The PMI’s PMP and PgMP credentials require that project managers and program managers actively maintain their status and engage in a continuing certification requirements program. The professionals who hold these credentials can maintain them if they are able to earn the required professional development units (PDU) during the three-year cycle. The PMI has a PDU Category Structure and Policies to aid professionals in the ways to earn their units. The two major divisions are Educational and Giving Back to the Profession.
Under the Educational division, the three categories are (A) Courses offered by registered educational providers (REP) or Chapter and Communities, (B) Continuing Education, and (C) Self-directed learning. Usually, 1 hour of activity earns 1 PDU. For example, taking a 3-hour PMI pre-approved course from an REP will earn the professional 3 PDUs.
Introducing the PDU Podcast
The PDU Podcast website is a site where project professionals can earn Category A PDUs comfortably. It is owned by OSP International, LLC, a PMI Registered Education Provider based in Silverado, CA, USA. It offers self-paced courses which can be converted and claimed as part of the required units to maintain the PMP and PgMP credentials. These courses are usually hour-long or so video webinars that is delivered to the subscriber every month.
Presenters
The main producer of the PDU Podcast is Cornelius Fichtner, PMP. Mr. Fichtner is a veteran project manager from Switzerland with work experience also in Germany and the USA. Among the companies he has managed projects for are a management consulting company, an internet startup, a national retailer and a known financial service provider in the USA. He also produces podcasts in his other websites such as The PM Podcast and The PM PrepCast.
Other presenters of the video webinars from this site include veteran project managers, senior executives and business consultants, such as authors Diane Altwies and Janice Preston, Margaret Meloni, Jack Ferraro, Stan Levanduski, Thomas Cutting, Susanne Madsen, and Elizabeth Harrin.
Products and Pricing
After a person subscribes to the PDU Podcast, he or she can expect a monthly, recorded PowerPoint style video webinar. Each 1 hour of watching this webinar is equivalent to 1 Category A PDU, so accumulating the required 60 PDUs for a three-year cycle becomes very achievable. To be able to download the webinar, one simply orders the subscription, and adds the PDU Podcast to iTunes or other podcatcher software. From the desktop, users can transfer it to their mobile devices, smart phones or iPod and watch or listen to it wherever they go.
A monthly subscription of $19.99 will ensure the subscriber of a minimum of 1 PDU earned per month. An annual subscription of $199.99 will ensure a subscriber of 21.75 PDUs for the Year 1 podcasts. The annual subscription gives a better value for money. Some webinars will earn more than 1 PDU, such as Jack Ferraro’s Build Your Service-based Project Leadership Skills equivalent to 3 PDUs. Year 1 Webinars total of 21.75 PDUs, Year 2 Webinars total 20 PDUs, and the upcoming Year 3 Webinars total 18.75 PDUs so far.
Benefits and Testimonials
Some of the benefits of subscribing to The PDU Podcast are being able to earn PDUs anywhere with the help of a portable webinar that can be played by mobile devices. Also, subscribing to a regular podcast automatically puts the subscriber to a planned effort for his or her re-certification. Another benefit is the easy schedule that it can be watched or listened to, without the additional burden or distraction that may prevent the professional from earning the units and not being able to re-certify.
Karl Trachsler of Switzerland described subscribing to the PDU Podcast as like having a simple and easy tool to earn PDUs with just spending 30 minutes a week for his continuing education.
Robert Servranckx of Canada stated that he loves how easy it is to listen to the podcasts in his iPad in his living room and at the same time keeping abreast of PM techniques, learning new concepts and earning PDUs.
Other Resources
The PDU Podcast site has a section that presents the details of each webinar. For example, the details are given from Steve Kaye’s Effective Meetings for Project Managers presented in the first month to Mike Graupner’s Transitioning to a Team Leader in month #36. It also has an Order section where the subscription and buying options are explained in detail.
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