Episode 320: Changes to the PMP® PDU Categories Explained (Free)

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At the end of 2015, the Project Management Institute (PMI) is going to make changes to the way PMI certified project managers have to earn their Professional Development Units (PDUs). And in this episode we are going to explore these changes with John Kleine (https://www.linkedin.com/pub/john-kleine/10/aa1/613), who is PMI’s Global Manager of Certification Products. He is right at the heart of these changes.But before we start let me give you a disclaimer here: If you are not PMI certified and you never intend to become a certified PMP, PgMP®, PMI-ACP®, or any of the other PMI certifications, then stop listening right here. This interview is of no interest to you at all. If on the other hand you are PMI certified, then consider this episode mandatory listening. You need to know this!

First of all you are going to hear that many rules and criteria about PDUs are going to remain the same, and so most of what you know about PDUs today will be true tomorrow. For example, you can still earn Free PMP PDUs by listening to this podcast! But then we are going to delve into the details of the PMI PDU changes by looking at the new PMI Talent Triangle and by going through the current PDU categories and learning what changes are ahead.But before we start let me give you a disclaimer here: If you are not PMI certified and you never intend to become a certified PMP, PgMP, PMI-ACP, or any of the other PMI certifications, then stop listening right here. This interview is of no interest to you at all. If on the other hand you are PMI certified, then consider this episode mandatory listening. You need to know this!

But before we start let me give you a disclaimer here: If you are not PMI certified and you never intend to become a certified PMP, PgMP, PMI-ACP, or any of the other PMI certifications, then stop listening right here. This interview is of no interest to you at all. If on the other hand you are PMI certified, then consider this episode mandatory listening. You need to know this!

Episode Transcript

Below are the first few pages of the transcript. The complete transcript is available to Premium subscribers only.

Podcast Introduction

Cornelius Fichtner:  Hello and welcome to episode number 320. This is the Project Management Podcast at www.pm-podcast.com and I am Cornelius Fichtner. Welcome back and thank you for joining me.

At the end of 2015, the Project Management Institute is going to make changes to the way PMI certified project managers have to earn their Professional Development Units, their PDUs. And in this episode, we are going to explore these changes with John Kleine, who is PMI’s Global Manager of Certification Products. So he is right at the heart of these changes.

First of all you, are going to hear that many rules and criteria about PDUs are going to remain the same, and so most of what you already know about PDUs today will be true tomorrow. For example, you can still earn Free PMP PDUs by listening to this podcast! But then we are going to delve into the details of the PMI PDU changes by looking at the new PMI Talent Triangle and by going through the current PDU categories and learning what changes are ahead. But before we start, let me give you a disclaimer here: If you are not PMI certified and you never intend to become a certified PMP, PgMP, PMI-ACP, or any of the other PMI certifications, then please stop listening right here. This interview is of no interest to you at all. If on the other hand you are PMI certified, then consider this episode as being mandatory listening. You really need to know and understand this!

And now, here’s your change. Enjoy the interview.

Podcast Interview

Cornelius Fichtner:  Hello, John and welcome to the Project Management Podcast.

John Kleine: Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be here today.

Cornelius Fichtner:  You are the Global Manager for Certification Products for PMI. What exactly do you do in that role?

John Kleine: That is correct. As Global Manager for Certification Products, I have three product managers who report in to me. So really we manage the lifecycle of PMI’s certifications, the PMP, PfMP®, and so forth. So we identify and assess the validity and feasibility of product opportunities. We make sure the right product is delivered at the right time. We work on developing strategy in the world map for development. And even to the point of evangelizing the product internally to both our executives, as well as to evangelizing it outside the walls of PMI. So, the main thing I wish to communicate to people is I’m trying to represent the customers through the product development process. And that’s what my product managers do.

Cornelius Fichtner:  All right. And what we want to do right now is really ride up your alley because we want to discuss the changes that are coming to the CCR program, the Continuing Certification Requirements program at the end of this year. And to get it started, what I have done is I’ve selected a few questions that can easily be answered with “yes” and “no,” to show people that really not that much is changing here. So let’s get straight into these questions here. So first one, will I as a certified PMP still have to earn 60 PDUs?

John Kleine: Yes. And I would also like to add that if you’re a certified PgMP, PsMP®, or PBA®, you will still need to earn 60.

Cornelius Fichtner:  Right. And then the RMP, the ACP and the SM, the scheduling, right? They have to earn 30?

John Kleine: Correct. Exactly.

Cornelius Fichtner:  No change there. Okay. And there is recertification cycle that it will still be three years?

John Kleine: Yes.

Cornelius Fichtner:  Okay. And there are still six categories under which these PDUs can be earned?

John Kleine: Yes. Those six activities to earn PDUs will remain true, but probably in the new CCO refresh, you won’t see them referenced as categories.

Cornelius Fichtner:  Okay. So it’s just a different name. Instead of categories, we’re going to call them something different.

John Kleine: They’re an activity.

Cornelius Fichtner:  Okay, okay. And is each hour of a qualifying activity still going to be worth one PDU?

Above are the first few pages of the transcript. The complete PDF transcript is available to Premium subscribers only.