Continuing professional development

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Contents 1 CPD research 2 CPD for lawyers 3 Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors 4 Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport 5 American Academy of Financial Management 6 IAM 7 International Academy of Financial Management 8 CMI 9 CIPD 10 FEANI - European Federation of National Engineering Associations 11 See also 12 References 13 External links

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) or Continuing Professional Education (CPE) is the means by which members of professional associations maintain, improve and broaden their knowledge and skills and develop the personal qualities required in their professional lives.

CPD is defined as the holistic commitment to structured skills enhancement and personal or professional competence ^[1]

CPD can also be defined as the conscious updating of professional knowledge and the improvement of professional competence throughout a person's working life. It is a commitment to being professional, keeping up to date and continuously seeking to improve.It is the key to optimizing a person's career opportunities, both today and for the future (Chartered Institute of Professional Development (2000)).

[edit] CPD research

There are much research on the use of CPD in different domains. In an article by Mac Van der Merwe and Alta van der Merwe (2008) 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 ^[2].

[edit] CPD for lawyers

In many countries lawyers (attorneys, legal practitioners, solicitors, barristers) are encouraged or required to complete a certain number of hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) or Continuing Legal Education (CLE).

In Queensland, Australia, each Legal Practitioner is required to undertake 10 hours of CPD each year to acquire 10 CPD points. Within each year, the practitioner must include 1 point for each of three core areas:

• Professional Skills,
• Practical Legal Ethics, and
• Practice Management & Business Skills.

Many of the major legal publishers run seminars for the profession, as does the local Queensland Law Society.^[3] A variety of providers ensures practitioners have adequate choice of content and style of delivery. For example, Alexia Education and Training^[4] provides "cheap and cheerful" seminars at reasonable rates.

In Kenya, a CLE programme was introduced in 2004. An advocate is required to attain at least 5 CLE points each year. Those who do not comply are not granted the practising certficate for the subsequent year. Each CLE unit is equivalent to at least two hours. Advocates who have attained the age of 65 years are exempted. Further, advocates pursuing an academic programme with legal content lasting not less than 6 months are also exempted from the CLE requirements.

[edit] Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (UK) approached the definition of CPD in a much more detailed manner,^{[neutrality disputed]} by ways of explaining each word in turn. It is (as follows):

• continuing, because learning never ceases, regardless of age or seniority;^{[neutrality disputed]}

• professional, because it is focused on professional competence in a professional role; and

• concerned with development, because its goal is to improve personal performance and enhance career progression, which arguably is much wider than just formal training courses.^{[neutrality disputed]}

CPD as observed then includes certain programs or activities which serves the purpose of better equipping a professional in their respective fields. This is vital in our time (Information Age), whereby the statement "survival of the fittest" should be given much thought.^{[neutrality disputed]}

[edit] Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) in the United Kingdom defines Continuing Professional Development (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.^[5]

[edit] American Academy of Financial Management

The American Academy of Financial Management The American Academy of Financial Management ^[6] 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. ^[7] The AAFM Board regulates certifications worldwide such as CWM Chartered Wealth Manager Certification.^[8]

[edit] IAM

The Institute of Administrative Management requires candidates to complete the following:^[9]

• Self-SWOT Analysis (see 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 & 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.

[edit] International Academy of Financial Management

The International Academy of Financial Management^[10] 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.

[edit] CMI

The Chartered Management Institute uses CPD as part of it assessment of members who wish to upgrade to Chartered Manager status.

The CPD process asks:^[11]

• What do you to achieve?
• Where do you want to go?:
  • in the short term
  • in the longer term
• What is required?:
  • Knowledge
  • Skills

The P in CPD could also stand for 'Personal' or 'Performance'. This very much depends on the interpretation and how it is applied. CPD is about planned self-development which covers personal and professional aims and may improve performance.

A CPD profile may include the following:

• Goals
• Skills
• SWOT analysis
• Diagnostics
• Development Needs
• Learning Objectives
• Activities which may include:
  • Reviews and reflection
  • Evidence/Portfolio of learning
  • CPD learning log/Notebook
  • Future Intentions

[edit] CIPD

According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)^[12], 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

[edit] FEANI - European Federation of National Engineering Associations

This section is written like a personal reflection or essay and may require cleanup. Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style. (October 2009)

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.

CPD is the core of life-long-learning of professional engineers at all levels of proficiency. It is a prerequisite for the maintenance of high professional standards throughout an engineer’s professional life.

CPD enables the employability and mobility of individual engineers. It enhances their career in the fast moving world of technology and strengthens their professional satisfaction and well-being. CPD may act as a personal job assurance in the turbulent global job market.

CPD is ultimately the individual’s personal responsibility. However, it has to be planned and it requires the cooperation, encouragement and support of employers, as well as, professional and academic institutions.^{[neutrality disputed]}

CPD is of crucial importance for sustaining the competitiveness of European industry in the global market, where competitive advantage can be gained from the application of high-end skills to leading edge technologies.^[13]

[edit] See also

• Professional development
• Initial Professional Development
• Continuing education
• Continuing legal education

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Welcome to Professional Development - How 2
• CPEcredit.com A CPE solutions Company
• CPE List - CPE Classes by State/Province