Professional Development How to do it

Professional Development how to do it

What is this guide?
The Professional Development Partnership* has produced this guide for all members of the five institutions. It has been written in such a way that the information and suggestions are appropriate no matter which institution you belong to, or whether you are working towards professional recognition or just for your own needs. We sincerely hope that you will find this a useful resource that you can refer back to throughout your career. We have made every effort to make it simple to use and easy to understand. However, we are always looking for feedback and ideas to help make it better. If you have a query on the contents, or a suggestion, please do let us know. We can be contacted through the individual institutions (see Institution Contact Details, page 6.13 in Frequently Asked Questions and References). You may also like to use the website version of this document which can be accessed at www.PD-How2.org. * The Professional Development Partnership (PDP) is made up of the professional development teams from IMechE, IEE, IIE, IOP and RAeS. Our aim is to bring a unified approach for professional development to our members, their organisations and the industry as a whole.

How to use this guide

How you use this guide is up to you. Largely it will depend on whether you are using it to assist in your long-term development, or whether you are using it to work towards a particular qualification or professional registration. It has been designed for use at any stage of your life, whatever your career stage, or category of membership. The sections entitled Planning, Doing, Recording and Reviewing will guide you through the professional development process and help you to plan and record your lifelong learning in a structured way. The section entitled Frequently Asked Questions and References contains documents that you might find useful for reference, now and in the future. There are also additional blank dividers in case you wish to add other information or work of your own. Members working towards professional registration will need to assemble records in a way that demonstrates that they meet the requirements. The section entitled Professional Registration, under Frequently Asked Questions and References, contains guidance on how to do this. Your professional development is unique. This is because it must meet with your precise needs, and those of your employer, at the particular time. However, whether you are working towards a qualification, a different level of membership of your institution, or considering your current performance levels and longer-term career opportunities, the process is the same. This guide gives simple guidelines to help you achieve your desired outcome. It is designed so that you can either read through it, following the sections in the specified order, or go straight to the sections that you are interested in. Busy people can make use of the short and simple introduction, found in the section titled Getting started, on page 1.3 of the Introduction section. Read on to find out how we can help you make the most of your career.

E6A4021 630 August 2004

Index to sections
Page

Introduction

Why you should undertake professional development The professional development cycle Getting started

Planning

1.1 1.2 1.3 2.1 2.1 2.3 2.4 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.10 2.12 3.1 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.10 4.1 4.3 4.8

Planning to achieve Why should I plan? When should I plan? What should I include in my plan? What planning tools are there to help me? Using standards Appraisals Learning styles Working with competences

Doing

Identifying learning opportunities Accessing opportunities Pointers to learning resources Turning learning into competence Motivation Gaining support Asking for help and advice Seeking financial support Mentoring Best practice in mentoring

Recording

Keeping records Building a portfolio of evidence Forms for recording your professional development

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Reviewing

Review is the start and the finish! Reflective learning Frequency of review Starting your review Tracking progress Evaluating your approach Sources of help Measuring progress Sharing learning

Frequently Asked Questions and References

Frequently asked questions Professional registration Roles & responsibilities Competence & commitment statements Institution contact details Useful contacts Definition of terms

5.1 5.1 5.1 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.4 6.1 6.3 6.8 6.9 6.17 6.18 6.19

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Introduction
Why you should undertake professional development
Professional development is one of the cornerstones of our working lives. It is the process which keeps us interested in our work, gives us the drive to progress our careers, keeps industry competitive and, ultimately, makes us employable throughout our lives. Whats more, it is something we do every day of our lives without even thinking about it. If you are to maximise your potential for lifetime employability, it is essential that you maintain high levels of professional competence by continually improving your knowledge and skills. The job market is forever changing. You may no longer be able to rely on your employer to identify and satisfy your development needs. You may well move jobs frequently during your working life. Therefore, you need to take ownership of your career and its continuing development. The effect of such changes has increased the demands on people in all walks of life to maintain documentary evidence of their continued competence; and nowhere is this more important than in science and engineering, where technology is advancing so swiftly. In your own best interests, you should be developing a personal portfolio of your professional activities and their relevance to your current job and your continued career as well as your future ambitions. By taking ownership of your career and focusing your professional development you will: Be better able to recognise opportunity. Be more aware of the trends and directions in technology and society. Become increasingly effective in the workplace. Be able to help, influence and lead others by your example. Be confident of your future employability. Have a fulfilling and rewarding career. Taking a structured approach to your professional development will enable you to demonstrate continuing commitment to your profession. Whats more, the good practice of regularly reviewing your needs, and selecting appropriate learning activities to help you fulfil them, will give your career focus and meaning. Focus on your professionalism and your career It is vital if your career is to be fulfilling and successful that you focus on maintaining and building upon your current competences. This is so, whether or not you intend seeking promotion, greater responsibility, professional recognition through membership of an institution or a professional qualification, or a change in career direction. Increasing demands for accountability, rising tides of regulations, legislation, new technologies and, of course, businesss need for diversification, affect the employability of all professionals. Therefore, it is imperative that you work at ensuring you continue to benefit from the standing and recognition you have already achieved. You may have a desire to take on greater responsibility in your present working area, wish to move into another professional field or discipline, or even change direction completely. Whatever your aim, it is sensible to start thinking about where your career is going. Drawing up a career plan, however sketchy at first, will help you to identify various pathways that may be open to you now, pick out markers along the way, and help you to recognise options open to you as they emerge. Dont forget, you will have some transferable knowledge and skills in addition to any new ones you will require, and these should be recorded.

