Would you like to earn free PDUs?

Listen to the People and Projects Podcast!

I recently ran into a guy who had worked diligently to get his Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification, only to lose it 3 years later because he didn’t get the required continuing education PDUs. The truth is getting 60 PDUs can be a challenge, especially if you start late in the cycle. 

Listening to the People and Projects Podcast allows you to earn free PDUs! Just listen, learn, and earn those free PDUs!

How Does it Work?

Each PDU represents 60 minutes of learning. For podcasts that are under an hour, just listen to a couple on the same topic and consolidate them. For example, two half-hour podcast episodes on communications issues can be consolidated into one PDU for Project Communications Management.

How Do I Track My PDUs?

Every PMP® is subject to audit during the PDU submission process and you may have to show exactly how you earned all your PDU’s. PMI reserves the right to reject some or all of the PDU’s that you claim. Because of that, it’s best to keep a log of the episodes that you listen to.

Here’s a simple spreadsheet you can download to use for tracking your podcast listening:

Each time you listen to an episode of The People and Projects Podcast, make an entry into your log of the episode number, title, guest, the day you listened to it, and the total number of minutes of the episode. Indicate what percentage of the episode was Ways of Working, Power Skills, and Business Acumen (elements of the PMI Talent Triangle). For example, for a 34-minute episode that was 100% about leadership, you would put 34 minutes into the duration column and put 100% in the Leadership % column. The spreadsheet will calculate the minutes for you based on the percentages. Click here for more information about the PMI Talent Triangle.

Below is a list of recent episodes with the times and percentages.

List of Recent Episodes

How Do I Report My Free PDUs?

Every 6-12 months, you can take the information from your log and report the hours for PDU credit. The Project Management Institute (PMI)® provides an online PDU reporting site. Click here to be taken to the site.

Here’s a video that summarizes the process:

Follow these steps to claim your PDU’s:

  • Click “Report PDUs” to be taken to the Dashboard.
  • Select “Report PDUs” from the menu on the left.
  • Select “Online or Digital Media” under the Education section.
  • Input the following information:
    Field Value Provider Institute for Leadership Excellence & Development Inc. Title The People and Projects Podcast URL www.peopleandprojectspodcast.com Date started Date you started listening to our podcast Date completed When you ended listening Ways of Working PDUs Claimed Enter the total number of hours that you listened that were specific to the technical aspects of project management. Power Skills PDUs Claimed Enter the total number of hours that you listened that were specific to leadership-oriented, cross-cutting skills. Business Acumen PDUs Claimed Enter the total number of hours that you listened that were specific to your industry or organization.
  • Click the checkbox to indicate that you agree your claimed PDUs are accurate.
  • Click the Submit button.

Here’s another recording of submitting PDUs:

Are Free PDUs Really That Easy?

Yes they are! Of course this goes without saying but I’ll say it anyway: all PDU submissions are subject to review and audit by PMI so make sure to keep records of which episodes you are including. That’s it!

Another Way to Earn PDUs

A minimum of 35 PDUs need to come from the Education category. If you’re looking for other sources of Education PDU’s, here are some ideas:

  • Check out our AI Made Simple course. You can earn PDUs while getting up-to-speed on practical uses cases for day-to-day work that are relevant to project managers and frontline leaders.
  • Check out our instructor-led project management courses! They can be a great refresher if you already have your certification.

Even More Ways to Earn PDUs!

During each 3-year cycle you can earn a maximum of 25 PDUs by Giving Back to the profession. Here are some ideas: 

Creating New Project Management Knowledge

For each of these, you can claim 1 PDU for every hour spent developing or presenting the knowledge. More free PDUs!

  • Being an “In the Trenches” guest on our podcast! Contact me to learn more!
  • Authoring a project management-related article on a professional or company blog.
  • Developing content for a project management-related course.
  • Teaching or speaking on a project management related at your company or at a conference.
  • Moderating or participating on a panel discussion.

Volunteer Service

  • Serving as an elected volunteer officer or serve on a committee for your PMI chapter (they need you!)
  • Volunteer project management related services for a community or charitable group.
  • Serve as a mentor or coach for a colleague.

For each of these, you can claim 1 PDU for every hour of volunteer (non-compensated) service. Once again, free PDUs!

Working as a Professional in Project Management 

If you spend at least 6 months out of a 12 month period as a professional project manager, you can earn up to 8 PDU’s per 3-year cycle.

If you have any questions about PDU’s, check out the PMP®Handbook (look for the section about the Continuing Certification Requirements). Thanks for listening to The People and Projects Podcast!