CPD

Understanding the concept of CPD and its importance

(Construction professional studies Session 7
27th November 2011)
What is CPD?

C Continuing
P - Professional
D Development

a means of supporting people in the workplace to
understand more about the
environment in which they work,
the job they do and
how to do it better.

It is an ongoing process throughout our working
lives.
What is CPD?


We live in a rapidly changing world where
legislative, social and economic developments directly
affect the environment in which we live and work, and
where technological advances provide radically different
ways of working. CPD opportunities provide a means
whereby

we can keep abreast of these changes,
broaden our skills and
be more effective in our work.
According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel
and Development (CIPD), 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
What can be counted as CPD:

Certified attendance at conferences, seminars, workshops or courses having
a formal structure.

Successful completion of a relevant programme of accredited study.

Private study, the learning outcomes of which can be demonstrated.

Attendance at meetings, working groups or panels where a significant
personal contribution is made.

Job development and experience-based learning.

Assisting in the professional development of others through coaching,
mentoring, assessing or counselling.

The publication of material, including research, relating to ones profession.

The preparation and delivery of presentations to colleagues, fellow
professionals or the public.


Benefits for individuals
We recognise that there are many professional and personal reasons why you
may wish to undertake CPD, including to:

Improve your career prospects by achieving additional qualifications.
Respond to changing conditions at work.
Achieve your career goals by focussing on your training and development.
Achieve advancement at work.
Earn more by showcasing your achievements. A handy tool for appraisals.
Build confidence and credibility, you can see your progression by tracking
your learning.
Change career
Meet the requirements of professional bodies
Understand the latest developments in your field
Develop your knowledge of the environment in which you work
Be better at doing your job
Cope positively with change by constantly updating your skill set.
Achieve personal development
Be more productive and efficient by reflecting on your learning and
highlighting gaps in your knowledge and experience.




Benefits for organisations

As organisations shift the responsibility for personal development back to
the individual, the ability and insight to manage your own professional
growth is seen as a key strength.

Helps maximise staff potential by linking learning to actions and theory to
practice.

Helps HR professionals to set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable,
realistic and time-bound) objectives, for training activity to be more closely
linked to business needs.

Promotes staff development. This leads to better staff morale and
a motivated workforce helps give a positive image/brand to organisations.

Adds-value, by reflecting it will help staff to consciously apply learning to
their role and the organisations development.

Linking to appraisals. This is a good tool to help employees focus their
achievements throughout the year.

CPD - the benefits

Video presentation
http://www.cpdinstitute.org/documents/

A video made for the CPD Institute by keep-up-to-
date productions, with a script by Graham
Guest, to explain the benefits of CPD for
individuals and organizations.

What is the process?

CPD isn't a fixed process, although we do
lay down certain basic processes.
Fundamentally, it is about
setting yourself objectives for development
Then charting your progress towards
achieving them.

It's about where you want to be, and how you plan to get there.
Why should I keep a CPD record?

As a professional, you have a responsibility to keep your skills and
knowledge up to date. CPD helps you turn that accountability into a
positive opportunity to identify and achieve your own career
objectives.

At least once a year, we recommend you review your learning over
the previous 12 months, and set your development objectives for
the coming year. Reflecting on the past and planning for the future
in this way makes your development more methodical and easier to
measure. This is a particularly useful exercise prior to your annual
appraisal!

Some people find it helpful to write things down in detail, while
others record 'insights and learning points' in their diaries as they go
along. This helps them to assess their learning continuously. These
records and logs are useful tools for planning and reflection: it
would be difficult to review your learning and learning
needs yearly without regularly recording in some way your
experiences.
What are the benefits of keeping a
CPD record?

CPD is an investment that you make in yourself. Its
a way of planning your development that
links learning directly to practice. CPD can help you

keep your skills up to date,
prepare you for greater responsibilities.
boost your confidence
strengthen your professional credibility
help you become more creative in tackling new challenges.
CPD makes your working life more interesting
can significantly increase your job satisfaction
can accelerate your career development
an important part of upgrading to chartered membership.
7 Habits of an effective CPD Professional
- By Richard Gott

http://www.cpdinstitute.org/documents/
1:Ensure your CPD scheme is fit-for-purpose via analysis of other schemes out
there

2: Consider outcomes as well as inputs and outputs

3: Critically analyse the impact your scheme is having on your membership

4: Strive to deliver new and flexible CPD opportunities that are relevant and fit-
for-purpose

5: Promote CPD in innovative ways!

6: Do not go recording mad for the sake of it!

7: Use CPD strategy to aid & maximise member recruitment and retention
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (UK) approached the
definition of CPD by ways of explaining each word in turn.
It is (as follows):

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 its goal is to improve
personal performance and enhance career progression, which
arguably is much wider than just formal training courses.
In July 2011, the CPD Foundation became part of RICS to provide continuing
professional development for the property and related industries. With this in mind,
and in response to the newly formalised CPD requirements of chartered surveyors,
the Foundation launched a lecture programme that was accessible to the many
thousands of individuals practising in property and related industries in Central
London and the South East
CPD from the RIBA

The RIBA's CPD programme helps keep our members and other
construction professionals up-to-date with support, new ideas, and updates.

Offer advice and quality CPD through:

seminars on key topics from our nations and regions
regional CPD clubs
advanced CPD such as project management and school design
conferences throughout the country
an exciting calendar of cultural activities
CPD Roadshows
RIBA Online CPD
NBS Learning Channels
the RIBA CPD Providers Network.
References
http://www.cpdfoundation.com
http://www.cpdinstitute.org
http://www.apm.org.uk
http://www.cipd.co.uk/cpd/
http://www.rics.org/cpd
www.architecture.com
Videos
http://www.cpdinstitute.org/documents/