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Maintaining records of your development will help you to focus on your career plan. Again you should start simply and keep it under revision. As you progress with the process of planning, and recording, you will find it easier to review and amend as new options become available. The professional development cycle demonstrates how structured professional development becomes cyclical and self-fulfilling. detail you go into at each phase will vary widely, depending on your needs and circumstances. Professional development is about improving your chance of achieving your career aims, being successful in your current job, keeping yourself up-to-date, and, in effect, remaining employable. Whatever your intended outcome, the use of a planned, focused approach will help you to realise your potential. You will find that by following the professional development cycle and creating a structured plan, the effectiveness of your development is enhanced. It can be used as an extremely powerful selling tool at all stages of your career. The cycle is a continuous process the best place to begin is by reviewing your current position. Then simply follow each step around the cycle, until you are back at review. You do not need to be rigid in your approach, you can review progress, update your plan, or grab a development opportunity at any time. Its up to you.
An outline of your aims and goals and the time-frame

The professional development cycle

The professional development cycle explains the process of effectively planning, doing, recording and reviewing your development. Consisting of five phases, this cycle is the same for professionals from a wide range of backgrounds, disciplines and working environments, as well as ages and stages of their careers. However, the level of
Statements from the review phase or analysis of current situation Statement of your progress towards achieving your aims and goals and production of updated CV OU

TPU

Personal assessment of achievements to date

UT INP

Review Am I making real progress towards achieving my aims and goals?

Identify your goals What do I aim to achieve from professional development?

OU

TP U

T PU IN T

Determine the skills you need What skills do I need now and for the future?

U INP

Identified and prioritised skills which you need to satisfy your goals

OU

T PU

List of the main skills you need to concentrate on

Summary log of your achievements

OU

TPU T

Consider the requirements of your professional institution and/or employer

T INPU

Record your learning What am I learning and what evidence do I need to keep?

Plan to achieve How can I raise, maintain or acquire skills to the required level?

T INPU
OU

Consider your method of learning, and the time and resource implications

TPU

A realistic development action plan

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Getting started
This guide contains a plethora of information to help you find out about professional development and all its surrounding issues in detail. However, we recognise that not everyone has the time to read everything, and that you may be just looking for a quick push to get you started. That is what these pages are all about. Weve taken the essentials from each of the four sections to create a step-by-step list to get you going. Use these pages to give you the basic how-to for a speedy start, or skip them now, and use them just as a quick reference once youve read the rest of the guide. Planning Step 1 Think about your goals. Jot down where you want to be and the things you want to achieve next year (short term), in two to five years (medium term), and in 10 years (long term). Step 2 Starting with your short-term list, think about what actual things you will need to do in order to make those goals happen. It might be that you need to learn a new skill, gain some experience of a different area/role, take on more responsibility, or many other things. You might also like to look at your mediumterm plan, to see if there are any things which you could include in your short-term plan, to form the first steps in realising those goals too. You will end up with a list of things to do over the next year or so. Step 3 Prioritise. Look at your list and consider which things need to be done before you can start on others, or which items are more important or time-bound (i.e. the opportunities will only arise at certain times). You can then put your list in order of importance, and it might help you establish some time-frames. Step 4 Set objectives. Look at the first three or four items on your list (you will work on these first). Examine them thoroughly so that you can turn them into SMART objectives. To do this each one must have a Specific target, be Measurable (you must be able to recognise when you have achieved it), be Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound (have a deadline). Step 5 Write it down. Committing your plan to paper will make you more committed to making it happen. Finish by setting a date when you will review your plan and putting it in your diary! TIP: Rather than starting from scratch why not use the notes from your last appraisal, any preparation you may have done for your last job interview, your CV, or current job description as the basis for this stage. Doing Step 1 Look at the items on your plan and consider how they might be achieved. Do they require formal learning (such as a training course) or will you need to access some materials (e.g. books or CDs)? Will you need to rely on someone else to help you for example asking a colleague to teach you new skills? For each of your goals work out a plan of action. Step 2 Know thyself! If you can, try to learn in ways that suit you. Some people like to understand the theory before attempting something so they would read a book, and then try it out. Others like to experiment and learn in a more practical way. These people might learn better from watching someone else and then trying it themselves. If you adopt an approach that suits the way you learn, then you are more likely to pick it up quickly.

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Step 3 Make time to make it happen. If you are really committed to developing yourself then you will have no problem finding the time to learn. Once you know how you are going to tackle each goal, make time in your diary to do it. If you need the help of others, ring them now and make an appointment to go and explain what it is you need. Step 4 Gain support. It is always nice to be asked for help, and people are usually more than willing to help. When asking for support, be concise about what you want, and give feedback on the results. Recording Step 1 Keep a log book of your learning. Jot down things that you learn not just from formal occasions, but from everyday events and on-the-job experiences. Step 2 Review your learning to aid consolidation and implementation. When you learn something new think about how that knowledge will affect your performance. How can you use it to make you better at your job? What behaviours will you change in light of what you now know? Talking to your manager or mentor can help you with this. If you are using competences Step 3 Decide which competence each piece of your learning is linked to. As your learning leads to increased and improved performance (competence) you can record your new level and chart your progress. Step 4 Collect evidence to prove your levels of competence. Make sure it is cross-referenced and indexed so you can easily find each piece. Update your portfolio with new evidence as your competence increases further, and you will always have an excellent record of your abilities. TIP: Whatever system you adopt for your recording it is important that you keep it updated regularly. Dont put it off with the belief that you will remember it later you wont! Reviewing Step 1 Your diary tells you its time to review (or it will do if you did the planning bit correctly!). Take out your action plan and your learning log and set aside an hour. Step 2 Consider each item on your plan. Have you achieved it? If so, then tick it off. If not, then consider why the answer you come up with will help you to decide whether to remove the item (because its not needed now), forward it onto your plan for the next period, or change the goal (because it was not appropriate or realistic). Looking back over your learning log will help you to see where your learning has contributed to you meeting your goals. Youll probably be amazed at how much you have achieved! Step 3 Overall, consider how well you have got on, and what has helped or hindered you. This will inform your planning for the next period. If you are continually sticking for the same reason, then maybe you need to consider your approach. Perhaps a complete change in the way you tackle things will improve your success rate. Be honest if youre not, the only person you will let down is yourself.

