Four of the first licentiates to achieve chartered RTPI membership through the assessment of professional competence programme can offer advice to those now going through the process, writes Jacqui Ward
Almost halfway through its second year, the assessment of professional competence (APC) programme is becoming much more familiar to licentiates, mentors and employers. Students and the 850 licentiates registered on the APC have access to a range of resources, including online examples of best practice as well as networking and events. The licentiates elected to chartered RTPI membership can also offer personal accounts of their own experiences.
Like many planners, Gareth Clegg’s decision to pursue the career arose from a passion for the natural and built environment. “Growing up in Liverpool, I was aware of planning and regeneration, seeing the mistakes of the past and the renaissance of the city,” he says. “I knew that regeneration was where I wanted to be.” Michael Stallard, who has a degree in geography, shares Clegg’s early interest in planning, admitting: “I saw my natural interests and skills as valuable to the planning profession.”

But not all planners set out this way. For Kristen Smith, it was an interest in tourism management that led her into the profession. “I could not find a job that dealt with the development and planning of destinations,” she says. “But I found one as a trainee planner with a local authority and that inspired me to continue my career in planning.” 

Katrina Hulse also took a more indirect route. When she began work at her current practice, a planning career was not on her mind. But she explains: “The chance to carry out research and basic planning tasks fired my interest in planning.” As a single parent of four children, she found working part-time alongside a full-time masters course very challenging. But she is in no doubt about the rewards of her career.

“Ultimately, planning is about creating places in which people want to live and work,” she says. “While it is not possible for everyone to be winners all the time, it is rewarding when solutions can be found that meet people’s aspirations.”

Mentors offer essential advice 

As well as support from their employers, including time and expense allowances, each licentiate also has access to an APC mentor. 

Smith remarks: “My mentor was the head of my team and very supportive. We had a meeting every month to go through my logbook and ensure that I was meeting the criteria.” Stallard had a similar experience with his workplace mentors, saying that having such easy access to them was a big advantage. 

However, not all licentiates use mentors in their workplace, as Hulse suggests: “I work for a relatively small office so I felt it was better to choose someone away from the work environment,” she explains. She asked a former professor to be her mentor and felt that it worked well. “It allowed me to articulate my aspirations and frustrations freely,” she says. “I also valued having someone to critique my approach to the submission.”

Mentors can also offer advice on keeping the logbook, a document that can be daunting to many licentiates. But the advice from these former licentiates is overwhelmingly positive. “It can seem like a chore, but it really encourages you to focus on the skills you are gaining and helps to identify areas for development,” says Clegg.

Smith adds: “The APC gave me a goal to learn something new each month, to examine what I had done and how to improve.” Stallard also advises: “Be patient. The logbook and professional development plan may seem arduous but are invaluable for the written submission. They also help guide your development.” 

So is there a top tip these licentiates would like to share? “Focus on the assessment criteria early on,” says Clegg. “This is ultimately what your submission will be assessed against, so it is important to think about it and discuss with your line manager and mentor how you can best develop skills in each area.”

They also advise employers to support licentiates in their APC work because this will be beneficial in the long run. “The new process does require a lot more time and effort,” stresses Hulse. “But this can only be beneficial to the profession, hopefully raising its status and attracting able, committed people.”

Author:

Jacqui Ward

Publisher:

The Royal Town Planning Institute

Date:

10-May-07

Categories:

Assessment of Professional Competence, RTPI News 

Sections:

Join the RTPI , News & Media

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