Understanding PMI
PMI provides an inclusive certification procedure for project consultants of all skill and education levels. As of now, it consists of six credentials demonstrating an individual’s expertise through experience, competency and certifying education, and commitment to the profession. All PMI certifications are designed to help make sure that you and your projects succeed.
Since project management is among the top rated skill sets demanded by many companies worldwide, PMI is more important now than ever. About $12 trillion of the world’s GDP is spent on projects. With the growth within the industry and all the educated practitioners leaving the work environment for retirement or other reasons, there is a massive need for more skilled project managers.
Maintaining Your PMI Certification with Continuing Certification Requirements
If you are the holder of a PMI certification, you will need to maintain that status with the continuing certification requirements program (CCR). To complete this program, you must participate in professional development activities to earn professional development units (PDU).
There are five key factors to maintaining your PMI certification:
- Education for Eligibility
- This means that you must have obtained a minimum amount of hours in the relevant education.
- You must acquire a minimum amount of hours that relate to project management.
- This means that you must have taken and passed the multiple-choice, scenario-based exam to assess your competence.
- All certification holders and candidates need to adhere to the PMI professional conduct and code of ethics.
- You must have successfully maintained and will continue to improve your competence in the area of project management.
- Experience
- Examination
- Ethics
- Education for Certification Management
Why Should You Maintain Your Certification Status?
There are many reasons you should maintain your status of certification through the CCR program. Here are some examples:
- Increase the level of your project’s success
- Gain access to new tools and knowledge
- Validate your own knowledge and competence
- Improve your professional status
- Improve your chances of new job offers and promotions
- Fulfill your employer’s requirements
When you maintain your certification, you are not only gaining access to knowledge, career advancement and tools, but you are also supporting the project management profession itself. Whilst previously preparing yourself to achieve this certification, you developed a foundation of experience and knowledge – which the PMI highly encourages you to maintain. To stay with this profession, your knowledge will need to improve. This is the reason why certification maintenance requires that you are engaged in continuing developmental and educational activities.
PMI’s CCR program will promote consistent professional development among the community of project management. It is based on the five types of activities that qualify you for PDUs. The experiential and educational activities that you engage in will help you improve and maintain your skills. They also help to position you for career advancements, connect you to the worldwide community of project management, and enable you to give back to the profession
By the way, should you happen to let your certification expire shortly after the cycle of three years, you will need to reapply for the certification and retake the evaluations and exams.
How to Earn PDUs
There are more than enough ways to earn PDUs toward maintaining your certification. A couple of examples are:
- Self-Directed Learning
- Some of these activities include using informational material such as articles, videos, CDs, books, or instructional manuals. These may also include physical activities such as conducting research or coaching sessions and discussions with clients or colleagues.
- You can write books and articles related to project management for electronic publications or professional print. If you are good with the web, write up a blog for your organization or company, or consider presenting a webinar or podcast.
- Creating New Content
However other ways of earning PDUs also exist.
Author bio:
This article, written by Camia Sidle, explains how important it is to maintain your level of certification in project management. There are many steps that you must go through, but in the end it will be worth it.