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Step 4 Make sure you review both your short- and medium-term goals regularly and your long-term goals every five years or so. Over time you will find that items from your longer-term plans will slide down into your short-term plans and get ticked off as you progress. Step 5 Get planning again! Bring items down from your medium-term plan to become part of your short-term plan for the next period. Remember, this is just a quick start to get you going with your professional development. If you want more in-depth information on any of the topics mentioned, please refer to the main sections.

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Planning
Planning to achieve
Managing your professional development is just like managing any other project. You need to set specific targets in order to achieve your objectives. You now need a structured approach a Plan. When thinking about your plan you should consider: When and how you learn best. The type of activities that will be most effective for you. The financial and time resource implications of your plan. Whether or not your employer is supportive of your development. Many people are opportunists who prefer to take advantage of opportunities as they arise, rather than work steadily towards a planned goal. It is helpful to realise your own inclination in this matter. The most successful opportunists are those who ensure they are always ready and able to seize an opportunity when it comes. It is worthwhile, even at this planning stage, to think about gathering evidence. This could be for use in your appraisal, in compiling your CV, or for your portfolio. Taking this into consideration now will help you to avoid having to retrace your steps to gather evidence if you need to later.

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Why should I plan?
There are many reasons why you should plan your professional development, not least because if you dont you wont appreciate your achievements and will not be able to track your progress. Here we explore further the reasons why it is worthwhile investing a little time now in order to reap the benefits of thorough planning later. Understanding future needs Few people are lucky enough to start life knowing what they want to be when they grow up, and sticking to that idea throughout their education and subsequent career. Even fewer are able to follow a precisely defined career path where development and promotion occur at pre-determined stages. In the 21st century professionals are responsible for their own careers and have to make decisions about where they want to go next. They must be able to adapt to sudden career changes, whether these result from new opportunities or redundancy. This may seem to rule out the need to plan where you want your career to take you, but in reality strengthens the case for assessing your future needs and planning how to gain the competence you will need to meet them. In terms of your future needs, you should also give some thought to the type of support which might help you to achieve your plan. For example, will you require a mentor at some stage? If so, when, and where would you look for one? What other types of supporters would you want? If you are thinking of gaining NVQs you will need to identify assessors and verifiers. You may also need financial support and/or flexible working arrangements if you are planning to study for a further qualification. You can find out more about gaining support on page 3.5 of the Doing section.

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Business needs Think about the business you are working in: what is the likely future demand for your product? Who are your competitors? What other threats face your business? What is the research and development department working on, and how might this affect you? What are the likely opportunities for promotion or a sideways move within the company? Companies are subject to mergers, takeovers, closure and strategic changes in output or location; all of which provide career opportunities and threats. With the pace of technical change, businesses need those who are familiar with the latest technology, or have the capability to bring themselves up to speed very quickly. Keeping an eye on the technical press, attending lectures and talking to customers and suppliers will help you to identify the technical changes most likely to affect your business. Acquiring the relevant skills will give you a head start in meeting the challenge of change when it comes. Alternatively, you may find that a new technology is of particular interest, and want to create the opportunity for a move in that direction. Soft skills, transferable skills and interpersonal skills are all terms which have come into common usage in recent years. Surveys of employers frequently indicate that these skills are often in short supply, especially among technical professionals and new entrants to the workforce. You will need to have or gain these skills simply to function in most jobs, but if you want to progress to senior levels you will have to develop them to a high level. These types of skills also tend to be very generic at a superficial level the requirements may seem to differ according to an employers culture, but the basic principles still apply. So you need to plan to acquire and enhance a whole range of these skills.
Planning/2.2

Your employer may have formal mechanisms in place to identify business needs and corresponding development plans for employees. You may find yourself being groomed for a specific role, or part of a cohort expected to progress to a certain level within the organisation. If this is the case, your employer will identify the skills you need to meet their objectives, and may have a structured development scheme to enable you to acquire them over a certain time-scale. If your employer has such a scheme but you are not on it, you may want to find out how to get involved. Career/job goals You will need to think about a whole host of factors. Most importantly, your aspirations, the needs of your current and potential future employer, and your personal goals. Where do you want to be this year, next year or in five years time? Doing the same job? Promoted within your company? Or somewhere completely different? You will greatly improve your chances of creating or taking advantage of career opportunities if you predict these needs, and acquire the corresponding skills in a structured manner. You may have some very clear ideas about what you want to do next. If this is the case, you should be able to gather information to help you analyse the skill requirements and identify any shortfall in your existing skill set. Talking to the person doing the job, looking at the job description and person specification, and talking it through with a mentor, will all help you to gain an understanding of what is required. On a broader level, you may want to start with a clean sheet of paper and identify what you could or would like to do if you had a career change. For this you may need to do some fairly broad reading. Picking up professional and in-house

