CPD Requirements

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is an ongoing process of learning through planning and reflection, through which professionals maintain and develop their expertise. This section explains RTPI policy on CPD. All members of the RTPI (apart from retired members) make a commitment through the Code of Professional Conduct (link) to maintain and develop their expertise through CPD.

The RTPI's definition of CPD is 'the systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of knowledge and skill and the development of personal qualities necessary for the execution of professional and technical duties throughout the practitioners working life.'

CPD gives you the opportunity to assess your professional priorities for your own career development. CPD is not just formal courses or qualifications but can also include a wide variety of activities including research, workbased learning and online learning. The RTPI provides a number of sources of CPD (link)

A fundamental element of CPD is the time you take to plan and reflect on your learning(link). This is a powerful tool which helps you to learn more from your CPD activities.

As an RTPI member you are required to:

• Annually spend at least an hour preparing a professional development plan (PDP) identifying your development needs for the next 2 years.
• Undertake and record a minimum of 50 hours of CPD activity in each 2 year period.
• Record the type of CPD and the number of hours for each activity.
• Reflect on and explain the value of each CPD activity
• Reflect on the relationship between your CPD activities and your PDP. Submit your records when requested to do so by the RTPI.

Full guidelines about how to comply with the RTPI requirements for CPD can be found in the Professional Conduct Advice Note 1.

Lifelong Learning and Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

CPD is vitally important to the profession and its professional profile, but it is only one part of the RTPIs vision for Lifelong Learning, which encompasses learning opportunities throughout an individuals lifetime and career. For further information about the RTPI's vision for Lifelong Learning see our Lifelong Learning Strategy.