Upcoming Changes for Collecting PDUs for PMPs

If you hold a PMP or other PMI project management certification you are already familiar with the process of maintaining your certification and collecting PDUs. But in case you haven’t heard yet, PMI’s CCR program is getting a makeover and there are changes to the requirements for certificate holders. These changes are expected to be effective December 1, 2015 – and here’s a heads-up so you can organize your own personal/professional goals in relation to this.

PMI wants to build a better foundation for professionals to learn and maintain their certification as well as to give back to the project management profession. These new changes are focused on supporting professional and personal development in the process of maintaining an active certification status.

Currently the process is not terribly strict for collecting PDUs. If you have a certification you must earn a certain number of PDUs within a 3 year period to remain active and outside of that there are no distinction on the type PDUs to collect.

So What’s Changing?

There are two updates coming to PMI’s continuing certification requirement process:

The addition of the PMI Talent Triangle.
A change in PDU requirements and the minimum number of PDUs that needs to be earned under each specific categories.

The PMI Talent Triangle

According to PMI, their new Talent Triangle outlines the ideal skillset for project manager in today’s business world. The Talent Triangle is made up of 3 skillsets – Technical Project Management, Leadership and Strategic & Business Management. This new combination of learning is meant to represent the skills that organizations have labelled necessary for project management as well as being skills that are being sought out by employers and to align the professional with the organization’s needs.

Let’s go through them in detail – we’re summarizing PMIs own words here:

Technical Project Management

Performing technical tasks. The knowledge and skills that are related to certain domains of practice for project, program and portfolio management.

66% of organizations say technical skills are most difficult to find ¹

Areas that utilize technical skills:

Requirement gathering techniques
Project controls and scheduling
Risk management
Scope management
Agile tools and techniques

Leadership Skills

Leadership skills are focused on motivating your team and those you work alongside. The ability to communicate the organizations vision and assist in reaching the goals and objectives.

71% of organizations rank leadership skill most important for long term success ¹

Areas that utilize Leadership skills:

Negotiation
Conflict management
Motivation
Team building
Problem solving

Strategic and Business Management

Having basic business knowledge and skills in the industry that will assist in providing successful business outcomes. This skills is needed to help you grasp the business overall and organizational strategies.

There are 72% average project success rate when organizations align talents to organizational strategy ¹

Areas that utilize Strategic and business management skills:

Business expertise
Finance
Operational functions
Strategic planning and alignment
Contract management

With all of that said, as you can tell, this new addition is meant to help develop professional skills as well as meet the changing demands of the industry. All of these of course vary based on your role. The goal is to make sure that each certificate holder remains relevant with the demands and skills of the profession.

Image Source: PMI Talent Triangle ¹

Learn more about the PMI Talent Triangle.

What You Will Need To Do To Earn Your PDUs & Remain An Active Certificate Holder

When the update takes effect in December 2015, you’ll need have a minimum of 35 PDUs earned through education (although it can exceed 35) and all education PDUs earned will need to match the Talent Triangle requirements of a minimum of 8 PDUs per Talent Triangle skillset.

Here’s a screenshot from PMI CCR Program outlining the changes of PDU requirements specific to category: