and personally rewarding.