Continuing professional development or continuing professional education is the means by which
people maintain their knowledge and skills related to their professional lives.
CPD obligations are common to most professions.
Many professions define CPD as a structured approach to learning to help ensure competence
to practice, taking in knowledge, skills and practical experience.
CPD can involve any relevant learning activity, whether formal and structured or informal
and self-directed.
It is also a feature of an HPW.
CPD research In an article by Mac Van der Merwe and Alta
van der Merwe the authors focus on the personal and situational tensions impacting on the
use of a mathematics-friendly interactive online discussion forum environment as a reflective
tool for the CPD of advantaged and disadvantaged mathematics teachers in South Africa.
CPD for different professional domains Medical professionals
CPD is defined as the education of physicians following completion of formal training.
CPD consists of any educational activity which helps to maintain, develop or increase knowledge,
problem-solving, technical skills or professional performance standards all with the goal that
physicians can provide better health care.
CPD includes 'formal' activities, e.g. courses, conferences and workshops, as well as self-directed
activities such as preceptorship and directed reading.
The Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada, has stated that all licensed physicians
in Canada must participate in a recognized revalidation process in which they demonstrate
their commitment to continued competent performance in a framework that is fair, relevant, inclusive,
transferable, and formative.
In BC, the revalidation process came into effect January 1, 2010, and consists of mandatory
compliance with CPD requirements of either the RCPSC or the CFPC.
Safety Practitioners In almost all European countries the vast
majority of Safety Practitioners, Safety Officers, Safety Managers, Safety Specialists, Safety
Consultants, or Safety Advisors are legally obliged and in some instances legally bound
to partake in CPD with at least one of the following two institutes:
The International Institute of Risk and Safety Management which was established in 1975 as
a professional body for health and safety practitioners.
CPD is compulsory for Fellows or Specialist Fellows of IIRSM.
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health which is a UK organization for health
and safety professionals.
All IOSH Chartered Fellows, Chartered Members, Graduate and Technical Members have to carry
out CPD to safeguard their professional membership status.
Also in the UK the Safety Practitioners who offer the highest levels of service and/or
advice should ideally appear on the Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register unless
in-house competence is proven.
The Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register is commonly referred to as 'OSHCR'.
OSHCR was established in response to the UK Government’s Common Sense, Common Safety
report, which recommended that all Health and Safety consultants should be accredited
to a professional body and a web-based directory be established.
The register aims to assist businesses to find advice on general health and safety management.
Lawyers and advocates In many countries lawyers are encouraged or
required to complete a certain number of hours of CPD or continuing legal education.
In England and Wales, all solicitors and legal executives who are in legal practice or employment,
or who work 32 hours or more per week, are required to complete a minimum of 16 hours
of CPD per year.
In Scotland, all solicitors who are in full-time employment and wish to retain their Practising
Certificate are required to undertake a minimum of twenty hours of CPD per year.
In India, there is CPD through continuing legal education platforms organized and conducted
by the Bar Council of India through state bar councils, national law schools, universities,
bar associations, tax bar associations and at other various professional levels to enhance
professional knowledge, professional skill, professional acumen, analytical ability & accountability,
legal ethics, professional management & business skill etc.
In Queensland, Australia, each legal practitioner is required to undertake ten hours of CPD
each year to acquire ten CPD points.
Within each year, the practitioner must include one point for each of three core areas:
Professional skills, Practical legal ethics, and
Practice management and business skills.
Many of the major legal publishers run seminars for the profession.
A variety of providers ensures practitioners have adequate choice of content and style
of delivery.
Definitions and scope Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors define CPD as a commitment by members to continually
update their skills and knowledge in order to remain professionally competent and achieve
their true potential.
This approach emphasises: continuing, because learning never ceases,
regardless of age or seniority; professional, because it is focused on professional
competence in a professional role; and concerned with development, because the goal
is to improve personal performance and enhance career progression, which arguably is much
wider than just formal training courses.
Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport
in the United Kingdom defines CPD as: The systematic maintenance and improvement of
knowledge, skills and competence throughout a professional's working life.
It is about maintaining and improving standards of competence and professionalism.
The onus is on the learner to take responsibility for developing and directing their own career.
The Association of Personal Assistants APA defines CPD as 'any process or activity
that provides added value to the capability of the individual through an increase in professional
knowledge, skills and personal qualities necessary for the appropriate execution of professional
and technical duties, often termed ‘competence’.
American Academy of Financial Management The American Academy of Financial Management
requirements for continuing uses CPD and continuing education as part of its ongoing requirements
for members.
Members must complete 15 hours of recognized professional each year to retain their qualification.
The AAFM Board regulates certifications worldwide such as CWM Chartered Wealth Manager Certification.
Institute of Administrative Management The Institute of Administrative Management
requires candidates to complete the following: Self-SWOT analysis
This is intended to help the individual carry out some initial thinking about your strengths
and weaknesses.
In addition, you will need to think about possible directions for your career development
and to highlight potential threats.
Personal and professional development Development of your PPDP is based upon the
individuals SWOT analysis.
Its purpose is to assist them to formulate a set of development activities covering a
period of twelve months.
Long-term career plans should cover development activities for the next twelve months in the
light of their intentions over the next three years.
Implementation Implementing of the individuals plan does
not imply that they cannot or should not change it once implementation is underway.
Situations and circumstances can and do change.
Learning diary It is vital that the individual records their
efforts and assess the benefits of their planned activities.
The activities that they undertake may not always generate the results that were intended.
Time spent reflecting on how they have tackled each activity and in assessing the outcomes
will enable the individual to adjust their PPDP for the following year.
Moreover, by recording their activities they will be building a complete record of their
professional/personal development that can form the basis for long-term career progression.
Annual review/summary At the end of the twelve month period, having
reviewed the individuals activities they are required to complete the Summary Sheet.
The process is repeated for the second and subsequent years by reviewing and updating
your SWOT analysis and then drawing up a new PPDP.
Registration for CPD shows the individuals own commitment to learning and allows them
to consider best practice within the workplace.
CPD for Sustainability Professionals The Institution of Sustainability Professionals
requires all full Members to undertake a minimum of 25 hours CPD per year as an essential component
of professional life to ensure that they have the knowledge and experience to undertake
their role as a sustainability professional in an effective manner.
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel
and Development, CPD should: be continuous - professionals should always
be looking for ways to improve performance be the responsibility of the individual learner
to own and manage be driven by the learning needs and development
of the individual be evaluative rather than descriptive of what
has taken place be an essential component of professional
and personal life, never an optional extra European Federation of National Engineering
Associations FEANI defines CPD as the acquisition of knowledge,
experience and skills, as well as, the development of personal qualities.
It contains both the acquisition of new skills, to broaden competence, and the enhancement
of existing skills to keep abreast of evolving knowledge.
See also Professional development
Initial Professional Development Continuing education
Continuing legal education References