CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
AN OVERVIEW

Report prepared by The CPD Certification Service June 1999

The world in which all professionals practice is changing. Global competition has never been more intense, clients are more demanding and technology offers new ways of working. The knowledge base of the professionals and of the sectors in which they operate has also increased. With such changes come new opportunities; new clients, new markets, new areas of practice and new methods of working. Above all such changes demand new knowledge, new skills and increasingly a commitment to lifelong professional learning.

For many professionals this commitment to lifelong learning is manifested by an active involvement in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) – sometimes referred to as Continuing Education (CE), or Continuing Education and Training (CET). This commitment to CPD is growing in significance as an increasing number of professionals recognise the benefits of adopting a more planned and structured approach to professional development. Not only is it important to keep up-to-date and know what, but also to know why and how to deal with a new professional or managerial issue. Indeed in the knowledge intensive world of the professions, some have argued that the only real source of sustainable competitive advantage is the ability to learn faster than the competition. All professionals are expected, to a much greater extent than in the past, to be both technically competent and managerially capable.

The concept of Continuing Professional Development is maturing both in the United Kingdom and internationally. In many professions and countries it has been formally recognised for over 20 years, whilst in others it is at a more embryonic stage of development.

Whatever its nomenclature, the continuation of professional or personal development is an aspect of life that is avidly followed by those wishing to ensure that they remain at the forefront of their chosen profession.

Further learning is here to stay.

The international business environment within which professionals practice, has been changing significantly over the past 5/10 years. The worldwide economic recession, and that presently anticipated by certain pollsters and pundits, has had considerable influence on the professions. Some of the most significant shifts in business conditions which have occurred during this period are illustrated by Table 1.

In personal terms the impact of many of these changes has been no less profound. During the same period we have seen the following shifts occurring:

The importance of the concept of continuous lifelong learning has been reflected across the professions by the growth of CPD.

In a wider context, and amongst the population at large, thereby including the mass of non-professional groupings, the current government has adopted continuous lifelong learning as an ambition, if not a policy, of New Labour in government.

Within the professions themselves and the academic and Institutional communities, a number of different terms are used to describe the generic activity of maintaining and improving professional competence. These range from Continuing Education (CE), Continuing Education and Training (CET), Continuing Professional Education (CPE), Continuing Vocational Training (CVT), to Post Qualification Development (PQD). Increasingly, however the term Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is becoming accepted as the preferred term and is widely used within the professions.

The definition of what constitutes CE, CET, CPD, etc., varies across the professions. However, some degree of consensus has been reached and the following two definitions illustrate some of its key features.

Continuous - throughout the practitioner’s working life

Professional/Organisation focused – necessary for the execution of professional and technical duties and related to maintaining the quality and relevance of professional services

Broad Based – knowledge and skills and the development of personal qualities

Structured – systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of the knowledge and skills base

CPD is often, mistakenly, presumed to be restricted to formal off the job training courses, seminars or workshops. Increasingly many professional bodies also recognise the relevance of other modes of learning including :

For all these activities it is possible to specify a time limit for their execution. They can, therefore, be considered as discrete learning activities with defined start and end points. CPD must also, however, embrace the continuous nature of professional learning. Whilst not normally formally included within the regulation structure for CPD in all professional bodies, the informal continuous learning process which takes place within organisations at large should not be overlooked.

Indeed, learning activities such as – a short term exchange or transfer to a new department; a planned short term transfer to work for another senior professional or client; expanded responsibilities within an existing role - as the chairman of a task force or working group, for example.

Some would argue that the most important influences on a professional’s development are these planned or unplanned career interventions. Certainly in larger organisations those responsible for human resource management have an important role to perform in ensuring that appropriate opportunities for development are provided. Managing these opportunities is also a critical element of the succession planning process. Tables 3 and 4 summarise the main distinctions between these two forms of learning.

WHY CPD IS IMPORTANT

First, it should be emphasised that the concept of CPD is not new. Effective professionals in all fields have always realised the importance of new knowledge, improved skills and the development of personal qualities. In effect, CPD is simply part of good professional practice. What is new, however, is the greater importance and relevance of CPD to professional success. A study undertaken in the United Kingdom (Welsh and Woodward, 1989), identified the following reasons to account for the growing importance of CPD.

Competence: It has been estimated that the knowledge gained in some degree courses, particularly IT based, has an average useful lifespan of about four years. While this will vary according to the discipline, it does nevertheless highlight the increasing need to maintain an active interest in keeping up to date with changing technology, legislation and operational procedures. If at the same time, professionals have expectations of increased managerial responsibility, the need to acquire new skills and knowledge is even more acute.

Consumerism: The development of a more affluent consumer society has also resulted in a better informed and more sophisticated public. One consequence of this trend is that they expect a higher duty of care and level of service from their professional advisors than in the past. Again the skills acquired during an initial training period or during higher or further education may not equip new staff for this role.