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publications could give you ideas for different disciplines or fields of activity which might appeal to you, or of where opportunities are increasing or declining. From there, getting in touch with someone working in that field is the most likely way of getting a real understanding of the nature of the work, the industry and the skills required. The Sector Skills Councils (formerly National Training Organisations) publish skills foresight documents which give a good insight into the needs of particular industries. Specialist libraries, such as those run by institutions, are a good source of information. Your institution may also have special interest groups, or a careers service, who can put you in touch with employers or individuals. Personal goals An employer-led scheme is great if your aspirations coincide with what your company wants from you, although you may still be expected to influence the development plan. However, you may have different ideas, and need to take steps to ensure you achieve your own objectives. On a more personal level, you need to consider your broader goals and aspirations. While these may range from being in a job this time next year to becoming the Chairman of the Board, they will also encompass the broader aspects of your life such as family, community and other interests. Your personal goals may include planning a family, taking time out to travel, or becoming President of your institution! So how much time do you have, to undertake career-related development outside the workplace? Will non-work activities affect your career path? Remember that these activities can provide you with valuable experience, skills and attitudes which may support and enhance your competence in the workplace. Personal goals could also include the decision to seek formal assessment or recognition of your achievements through gaining an academic qualification or professional registration. You will need to find out whether your employer would be willing to support you in this. If the answer is no, and you are still determined to get the qualification you will have to make some tough decisions about how you will do it, and what the true value of it will be to you. If you want the qualifications in order to meet professional registration requirements, you will also need to think about how you can create a self-managed scheme, and who might be willing to act as a mentor or assessor for you.

When should I plan?

You need to start your planning now. If you dont have a direction to go in, then you wont know what to do to help you get there, or recognise when youve got there! The period that your plan covers is up to you. Generally plans fall into three categories long-term, medium-term and short-term. However, what is long-term to you might be quite different to someone elses view. The norm is that short-term is about one year, medium-term is up to five years and long-term is up to 10 years. It is difficult for anyone to plan for longer than 10 years in todays world. The amount of detail in your plans will vary too. Longer-term plans might just be ideas or visions for the future, while your shortterm plan should have specific milestones and deadlines for you to work towards. You will need to think about planning regularly at least once per year. Once you have done your first plan, subsequent planning sessions will consist of a review of the past development period, and adding new actions for the next period.

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Reviewing your plans It is important to plan for review periods. You need to review for two reasons, to make sure you are keeping to your plan, and to make any necessary amendments as circumstances change. Sometimes it is not possible to guess what the future will bring. At times of uncertainty, such as company insecurity, or when you can see many possible options ahead, and dont know where you will end up, you will need to keep your plan flexible. Make sure you review your situation regularly and consider alternative options and contingencies. However good your plan, it cannot take account of unexpected opportunities that arise from time to time. Just because something is not in your current short-term plan doesnt mean that you cant take advantage of it: you might just need to change your plans to take the new opportunities into account. Seizing unplanned opportunities It is very important to always keep your plans firmly in mind, and to keep a watch for opportunities arising which will help you meet your goals not just for the things in your current plan. If an opportunity arises that will help you towards one of your longer-term goals, but its not in your current plan, just adjust your plans and go for it! This shows that it is possible to work to more than one plan at a time. Conflict between personal and job goals may also mean you need to have two plans active at any given time. You may have an action plan which is the result of your appraisal, and contains only jobspecific goals. At the same time you may have a personal goal which requires you to develop additional skills to the ones identified for your work. Obviously you will need to carefully balance your activities, so as not to stretch yourself too far, but you should be able to work to both plans in parallel.

What should I include in my plan?

So you know you need to plan, and how it will help you to achieve your goals; but how do you go about deciding what to put in your plan? If you are fortunate enough to have a supportive employer and regular appraisals, then you have a good place to start. Here we look at some other ways to help you define what your plan should include. Determine the skills you need a) Thinking in terms of competence The goals you have in mind will indicate the specific knowledge and skills you need to acquire. At this point, it is more helpful to think of these in terms of competences rather than of knowledge to be gained. This way you will be clearer about what you actually need to do. Also, expressing your development in terms of competence will help you to explain to others what exactly you have achieved, and why it is important and useful. There is nothing new or strange about personal self-assessment we do it every day. If we didnt understand our capabilities and limitations, we might all enter the London Marathon! We assess ourselves every time we consider a job advert Would I like the job? Could I do it? Do I match the job specification? However, we are often less sure about carrying out a regular assessment of our needs and capabilities in relation to our everyday work activities. Your institution believes that professional development is a self-owned and selfmanaged activity: self-assessment of competence is a logical extension of this concept.

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Ideally, these processes are carried out with the support of your employer. However, in these turbulent times for business and employment, this may not always be possible or, even, sometimes advisable. Your own development aims may at times vary from those of your employer, or you may be working for yourself or enjoying a portfolio career. Whatever the circumstances, there is now a requirement to assess more accurately and confidently your own needs and accomplishments, both in reviewing your goals and plans, and judging how well you are doing. What really matters is that you can clearly see progress in your competences and that you build evidence of this progress over time, in directions that support both your career and your personal objectives. You can find out more about Competences on page 2.12. TIP: For the purposes of your own professional development, it might be useful to be aware of the Engineering Council (UK)s summary of overall competence for engineers which states that competence of an individual includes: The basic knowledge, understanding, experience and skills appropriate to the level of registration. A detailed understanding of the principles and a mastery of the knowledge and analytical skills required for the specialist engineering role. The ability to perform the technical role fully and well. The supervisory management and personal skills required to be effective in both expected and unforeseen situations. b) Information to include Employer schemes many employers have specific development schemes for their employees. If this applies in your case, then they will almost certainly help you identify your development actions. You may wish to set yourself additional goals, but the scheme will provide the starting point for your plan. Appraisals any development actions identified on your last appraisal must be included in your plan. Even if your development action plan is for your personal use, you will need to take into account the development that your manager has identified for you. Accredited professional development schemes these schemes, run by employers, have been accredited by the relevant institution(s) to ensure they meet all the requirements to support their employees in achieving professional registration. If you are lucky enough to be included on one of these schemes, you will have all the help you need to prepare your development action plan; particularly in identifying your competences. Competence frameworks although your employer may not have a formal scheme, they may have competence frameworks in place. These will detail the skills and knowledge required for each role or function, and you will be able to use these in assessing any development you may need for your current, or a possible future, role. If your employer doesnt have a competence framework you may still find it helpful to plan your development in terms of the competences you will acquire. Legal Requirements very few areas of engineering in the UK are governed by strict codes of conduct or requirements for specific amounts or types of professional development. However, it will be wise for you to include in your planning and

