I challenge you to manage the PDU process as a Project!

As a PMP®, you need 60 PDUs every 3 years.
What do you know about your Professional Development?

Do you know:

• What is your re-certification date?
• If you have any unrecorded PDUs?
• How many PDUs do you have today?
• How many PDUs you are entitled to?
• How many PDUs you have from each Category?
• You require a tracking system for your PDUs (for PMI® Audit purposes)

Sit down and plan it out.

Based on the PDUs you need to earn, and the time you have, determine how many PDUs you need to earn each month. Think about YOUR Professional Development on a monthly basis.

Now consider this

On March 1st PMI changed the PDU categories and raised the limit on the self-directed learning ( SDL ) category from 15 hours to 30 hours per certification cycle.

You are a PM of course your schedule is busy 😉

This will make it easier for you to fit those monthly PDUs into your already busy schedule. Claiming those Category C PDUs only requires some planning and documentation.

Skills you already have as a Project Manager 🙂

Can you fit these activities into your busy schedule:

• read articles, books, or instructional manuals (remember the PM Network magazine you get every month from PMI);
• watch videos, use interactive CDs, or listen to podcasts;
• have formal discussions with colleagues, coworkers, clients, or consultants;
• get coached or mentored by a colleague, coworker, or consultant.

You are probably already doing some of these activities.

These activities all qualify as Self-directed learning. With a little planning and documenting, these activities can become PDUs towards your recertification.

Answer these questions in YOUR SDL ( Self Directed Learning ) plan:

1. What do I want to learn about?

Do I want to become more knowledgeable about a PM topic, such as risk management, earned value analysis or project initiation. Do I want to become more skilled by learning about negotiation, scheduling or using project management software.

2. How am I going to learn?

Are there specific books, articles, videos, a discussion group that I will use. What is my learning style – am I a visual learner (I need to see a picture or diagram or even a printed page), an auditory learner (I learn better when I listen to or talk about the material) or a kinesthetic learner (I want to touch it, do it, try it it)?

3. How am I going to demonstrate the learning?

PMI requires documentation in your PDU folder for the SDL PDUs. I highly recommend writing up a couple of sentences using the SMART goal setting strategy. Include this in your PDU folder, along with a demonstration of your new knowledge or skill. Describe the PMBOK KPAs ( Key Process Areas )that the learning activity references.

Why should I use the Self-Directed Learning Category?

To quote another PM blogger, Colonel Mike;

“Too often, … project managers … find themselves short of time and PDUs, [and] … resort to spending thousands of their company’s dollars (in today’s economy it’s often an employee’s own money) to attend a three-or-four-day class taught by a major education provider. I’m not against spending that kind of money and time if a project manager requires a specific skill, but, in my opinion, it’s a complete waste of resources to attend an expensive course solely to earn PDUs.”

Remember: As a Project Manager YOUR professional development is as important as any project you are working on. Projects come and go but building YOUR skill and YOUR competencies will add value to YOUR Projects and YOUR SUCCESSES!!

Especially for the Category C ‘Self Directed Learning Activity’ remember to document your learning experience and its relationship to project management for your ‘PDU Audit Trail Folder’

What do you mean by a certification plan?

Start by building a recertification or PDU Planning document. This should preferably be developed at the beginning of your recertification cycle. This document (spreadsheet) will both track your PDU progress and help you plan your future progress. Create a spreadsheet that Initiates Plans Executes and Completes this project.

Build a spreadsheet that shows the 60 PDUs you need to earn (Planning) and another sheet that will track your progress (milestones)

• In your tracking progress document – add three lines (one for each year) for the PDUs you earn as a Project Manager This is under Category F as a professional practitioner with PMI®. Earn up to 15 PDUs in a 3 year cycle (5 PDUs for each year). Ensure these are RECORDED with PMI®.
• Review any PDUs you have previously completed in this document and ensure they are recorded with PMI® and in your PDU planner.
• If you start an activity record the start date and specific information required by PMI®.
• Use the other section to list the knowledge and skills you want to acquire, then add possible resource links here. ( this will help you plan how you may want to earn PDUs)
  • What will you learn through Self-Directed Learning?
    • What Books will you read?
    • What Project Management magazines and newsletters do you receive? Do you read them 🙂 ?
    • Do you have a regular lunchtime discussion group at work?
  • What courses or training will you want to attend?
  • Have you checked out pduOTD.com 😉 for new opportunities?
  • Does the local PMI chapter have dinner meetings? training sessions?
  • Is there a local PMI conference? Is there a regional PMI conference you want to attend?

Record what you do in the PMI CCRS system as soon as possible after you complete the activity

PM YOUR PLAN – Monitor the number of PDUs earned each month against your plan.

With a little planning at the beginning of their recertification cycle, project managers should be able to accomplish their goal of earning 60 PDUs with minimal expense and frustration.

In this way YOU will Learn what YOU WANT to Learn and grow in YOUR profession.

I’ll leave the final word to Colonel Mike:

Above all else, lead by example; do not allow yourself to become a “last minute Larry/Laura” and scramble for PDUs as your recertification looms simply because you failed to put together and execute a sound plan. Project managers are leaders!