Litigation: The professions are increasingly at much high risk from claims of negligence than in the past. Professional indemnity (PI) insurance premiums have risen considerably in recent years. CPD may not totally eliminate PI claims; however, if sceptics are worried by the cost of CPD, such claims may help emphasise the potential cost of ignorance! Some evidence is also emerging that insurance companies may be willing to slightly reduce PI premiums, if a structured CPD programme is available to staff.

Standards : One of the primary roles of professional bodies is to safeguard standards of competence. CPD has a key role to play in the communication of agreed standards and in ensuring that members comply with specified procedures.

Quality Management System : The increasing emphasis on quality management systems and the ethos of continuous improvement has also increased the relevance of CPD. Training and education are key elements of quality assurance processes and of the ‘Investors in People’ (IIP) standard.

Competitiveness : The recent recession has re-emphasised the highly competitive nature of modern business. Whether in the private or increasingly, in the privatised public/state sector, the competitive market edge must be partly or totally focused on client care/service quality and technological innovation. Both demand a high investment in developing people skills, if they are to be effective.

WHAT IS EFFECTIVE CPD?

A number of basic features can be identified which characterise an effective CPD strategy. One useful framework developed by Ashridge Management College (Willie, 1991) distinguishes between the fragmented approach and a more focused approach towards CPD.

Fragmented approach : In this context, training and CPD are characterised as follows.

If this perception of training, and in fact CPD too, is viewed as the lowest point on the scale, the Ashridge researchers offer three increasingly more sophisticated perceptions of training and CPD. These are referred to respectively as the Formalised, Focused and Fully Integrated views. A summary of this new perception of effective training and CPD would include the following characteristics :

Focused approach :

The changes in the perception of training and CPD as outlined in these two contrasting views are not dissimilar to the current state of development of CPD within many professions. The fragmented view is widely held and may help explain the current pre-occupation in many professions with measuring compliance with CPD and the need to demonstrate attendance at specific training events, rather than being concerned with improved performance and increased organisational success, which is the essence of the second view of CPD. The challenge to many professions is to encourage the second approach.

CPD AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE

The current emphasis in CPD on ‘compliance monitoring’ and measures of input, i.e. number of hours, whilst important, does not fully emphasise the importance of performance improvement as the output of the process. In other words, it is the establishment of the ‘need to know and the resultant benefits outcome’, which properly fulfills pertinent business requirements; as opposed to a more pastoral and less defined approach.

The need to provide clearer links between CPD and organisational strategy

To assist professionals to put in place the processes necessary to link CPD more directly to organisational strategies, it is considered important that the following processes exist in an organisation – 

• a process for business planning

• a procedure for establishing individual objectives and reviewing these objectives (a process often referred to as a performance review/appraisal scheme)

• a system for recording and planning and professional development (sometimes referred to as a Personal Development Plan (PDP)

Apart from the consequential benefits to CPD, these tools are also increasingly important for organisational development and growth. The benefit of emphasising the use of PDPs, for example, will help to encourage the planning of CPD in addition to the recording of the process.

The need to develop structured training

To emphasise further the benefits of CPD it is considered important that work is expended on the production of structured training programmes, ideally leading to post-graduate/post-experience qualifications. A number of such initiatives already exist. However, it is felt that additional work needs to be undertaken to provide further links between discrete CPD training events and potential qualification structures. Moves are currently afoot within a number of professional sectors to formally link CPD activities undertaken as part of qualification for NVQ’s and other recognised standards. The provision of such linkages will also help provide further focus to CPD activities.

The need to develop structured approaches to learning

Simply performing an existing role efficiently is clearly not appropriate for CPD purposes. What would be effective CPD could be the production of a structured learning plan which leads to demonstrably improved performance to apply a new skill or utilise new knowledge.

This plan may, or may not, involve formal ‘training’, e.g. the conventional CPD events. It could, however, involve the provision of evidence based on experience in professional life.

To be suitable as CPD evidence, this learning would require to be presented in a structured format, possibly based on the concept of a learning contract.

To be acceptable as evidence for CPD purposes practitioners would be required to provide details of improved performance in the form of a structured learning contract. The concept of a learning contract is not new and is used in many educational and training circumstances to help people clarify the nature of the changes which they wish to implement and to record the increased capabilities which may follow. The learning contract requires answers to the following five questions.

• Where have I been (in relation to this CPD need), i.e.: what is my previous knowledge base and/or experience?

• Where am I now, what are my current strengths and weaknesses in relation to the need identified?

• Where do I want to be, what level of skill/knowledge do I want to obtain?

• How will I get there, what learning plan/strategy will I adopt?

• How will I know when I get there, what evidence could I provide to illustrate improved performance?