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reviewing, any changes in legislation or best practice with respect to your specific area, and those for health, safety and the environment. There are, of course, many other possibilities that will arise from your job, your network of colleagues and friends, private reading, conferences and events, etc. Your institution, and more especially its various committees, national and local events, and publications will also provide ideas and guidance. Other engineering institutions, both in the UK and overseas, together with those of non-engineering professions, can also provide valuable guidance. c) Standards As well as using job descriptions, appraisals, competence frameworks, etc as a means of identifying the competences you may wish to develop, you should identify any performance standards that apply to your work. These may be laid down at international, national or company level, and include quality, safety and environmental standards. Effectively, standards enable you to assess whether you have done the job properly. Many published standards are available for you to use. This is covered in more detail in the section on Standards on page 2.9. d) Gap analysis Comparing your existing competence profile (in terms of both areas and degrees of competence) against the profiles for your existing post, or jobs you aspire to, is an important step when setting objectives and developing your development action plan. Only when you have established the gap (the difference between where you are now and where you want to be), will you be able to identify methods for bridging it. Mentors and line managers can be of invaluable assistance in this type of exercise, as well as an excellent source of ideas as to how to go about addressing your gaps. Focus your learning When you have reached the end of this stage you may find you have created a daunting list: it is therefore a good idea to concentrate on only a few areas at any one time. Choose only those competences immediately relevant to your current job to start with. That way you will be able to experience discernible or measurable progress and consolidate your learning. Set realistic and achievable targets for yourself and have only, say, three or four targets to reach for any one period. Obviously, if you meet your targets early you can always bring your review forward! Consider your learning style Knowing which learning style suits you best will enable you to ensure that your learning is effective and help you in selecting the most appropriate learning activities. However, you should also realise that you may have a mix of different styles. You can read more about learning styles, and find out which is your style, further on in this section on page 2.10. Getting the balance right Whilst it is vital that you gain the technical knowledge and skills required to perform well in your specific role, it is also important to keep a balance between technical and personal development. Personal skills that you need to strengthen may include management skills, communications, problem-solving abilities, health & safety, commercial knowledge or an understanding of other specialist business functions.

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Keeping a balance within your development will make you a more wellrounded professional and will help you to perform better within your own area. It will also allow you to take advantage of opportunities that may arise to work in other areas, or prepare you for future promotion. Another way of maintaining balance is to ensure that you undertake different types of learning. It is very easy to only think about on-the-job learning, or self-managed learning, but gaining qualifications is also valuable. Qualifications provide readymade proof of achievement, and the cross-fertilisation of ideas between students from different employers and industries can be invaluable. Prioritisation Initially, you will need to consider exactly what it is you must tackle first. The first step is to make a list of the tasks facing you and it may be possible to break larger projects into stages; once you have this list, you can consider them individually. At this point, you can consider whether tasks are urgent or important. Urgent tasks are time-bound, so have to be completed by a certain date. However, the task may be of no importance. Some urgent tasks will never be undertaken. Important tasks need to be done, but are not urgent so do not need to be completed by a rapidly approaching deadline. Considering what you need to have achieved before you can do this task is one way of deciding which tasks must come before others. In this way you will be able to order the tasks appropriately, and so can list them in the order in which you intend to tackle them. Note: Although you will have an ordered list of tasks, if opportunities arise for you to do a later task before an earlier one, these should not be overlooked. You can always change your priorities if you need to. Level of detail The amount of detail you put into your plan is up to you. Some people prefer to set very defined and specific goals, whilst others have quite broad headings and little detail. You may decide not to go into very much detail for your long- and medium-term plans, but set specific goals for your current short-term plan. This will avoid you spending too much time specifying goals which are a long way off, and therefore liable to change, whilst ensuring that your immediate objectives are well defined. Of course, you can always add detail to your objectives as you work with, and review, your plan. Setting a review date Reviewing your plan is a vital part of the development process. Your plan needs to be up-to-date and appropriate in order to be an effective tool. It is therefore important that you regularly update it to remove the goals that you have already achieved, add new targets for the next period, and to ensure it reflects any changes in your circumstances. The frequency of your reviews will depend on a number of factors, some of which may be very personal. Nothing should be regarded as set in stone, but should be seen as flexible, to fit in with your current circumstances. See Reviewing, for more help on setting and doing your reviews.

