How to write a good PDP

The RTPI has a Continuing Professional Development Policy which is embedded in our Code of Professional Conduct.  CPD is defined by the RTPI as:

‘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 a structured and planned process designed to help you maintain and enhance your expertise, skills, knowledge, and professional capabilities. It reflects a commitment to excellence that distinguishes chartered planners from their non-charted peers. 

CPD also connects to the aspirational aspects of planning, for example, as a foundation for creating vibrant, resilient and thriving communities, and ensuring that planning professionals remain at the forefront of their field, equipped to address emerging challenges with confidence and innovation.

The RTPI CPD scheme follows an annual cycle of reflective learning. Each year, you are required to create or update your Professional Development Plan (PDP) and undertake CPD activities that support your professional development goals. These activities should be recorded throughout the year in your online log.

At the end of each cycle, you should reflect on the CPD you’ve completed and consider how effectively it helped you to meet your objective and the extent to which your goals were achieved.

This document is designed to support you in preparing your PDP and should be read alongside the latest guidance relevant to your membership route, or if you are already a member, the current monitoring guidance.

Please refer to the appropriate section of the RTPI website to ensure you are using the most up-to-date information - especially important for membership applications, where the PDP is assessed alongside your written submission.

Part 1: SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)

• Address your weaknesses in your SWOT. Fully explore how your CPD could help you address a weakness.  The more carefully you consider your weaknesses at this point, the more meaningful and effective your CPD will be on your professional development in these areas.
• Ensure consistency between your SWOT and action plan. For example, if you have identified a lack of training budget as a “Threat”, you should list free or low-cost resources in your plan as a realistic way of gaining knowledge and experience. The RTPI offers many free courses, webinars, and other resources which can be found in our events calendar.

 

Part 2: Goals and objectives

• Create goals and objectives that relate to your SWOT analysis. For example, specify which areas of planning, or personal skills you aim to develop.
• Ensure that your objectives relate to your overarching Goals. Keep in mind that goals are broad and long-term aspirations, and objectives are more specific, actionable steps that help you plan how you will achieve those goals.
• Make sure your Goals are related to your personal development. While work or business development goals – such as increasing fee income or growing your client base - may be important to you or your employer, they are not the same as personal development. CPD should focus on your growth as a professional.
• Focus on your longer-term aspirations and your development needed to achieve them. For example, if your goal is to become a Senior Planner, identify the skills, knowledge and experience needed to get you there.  Include clear, measurable actions in your Action Plan - such as completing a PhD or working towards professional membership - to track progress and demonstrate achievement of your goals.

 

Part 3: Action plan

• Be specific. What, where, why and how is this action happening? Put this information in the 1^st column of the template.
• Include ways to measure or test the learning or development you gain Put this information in the middle column of the template.
• Give targeted timeframes. If an action is ongoing, provide a date for review. Put this in the 3^rd column of the template.

For example:

What, where, why and how	Ways to measure or test the learning or development	Targeted timeframes
I will undertake the RTPI Masterclass “Effective Leadership Skills for Planners” to understand my preferred leadership style and to understand the qualities of an effective leader. My attendance has been agreed by my manager and my place booked.	I will develop the skills to set personal and professional goals and to identify the steps needed to achieve them.  I will also gain insight into efficient, effective and exemplary behaviours for a management role and incorporate them into my current role.	7 February 2026

 

Other hints and tips:

• Indicate that agreement/approval has been gained for the action.
• Include a back-up plan for any unbooked/unagreed actions.
• Include actions which are Continuing Professional Development (CPD)g. specific course/events to attend or self-directed learning.
• List one CPD activity per line of the template, this will ensure you can achieve the level of detail required.
• Keep the actions in a planning context. You can have some non-planning CPD; project management, public speaking etc., but they should be given in the context of developing as a planner, and the majority (at least 50%) of your actions should focus on developing your planning knowledge, skills and/or experience.
• Remember that work plans (such as what you are going to do to improve efficiency in the department, the steps in a project, or your day-to-day work) or job hunting are not CPD and are not actions which will achieve your Goals and Objectives.

General

• The PDP should cover a two-year period, which reflects the RTPI’s requirement for 50 hours of CPD over two calendar years (25 hours per year). Your PDP will shape your CPD needs for this period.
• Allow time to work on your PDP. It requires thought and it needs ample time devoted to it to make sure you get it right.
• Remember that the PDP is personal to you. Referring to your SWOT analysis and thinking about your future development is what distinguishes you from non-members and honours the trust that our clients and the public place in us as planners.
• There are example PDPs for all membership levels available to view on the RTPI website to assist you with your preparation: Professional development plan resources.

 

 

For more information please visit contact us:

cpd@rtpi.org.uk

Tel: 0370 774 9494

 

Last updated August 2025