Continued Professional Development

However, a pilot study has shown that measuring PDUs, whilst easy to understand and undertake, is not a meaningful measure and, as a result, a new CPD support framework, based on recording the outcome of learning, is being introduced.

The Executive Board has been considering all the CPD Services in the IEE and has made some far-reaching proposals for the way in which the Institution might support its members in the future.

A new CPD Framework has been developed by the IEE, IMechE and IIE in consultation with Employers and all three institutions are sending the same messages to their members about how they should undertake professional development and record the outcome of their learning. The framework is based on three supporting pillars:

• Planning - Members are advised and encouraged to have a structured development action plan at all stages of their careers;
• Focused Learning and Recording Achievement - Members are advised to concentrate their learning on a relatively small number of specific competencies and knowledge/skills areas, and keep detailed records of what they have learned and what they can do;
• Support for CPD - Members are encouraged to recognise that it can be quite difficult to maintain a programme of structured development when working alone to self-imposed targets. They are advised to seek whatever help is available to them through their employers or their Institutions.

Members will be advised to keep their own detailed records in whatever format they find convenient and there will be no external verification of attendance at events. The Institution is no longer attempting to assure the continued competence of individual members, rather it is stating that all members have a statutory obligation to maintain their competence and the Institution's role is to provide as much support to individuals as it can.

The implication of the new framework for Branches is that individual events no longer have PDUs allocated to them. All activities are potentially of benefit to members and it is up to each individual member to record his or her own learning which has been gained as a result of attending an event. Members will no longer have record cards to be `signed off'.

The Institution wished to greatly enhance the CPD support it offers to members and The Executive Board Working Party that has been considering these issues proposes that these new services should comprise three elements:

• help with planning what to learn;
• help with finding suitable learning opportunities;
• help with recording CPD, assessment of competence developed and help with achieving structured development.

A crucial underpinning factor will be that modern IT systems will enable services to be delivered to members wherever they are located.

The first of these elements is the really radical proposal that represents a new venture for IEE. It is envisaged that the Institution will identify topics of emerging importance to IEE members and attempt also to define the core knowledge areas in each of the different technical interests covered by the Institution. This will lead to the creation of a searchable database of topics that will be available to members to help them in their planning.

The second and third elements are developments and extensions of existing activities. Learning opportunities will be provided by enhancing the existing Courses Information Service and help with recording CPD and achieving structured development will primarily be provided from the Branches by the provision of mentoring opportunities.

In this context the role of mentor will be that of a wise and trusted councillor who can challenge the other person to consider a wide range of opportunities, see problems from a different perspective and achieve self-imposed goals. The mentor will not necessarily be conversant with the technical discipline of the person being helped.

To review the Membership Presentation given locally during May 2005 by Wendy Purdue, the IEE Professional Devolment Officer, follow this link: Membership.