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What planning tools are there to help me?
There are many sources of help that you can access whilst planning your professional development. You will find ideas throughout the planning section of this guide. Some that you may already have read about are competence frameworks, published standards, gap analysis, learning styles, and of course the help of your manager and/or mentor will be invaluable. Other tools that you might like to try are: SWOT analysis We are often required to undertake a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of a project or other aspect of our work. We can apply the same technique to assessing the possibilities for our own careers. Understanding what our strengths and weaknesses are will help us to know where we are most likely to be successful and in what areas we will need to work harder to achieve. Likewise, knowing what opportunities are likely to arise will help us ensure that we are ready to take advantage of them; and being aware of possible threats gives us the chance to take action to minimise any negative consequences. You might like to ask for help in doing this analysis. Your Human Resources department may be able to arrange for you to undertake some psychometric tests to pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses. Talking to your manager or mentor may help you identify possible opportunities and threats. Time management Setting aside time on a routine basis to review and update your development plan and records is essential if you are serious about your professional development. Whether you do this daily, weekly, monthly or annually, schedule time in your diary when you can focus on your development needs. Keeping your records up-to-date is much easier when things are fresh in your mind. Making time to jot something down, even if its just in note form, will make your records more accurate and meaningful, and will save time in the long run. If you have a mentor you will also need to arrange regular discussions to review and plan your progress. It will help you both if you agree what the frequency of these discussions should be and allow yourself some preparation time so that you can get the most out of the meeting. Mind mapping Devised and developed by Tony Buzan, Mind Mapping is a technique used to capture ideas from a brainstorming exercise in an organised and structured way. Due to copyright we are unable to reproduce the method here, but further information can be found in The Mind Map Book : How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brains Untapped Potential by Tony Buzan ISBN: 0452273226 360 Feedback Gaining honest and objective feedback on your performance is very useful, particularly when you are attempting to assess yourself. 360 feedback allows you to choose the performance issues you wish to receive feedback on, and select

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colleagues to approach. These people should be chosen from your superiors, subordinates, peers, and may also be from external sources, such as suppliers or customers hence 360. The respondents should be allowed full confidentiality in order for them to be honest; with you receiving the feedback un-named. Many companies offer this as a service to their employees, but you could ask a colleague or mentor to help you do this for yourself. Peer review comparison between yourself and others in your company, or in similar roles within other companies, can be a useful indicator of your expertise level. Networking through institutions is a good way to meet people in similar jobs to yourself who may be interested in a mutual exercise. Job specifications these are always a good starting-point to establish performance level, not just for your own job, but for superior levels and will prove particularly useful if you are working towards achieving a promotion or job move. Promotion boards valuable feedback on your level of performance can be gained through interview by promotion boards, and you ought to receive specific advice and guidance on any additional development that you need to achieve the desired level. NVQ/SVQ frameworks If you wish to use competences, but dont have a framework provided by your employer, you may find inspiration from published NVQ frameworks. These are available from organisations such as SEMTA (see Useful contacts), and you should find that, even if they dont perfectly fit your role, you will be able to adapt them and make additions to suit your job. Discussion with your manager or mentor will be a great help in doing this. You may find it useful to consult the following engineering and management standards when attempting to identify competences for development: Standards for Professional Registration (see Competence & Commitment Statements, section Frequently Asked Questions and References, page 6.9). Occupational Standards Council for Engineering.

Using standards
If you want help defining what you need to learn, or would like some proven measures against which to compare yourself, you will need to find some standards. If your employer does not have their own standards or frameworks for you to use, you will need to seek them elsewhere. Some possible sources of standards are: External standards those produced by institutions, such as the Management Charter Initiative. These are usually free and are often cross-referenced to other standards, allowing you to take elements from more than one, to build a profile representative of your individual job. Academic NVQ/SVQs and curriculum information for other formal qualifications can give an idea of expected levels of knowledge and ability. Industry standards many larger employers have their own standards and frameworks for specific jobs or functions. In addition, employers federations and Sector Skills Councils will have produced standards, or be able to provide information on where these can be obtained.

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Chartered Management Institute. Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. Engineering Manufacture Training Association. Health & Safety Executive. IEE Professional Functions (contact IEE see Institution Contact Details, Frequently Asked Questions and References, page 6.17). Association for Project Management. Software Engineering Body of Knowledge. British Computer Society. Contact details for the above can be found in Useful Contacts, Frequently Asked Questions and References, page 6.18. Many of your identified competences may be those agreed with your employer through the appraisal process. However, ask yourself whether there are other competences, around which you should focus your development maybe competences that are of no interest to your employer, but which will help you in your career aspirations. Whatever your purpose, use your appraisal wisely, and see it as an opportunity to gain valuable feedback and insight; and to gain support for your enthusiasm to learn and improve.

Appraisals
Most employers have some form of appraisal system. This can be formal or informal the best examples combine both and an increasing number are based on highly developed frameworks of competence. The appraisal, normally undertaken annually, but sometimes more frequently (especially where informal), is one of the most valuable items in your assessment and review armoury. The Professional Development Partnership stresses the self-owned, self-managed and self-assessed nature of an effective development programme. An effective appraisal system helps you to self-manage by backing-up your own work and calibrating your own assessments. While you will be as honest with yourself as possible, you will find it valuable to use your employers appraisal system to question your thoughts and give an independent view. You should, however, be aware of conflicts of interest, which may bias any viewpoint. After all, your employers plans may not always be fully coincident with your personal ones.

Learning styles
Understanding the way that you learn new things, your individual learning style, will help you choose your learning activities to ensure you learn most effectively. This does not mean that you cannot learn from activities that are not specifically suited to your own style in fact it can be good to choose activities outside your normal style occasionally, to create a balance and help to hone your learning skills. What is my style? There are four distinct styles, although it is possible that you may have traits from more than one. This is perfectly normal, and means that you will be able to learn well in more than one way. They are Activist, Reflector, Theorist and Pragmatist. The definitions below will help you to decide which is your preferred style. If you are an Activist you will probably want to get involved in a project or specific assignment to develop the skills on the job. Tackling very practical open and flexible learning programmes, or activitybased training courses will be most suitable for you.

