Adding to the project management body of knowledge

Members of the global professional association the Project Management Institute (PMI) will already be familiar with the PMI’s certification program, which includes PMP (Project Management Professional) and other project-related PMI credentials such as PgMP for program management, PMI-SP for scheduling, and PMI-RMP for risk management. To maintain certification you are required to earn a specified number of Professional Development Units, or PDUs, to keep that credential.

PMI has developed six categories of PDUs in which one can obtain credits. Category D is Creating New Project Management Knowledge, which is one of the three Giving Back to the Profession categories.

There is a maximum of 45 PDUs that you can earn in the Giving Back division. This means that you can earn a maximum of 45 PDUs for Category D, E and F combined.

PDU Category D covers the development of new knowledge related to the specific credential in which the PDUs are to be applied. The types knowledge you can develop and earn PDUs toward Category D include authoring or co-authoring a project management textbook, a peer-reviewed or non-peer reviewed article, or an article for the PMI knowledge shelf; authoring a credential related article for an electronic newsletter or a blog for an official organisation, professional organisation, or company; presenting credential related material in a webinar or podcast; developing or serving as an instructor for project management related course material, or serving as a moderator for a related discussion or subject matter expert for a panel discussion.

For each hour committed to knowledge development in the areas of project management, program management, project scheduling, or project risk one hour of professional development can be claimed and awarded as a PDU. Additionally, all of the time you commit to developing this knowledge, whether it is for preparation, creation, or presentation can be claimed towards PDUs in this category. So if it takes you three hours to prepare and two hours to present then you have earned five PDUs.

In case you get audited for claiming these type of PDUs you will need to provide copies of publications, agendas, or any other related material that details their development of new project management knowledge type activities.