Thus practitioners may bring forward evidence based on this concept in part fulfillment of their CPD requirement. The implementation of this more structured approach to learning can also be integrated with the concept of Personal Development Plans (PDPs). The same concept could be used to improve the existing arrangements relating to ‘structured reading’ and other forms of more informal learning.

The growing importance of continuing management development

The growth and complexity of organisations, the demands from clients/customers and the pace of change all demand that professionals possess a wider range of skills than in the past. Central to the success of the professions across the world will be the capability to demonstrate enhanced managerial and leadership skills in addition to specialist technical/professional knowledge. Professional success demands that such capabilities are not separate from professional expertise, but viewed as complementary, growing in significance as a professional career progresses.

All professionals need to adapt to the rapidly changing environment within which they work. A commitment to CPD is essential to the work of the professional throughout his or her working life.

The concept of lifelong learning which is implicit in CPD should encourage professionals to :

• Produce personal CPD work plans (PDPs), which highlight future learning goals

• View CPD as a continuous development process, which can be satisfied by a balanced and flexible range of formal and informal learning activities

• Ensure that CPD activities are concerned primarily with the production of enhanced performance rather than being predominantly concerned with the level of CPD input

CPD, with its emphasis on reviewing personal capabilities and developing structured action plans to develop existing and new skills, is becoming increasingly important. The processes, outlined in this overview provide a starting point for professionals to review and potentially enhance their existing approaches to continuing professional development.

HOW TO FIND OUT HOW CPD AFFECTS THE INDIVIDUAL

Members of a professional Institution or Association will generally be only too well aware of their personal CPD obligations by virtue of their very membership of that particular organisation.

CPD is likely to be regarded as a primary ‘duty’ of members. In most instances, the undertaking of CPD will be regarded as ‘obligatory’ e.g. on trust. However, in some cases such as the Institute of Arbitrators, it will be treated as ‘mandatory’, i.e. compulsory, and may be recorded and policed accordingly.

The amount of time and effort expected to be expended on CPD duties will, again, differ between Institutions and Professions. Currently, the average would appear to be something in the order of 35 hours per annum. However, this is generally regarded as an acceptable minimum and most professions recommend a good deal more – usually 70 hours or the equivalent of almost nine working days.

Those wishing to establish the precise nature of their own obligations would be best advised to refer to their own Institution. Invariably, these will have a full-time CPD manager at post, who should be more than capable of offering appropriate advice and guidance. Failing that, they should refer to their Institution’s Education or Practice departments.

Those without an Institutional affiliation or requiring more general guidance in the field of CPD, can contact:
The CPD Certification Service, The Coach House, Ealing Green, London W5 5ER
Tel: 020 8840 4383. Fax: 020 8579 3991. E-mail: info@cpduk.co.uk

Why the Service has been established

The manufacturing and service sectors in all industry areas, have traditionally been important sources of technical and educational information for professionals. Successful commercial organisations from ‘blue-chip’ companies downwards, have clearly developed considerable expertise in their respective fields, and professionals have always turned to them for expert advice.

The CPD Certification Service helps companies put this wealth of technical and business related information to use to enhance their marketing initiatives and to ensure that professionals who learn from it realise that this learning is an active contribution to their CPD.

It has, in fact, long been recognised that an educational approach to sales and marketing is a mandatory requirement for growth and prosperity. The increasing importance of CPD provides a golden opportunity to put such an approach on a more formal basis.

The materials that can be used for CPD

Professionals are seeking a wide range of resources that can be used in different ways. Technical documents and reports have long been used for educational purposes. Technical seminars given at specifiers' premises are frequently effective. Videos can be studied in the professionals' own time. Audio cassettes can enhance the otherwise unproductive time travelling to and from work. CD-ROMs and the Internet provide additional communication opportunities for the dissemination of CPD material in an interactive environment.

Role and Mandate

The CPD Certification Service has been established to encourage the provision, and to assist in the dissemination of, high quality independently certified, CPD throughout industry and allied sectors. It provides a service to the professions by acting as a central point of contact for :

• Organisations wishing to contribute towards the provision of CPD programmes as part of their marketing activities

• Employers seeking structured and on-going CPD for their professional staff

• Professionals and their supporting institutes seeking the provision of acceptable CPD material

How resources are assessed

Every resource submitted for assessment will be carefully considered by one or more representatives from an independent panel of educationalists and technical experts in the relevant field. Assessors look for a balanced approach covering various aspects of any topic and ensure that the educational content is at an appropriate level for the target audience. Once approved the resource is awarded a certificate and can then carry the special symbol with is increasingly widely recognised and respected.

Membership of the CPD Certification Service

Membership of The CPD Certification Service is open to all responsible organisations providing materials, services and information addressing the general business management and skills enhancement requirements of professions.