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*Activists involve themselves fully and without bias in new experiences. They enjoy the here and now, and are happy to be dominated by immediate experiences. They are open-minded, not sceptical, and this tends to make them enthusiastic about anything new. Their philosophy is: Ill try anything once. They tend to act first and consider the consequences afterwards. Their days are filled with activity. They tackle problems by brainstorming. As soon as the excitement from one activity has died down they are busy looking for the next. They tend to thrive on the challenge of new experiences but are bored with implementation and longer-term consolidation. They are gregarious people constantly involving themselves with others but, in doing so, they seek to centre all activities around themselves. If you are a Reflector you will appreciate working closely with someone experienced in this area, and learning through observation and discussing your reflections and plans with a mentor. You will also learn much from books, articles and case studies. *Reflectors like to stand back to ponder experiences and observe them from many different perspectives. They collect data, both first hand and from others, and prefer to think about it thoroughly before coming to a conclusion. The thorough collection and analysis of data about experiences and events is what counts so they tend to postpone reaching definitive conclusions for as long as possible. Their philosophy is to be cautious. They are thoughtful people who like to consider all possible angles and implications before making a move. They prefer to take a back seat in meetings and discussions. They enjoy observing other people in action. They listen to others and get the drift of the discussion before making their own points. They tend to adopt a low profile and have a slightly distant, tolerant unruffled air about them. When they act it is part of a wide picture which includes the past as well as the present and others observations as well as their own. If you are a Theorist you will most value theory-based courses with well-qualified and experienced trainers, well-written books and articles. *Theorists adapt and integrate observations into complex but logically sound theories. They think problems through in a vertical, step-by-step logical way. They assimilate disparate facts into coherent theories. They tend to be perfectionists who wont rest easy until things are tidy and fit into a rational scheme. They like to analyse and synthesize. They are keen on basic assumptions, principles, theories, models and systems thinking. Their philosophy prizes rationality and logic. If its logical its good. Questions they frequently ask are: Does it make sense? How does this fit with that? What are the basic assumptions? They tend to be detached, analytical and dedicated to rational objectivity rather than anything subjective or ambiguous. Their approach to problems is consistently logical. This is their mental set and they rigidly reject anything that doesnt fit with it. They prefer to maximise certainty and feel uncomfortable with subjective judgements, lateral thinking and anything flippant. If you are a Pragmatist you will find that succinct, practical books and open and flexible learning are good ways of quickly putting new learning to practical use. You will be particularly attracted to working on real-life projects and appreciate the help of someone who can give you some valuable feedback and coaching. *Pragmatists are keen on trying out ideas, theories and techniques to see if they work in practice. They positively search out new ideas and take the first opportunity to experiment with applications. They are the sort of people who return from courses brimming with new ideas that they want to try out in practice. They like to get on with things and act quickly and confidently on ideas that attract them. They tend to be

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impatient with ruminating and openended discussions. They are essentially practical, down to earth people who like making practical decisions and solving problems. They respond to problems and opportunities as a challenge. Their philosophy is There is always a better way and If it works its good. *Honey & Mumford 1986 Definition. To break this down further, knowledge can be considered as the underpinning principles or theory of a process or procedure. For example, at an extremely simple level, if you are repairing an item of electrical equipment, you may need to know what class of equipment it is and what tests should be performed. Increased knowledge might take the form of managing the test and maintenance programme. To continue this example, skill could mean the ability to calibrate the test results. Greater skill may be required to immediately recognise that the component is damaged and, subsequently, to propose modifications. Attitude, in this example, could be expressed as deciding whether it is safe to carry out the test. An extension of this would be ensuring that others, who also carry out the procedure, do so in a safe manner; and taking corrective action if this is not so. It could also mean reviewing the test procedure so that any unnecessary steps are eliminated or that further steps to enhance safety or efficiency are introduced. Remember, overall competence is made up of competences in many different areas. All technical professionals need to consider the important question of how to develop competences in areas that are appropriate to their job, and these may be commercial as well as technical. Defining competences Before you can start to work with competences you need to define four things: What your role encompasses i.e. what you need to be competent to do. The knowledge, skills and attitude that make up that competence.

Working with competences

The concept of competence has been with us for a very long time. Many qualifications are now based around definitions of competence for specific roles, the most famous of which are NVQs. Using competence springs from the idea that having a good grasp of the knowledge and theory behind a subject does not guarantee the ability to turn that into competent performance. Many organisations now use the concept of competence during their recruitment processes, and subsequently to measure and improve employee development. In fact, job descriptions are a basic definition of the knowledge, skills and attitude that are required for a given role. Competence is defined as being the mix of these three things. It is easiest to define a competence as the ability to perform activities to the standards required in employment, using an appropriate mix of knowledge, skill and attitude. All three aspects must be present if someone is to be effective in the workplace. To improve competence you need to increase not only your knowledge, but also your understanding of how that knowledge can be applied; your skill in applying it; and the attitude to apply it correctly.

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At what level you need to be competent i.e. whether a basic knowledge of the subject is adequate, or do you need to be an expert? What you could do to prove that competence e.g. what evidence you could provide. Defining exactly what tasks you need to be competent at, and to what level, can be very difficult. Wherever possible you should always seek out existing competence frameworks, and your personnel department may be able to help you identify where these might exist for your particular industry or function. Indeed, many companies have already created their own frameworks, or there may be existing published standards you can use. (See the section on Standards for ideas.) If you are unable to find any existing frameworks you will need to create your own. Some organisations have very detailed job descriptions or person specifications, which can go a long way towards helping you create your own set of competences. To start with you should aim to assess yourself at this broad level, rather than trying to analyse the minute detail of every task you do. You will need to identify the performance standards which apply to your work. Standards may be laid down at international, national or company level, and include quality, safety and environmental standards. Effectively, standards enable you to assess whether you have done the job properly. Using the broad details of the tasks and standards that make up your work, you can then consider the combination of knowledge, skill and attitude that are needed to perform your work competently. Think about technical, business, managerial and personal skills. Very often, improving your personal skills will enhance the way you demonstrate your wider competences. For example, presentation or time-management skills can substantially raise overall performance and confidence. Using competences for professional development Once you are aware of your current position, defining where you want to be and deciding which competences are your priority for development will be much easier tasks. This will then enable you to produce your development action plan. We would suggest that you work to develop only a few new skills or areas of competence at any given time. If your goal is to perform a particular aspect of your current job better, use your job specification to determine which aspects of knowledge or skills you need to work on. Similarly, you do not have to limit yourself to using specifications that have been created for your current job. You may find it useful to make an assessment of your competence against a framework for a higher level of responsibility or different job, particularly if you are aiming for a promotion or to move into a different role. This will enable you to complete a gap analysis, showing you where you need to take developmental action in order to achieve your target level of competence and therefore your goal. Many of your goals are likely to be concerned with technical areas. However, do not forget your interpersonal skills. Very often improving your interpersonal skills, such as your ability to influence people, can bring considerable benefit. Assessing competence Having defined your set of competences, the next step is to assess yourself against these. This will give you an indication of your ability to perform your current role.

