Monday 17 February 2014

My PDU Plan

To maintain my PMP qualifications, I need to ensure that I continue to maintain consistent learning with regard to Project Management.  I like the idea that people cannot pass the PMI exams and then forget about keeping up to date with learning and modern practices.

In 2012, I became a PMP and in 2013 I passed my RMP exam.  This means that I have earn almost double the required PDU's, on my three year cycle.  I became a PMP, as I did not feel that the Prince2 qualification was the complete Project Management qualifications.  Prince2 is a structure for a specific methodology, however, most corporations have a slightly modified version in place for running their projects.  Most PMOs tweak the Prince2 methodology to suit their needs, which is a guiding principle of Prince2, where projects are "Tailored to the Environment".  However, having the PMP exam increases a Project Managers depth of knowledge, giving options to the project and guiding principles that can be applied in all situations.

The task I set for myself was to earn my PDUs for as little money as possible.  I find it hard to justify spending $700 on a few videos or podcasts, but have a 40 minute commute by train, so I have more than 6 hours a week, sitting on a train with time on my hands - for free. 

So far, I am 1 year and 4 months into my 3 year PDU cycle for my PMP.  I have earned 39 PDUs out of the required 60.  For my RMP cycle, I only require 30 PDUs and I already have earned 16 in the first 10 months of the cycle.

I obtain some free PDUs by simply doing my day job as a Project Manager.  Other free options are as easy as reading the PMI monthly magazines (PMI Network and PMI Today).  These take about an hour of reading and therefore can accrue 1 PDU per month in the self-development category.

I write a blog, which is counted as giving back to others.  Each month, I average 3-4 articles, which takes about 1-2 hours of my time.  Each hour equals 1 PDU, however, I only ever apply for a single PDU per month.  I enjoy my blog, but wish more people would read it, but I am not sure how to increase my community of readers. 

Recently, I have been using the updated version of MS Project 2013.  I thought it was time to actually get some official training to understand how to use all of the features, rather than the standard Gantt chart view.  I spent more than 5 hours watching videos and a further few hours doing examples, so I will be applying for 5 PDUs.

Finally, against all of my principles, I am going to pay for a video / podcast to kick start my learning for the Agile Certified Professional qualification.  As a pre-requisite of taking the exam, you must complete at least 21 hours of certified education related to Agile Project Management.  I have found a few options on-line, but I like Cornelius Fichtner and will purchase his training.  This will give me a certificate of completion at the end, plus the added bonus of an additional 21 PDUs.  This is all for under $300.

I will not find it difficult to earn the required PDUs within the 3 year cycle and finding them for free is relatively easy.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks - this is a very useful and practical article. Thanks a lot for sharing your learning and experiences with your readers. its looks interesting and providing some valuable information.Please post some more articles and mean while please check PMStudy.com for those who are searching for Pmp Exam , pmp certification PMP Online Classes. PMP classes

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