PMI giving back PDUs are an essential component for maintaining your PMI certification. In this blog, we explore what giving back PDUs are, the differences between required education PDUs and optional giving back PDUs, and the various activities that can help you earn them. Whether through volunteering, creating content, or mentoring, understanding how to earn PMI giving back PDUs can streamline your recertification process and enhance your professional development.
Understanding Giving Back PDUs
PMI requires all certification credential holders to earn PDUs to maintain their certification. PDUs, or Professional Development Units, are one-hour blocks of time spent learning, teaching others, or volunteering. Accumulating and tracking these PDUs over a three-year period helps maintain your certification status with PMI.
For certifications such as PMP®, PgMP®, PfMP®, and PMI-PBA®, you need to earn 60 PDUs within a three-year cycle.
Common Misconceptions About Giving Back PDUs
Many PMI credential holders are confused about Giving Back PDUs. PMI allows different ways to earn these PDUs, which can sometimes be confusing. PDUs are categorized into “Education PDUs” and “Giving Back PDUs.” Education PDUs are required, whereas Giving Back PDUs, which involve activities like teaching others and volunteering, are optional.
Key Points:
- Education PDUs: REQUIRED
- Giving Back PDUs: OPTIONAL
Below is the screenshot of PMI new dashboard and as you can see it clearly states 0/25 Optional under Giving back.
Earning PMI Recertification PDUs
Earning PMI Recertification PDUs
There are two options for earning the required PDUs:
Option 1: Earn all required 60 PDUs through education courses. You can utilize Gururo’s PMP renewal program for this with courses starting from $19.99.
Option 2: Combine Giving Back PDUs with Education PDUs to total 60 PDUs.
PMI has provided the following guidelines:
- There is no limit to the number of Education PDUs you can earn. You can complete all 60 PDUs through education if you choose.
- You can earn up to 25 Giving Back PDUs. The remaining PDUs must be earned through education courses.
Example Combinations:
- If you claim 1 Giving Back PDU, you need to earn 59 Education PDUs.
- If you claim 8 Giving Back PDUs, you need to earn 52 Education PDUs. This is the most popular combination as if you are actively working in project management field then you can claim up to 8 PDUs for one renewal cycle.
- If you claim 15 Giving Back PDUs, you need to earn 45 Education PDUs.
- If you claim 20 Giving Back PDUs, you need to earn 40 Education PDUs.
- If you claim 25 Giving Back PDUs (the maximum allowed), you need to earn 35 Education PDUs.
Activities to Earn Giving Back PDUs
Working as a Practitioner
If you hold a PMI certification and are working in a related role (e.g., Project Manager, Business Analyst, Scrum Master, Product Owner), you can claim your work experience under the Working as a Practitioner PDU category. You can claim up to 8 PDUs per certification cycle. Here’s an example approval for Work as a Practitioner category.
Creating Content
Creating and sharing content is another method to earn Giving Back PDUs. This can involve writing blog posts, creating email newsletters, or maintaining a shared knowledge base within your company.
Documentation Needed:
- Provide copies of publications or sample educational materials.
Sample Blog Topics for PDUs:
- What is Agile Estimating?
- Top 5 Ideas for Fun Sprint Retrospectives
- How to Create a “Definition of Done” with Your Team
- The Difference Between Waterfall and Agile Methodologies
- How to Assess Risk in a Project
- Using the MOSCOW Approach to Requirements Gathering
- How to Write User Stories
Sending Email Newsletters
If you maintain a company blog on Agile or Project Management topics, creating a newsletter with links to the blog is an effective way to share information with your colleagues. Even without a blog, you can create a newsletter with links to online articles, external blogs, tools, or templates to benefit others in your organization.
How to Earn Giving Back PDUs
To earn giving back PDUs, you can:
- Work as a practitioner in your certified role.
- Create and share content related to project management.
- Present at your organization or PMI chapter events.
- Mentor or coach junior project managers.
How to Earn Giving Back PDUs
Many of the activities for earning giving back PDUs can be done at no cost. Writing blogs, creating internal newsletters, mentoring colleagues, and volunteering are excellent ways to earn PDUs without any financial investment.
Conclusion : PMI giving back PDUs
Earning Giving Back PDUs is a valuable way to enhance your project management skills while contributing to the profession. Whether through working as a practitioner, creating content, giving presentations, or mentoring, there are numerous opportunities to earn these PDUs. Remember, while Giving Back PDUs are optional, they offer a flexible and enriching path to meet your recertification requirements.
For a comprehensive and efficient approach to earning your PDUs, consider enrolling in Gururo’s PMP Renewal Pack. Gururo provides a variety of courses and activities designed to help you earn both Education and Giving Back PDUs, ensuring you meet all your recertification needs seamlessly. Visit Gururo’s PMP Renewal Pack to get started today and keep your certification up-to-date effortlessly.
