What Are ICF Resource Development CCE Units?

That is a great question. Especially if you are an ICF credentialed coach!

Here’s the drill.

No matter how long you’ve been a coach, you’re never really done learning. All coaches I know are big on life-long learning. That turns out to be a good thing if you are a credential holder.

Whether you have an ACC, PCC or MCC, the International Coaching Federation (ICF) will only renew your credential if you can show you’ve participated in the required number of hours of continuing education during your three-year credential term.

It’s one of the things I like best about being a credentialed coach. I have an obligation to keep my learning going.

ICF Credential Renewal Requirements

All three levels of ICF credential have the same requirements for continuing education.

Your credential is valid for three years, during which you’ll be expected to get 40 CCE units. This must include 24 units in Core Competencies, three units in Ethics and the rest can be Resource Development units in coach related topics of your own interest. There’s a lot of choice for what counts as Resource Development, and you have a surprising amount of freedom for picking the path you feel will work best for you.

What Counts as Resource Development for ICF Credential Renewal?

According to the ICF, Resource Development refers to education in skills that contribute to the coach’s professional development. You can choose any learning methodology in areas like personal development, conducting assessments, business building, or any other topic that falls outside of the area of Core Competencies. It’s a bit like choosing college electives.

People are often surprised to learn that their own self-paced reading can count as self-study.

For example, I’ve done a lot of learning this year in motivation and goal setting. I listen to audiobooks when I exercise. Right now, I am enjoying The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer and I just finished listening to The Little Black Book of Workout Motivation by Michael Matthews. Earlier this year, I listened to Letting Go by David. R. Hawkins and The Everyday Hero Manifesto by Robin Sharma.

I took some wisdom and inspiration from each of these, and I’ve added them to my Resource Development Tracking Form for my ICF renewal in 2026!

The ICF recognizes several paths to get Resource Development CCE units. The flexibility the ICF grants really helps coaches keep up with the requirements, especially if they’re busy with clients and don’t have the time to travel. Some ICF-approved RD CCE resources include books, journals, webinars, and online classes of all kinds.

For all of these approaches, keeping accurate records and correctly reporting your progress is vital. Rather than scrambling at the last minute to remember what professional development you did, and track down sales receipts and certificates, it’s best to develop a system for tracking your learning as you go.

What About Self-Study Webinars and Online Classes?

Self-study is a great way to get ahead on your CCEs, and many coaches use it to its fullest every time they renew. This is the most flexible option by far, since the ICF is generous about what it will count as proper RD.

For many years, I’ve been developing tools to help coaches get the CCEs they need to meet professional requirements. The learning tool that I launched this year, How to Learn the ICF Competencies – 32 Fun Activities to Get You Started, is an example of self-study that can be used for Resource Development CCE units.

It’s also usually a pleasant discovery that classes and webinars delivered via MasterClass* or Sounds True* also count.

The options are truly endless, and it’s a good idea to seek out options that you may not have considered before.

One of the best things about my coaching career has been connecting coaches with the resources they need to grow and thrive in the field they love — and opening the door to colleagues looking for new and creative ways to succeed in one of the most rewarding jobs there is.

I love to make recommendations from programs and resources I have used myself.

*Just a heads up that some of the links in this email are affiliate links. That means if you click on them and buy something, I may earn a small commission. Don’t worry, though, it won’t cost you a dime extra!

I only recommend resources that I have purchased and used myself and that I genuinely believe will support you in your coaching practice. Those commissions help me keep the lights on and the content flowing.