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 practitioner’s working life.” CPD is therefore about:

• Maintaining your competence – keeping up to date with fast changing areas, such as Planning Law
• Developing your competence – taking your knowledge and skill into new directions by exploring new specialisms, subjects or innovations.
• A systematic approach – undertaken with the conscious aim of improving or maintaining knowledge, skill or competence.
• Personal qualities as well as technical knowledge – can therefore include generic or business-related skills required of successful town planners

A Professional Commitment

Being a professional is synonymous with expertise – and all Chartered Planners make a commitment, through the Code of Professional Conduct, to maintaining and developing their expertise via Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

Find out more about the CPD commitment, and to whom it applies, from the Code of Professional Conduct (Clause 1(a) and Supplementary Regulations A1).

The Professional Development Plan

The PDP is the backbone of your CPD commitment. By taking some time to think about your progress to date and your goals for the future, you can then direct your CPD towards plugging specific gaps in your knowledge; keeping up to date in key areas; or exploring a new area of specialisation. Just as no two careers will be the same, no two members’ plans will be the same.

A PDP is not a straightjacket, so you don’t need to worry that by committing one to paper you are bound to follow these goals, or that this rules out other CPD opportunities which you might not have foreseen. However the value of a PDP is in your ability to think meaningfully about your progress; to help you to narrow down appropriate CPD for you from the range of opportunities available; and, perhaps most importantly, to be able to look back at previous plans and see how you have progressed.

Guidance on producing a PDP can be found in the RTPI’s Professional Conduct Advice Note 1 (PCAN1).

CPD activities

The RTPI does not prescribe what is appropriate CPD, as it acknowledges that what will be useful for one member might be simply re-covering old ground for another. Your PDP should therefore help to direct you towards appropriate CPD and, after the event, you should make a careful reflection of the learning you have gained from the event, should be recorded in your CPD log.

While conferences and short courses can provide excellent CPD, they are by no means the only mode accepted by the RTPI. Personal reading and research-based activities, mentoring, volunteering, action-learning, and a whole host of other activities can all provide useful learning opportunities. Professional Conduct Advice Note 1 provides further advice on these different modes, and how to secure the best balance.

Don’t forget, your RTPI membership provides you with a range of opportunities for free, low cost, or discounted CPD. The Member Services and Events, Awards and Networking sections of the RTPI website should provide a useful source of information.

Guidance and Resources

Professional Conduct Advice Note 1 (PCAN1) has full guidance on all aspects of members’ CPD requirement, including completing a PDP; what counts as CPD; and what to do if you are finding it difficult to meet the requirement.

Our CPD Frequently Asked Questions provide quick answers to the most commonly asked questions. 

Taking a career break? Our factsheet helps you to think about the implications for your CPD.

Author:

Education Team

Publisher:

The Royal Town Planning Institute

Date:

17-Aug-09

Categories:

Lifelong Learning 

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