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You will need to examine yourself against each competence statement and decide what level you think you are operating at. Comparing yourself to others may help here, using respected colleagues as a benchmark of good practice. Of course, you will not always be able to do this for yourself: you may need help from another professional such as your manager or mentor. Arrange a time to talk over your performance with them, but be prepared to accept their feedback! Levels of competence It takes time to develop competences, and you will realise that you will have different competences, at varying levels of expertise, in different areas. You may wish to develop some to a very high level, while to advance in others may not be so important or relevant. Remember that it takes time to develop competence and, in order to remain competent in a particular area, you will need to use the knowledge and associated skills regularly, or you will slowly lose your proficiency. Some organisations have formal scales for assessing competence in particular areas. Here, line managers/assessors are trained to judge levels of competence against set standards. Of course, where standards exist and where they are relevant to you, they may be used as benchmarks. However, many professionals use standards not to measure themselves in any absolute way, but to be able to observe/measure their own improvement. So, if you choose to use levels of competence for your own development, do not worry about defining absolute scales. Do not feel bound to use any particular measures or definitions, but do try to use a framework to help you focus and improve. The broad definitions of supervised practitioner, practitioner, and expert, may be useful. Other possible scales might be: Category A: Fully competent in area. Category B: Can demonstrate competence in most elements associated with area.

Category C: Can demonstrate competence in some elements associated with area. Category D: Unable to offer any evidence of competence in area.

For grading your knowledge and skill level, use a five-point scale: Level 1: Performs the activity with significant supervision and guidance

Performs basic routines and predictable tasks Little or no responsibility or autonomy Level 2:

Supervision is only required in more complex circumstances

Some individual responsibility or autonomy Level 3: Performs the activity in some complex and non-routine contexts Significant responsibility and autonomy Can oversee the work of others Level 4:

Performs the activity in a wide range of complex and non-routine contexts Substantial personal autonomy

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Level 5: Can take a strategic view Applies a significant range of fundamental principles and complex techniques across a wide and often unpredictable variety of contexts. Wide scope of personal autonomy. Using published standards If you do not have a competence framework within your company that you can use, then you can create your own, based on what other people have done. There are a number of published general standards, already mentioned in this section, elements of which may apply to your particular role and will provide you with a starting point in developing your own.

Use some form of chart or framework to monitor the improvement in your competences over time. Confirming your attainments In general, providing you are as honest with yourself as possible, you should feel comfortable with assessing your own level of competence. However, you may find it valuable to use a third party, such as those listed below, to question your thoughts and give an independent view: Your Your Your Your manager. mentor. colleagues. clients.

You should, however, be aware of conflicts of interest, which may bias any third partys viewpoint, especially when talking to line managers, clients or colleagues. Mapping employers competence statements If you are using your employers competence framework/profile, but you also wish to use an additional framework, for example if you want to attain professional registration, then you will need a process for mapping the company competence framework onto the additional competence statements. This can be a daunting task, but discussion with your manager and/or mentor should help you to match one set to the other.

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Identifying learning opportunities
It is sometimes all too easy to miss the learning opportunities that may be open or available to you, both inside and outside the workplace. The type of learning activity you undertake will be dependent on many factors, including relevancy to the subject, what is right for you, availability, and what it involves. 1) Learning at work Many people fail to recognise or take advantage of the hidden learning opportunities that already exist in the workplace. Undertaking new tasks or projects, or working closely with (or work shadowing) a colleague, can both provide a way of increasing specific knowledge and awareness. These opportunities will also improve your interpersonal skills, such as listening and questioning. Try to organise appropriate opportunities with your colleagues, and talk with your line manager, personnel or training officer about any formal or structured training support they provide. Anything which extends your knowledge and understanding, or helps you apply your knowledge to practice, falls into this category, and such opportunities may include: Extending Knowledge: Research. Literature search. Prepare reports. Present reports. Consult specialists. Broaden your technical knowledge. Talking to suppliers/customers. Applying Knowledge: Undertake design tasks. Work with client to determine technical requirements. Analyse performance of engineering equipment. Operate engineering equipment. Undertake risk assessment of engineering equipment. Specify engineering equipment. Assess engineering test results. 2) Attending training courses Courses may be available within your own organisation, via a professional institution or local college, and from a wide range of specialist training organisations. If your plan indicates the need for a training course, you will need to research what is available to you. Your institution, local college or Learning & Skills Council (LSC) may be able to help you. Your choice should take into account your preferred learning style, time available to you, location and, of course, how much you or your employer is prepared to pay. There are many types of training courses to choose from: Short and specific. Longer in-depth. Concentrated on theoretical knowledge. Very practical; full of activities allowing you to experiment with new skills.

3) Reading, attending lectures and networking Professional and specialist magazines and journals often contain valuable articles, features or series on the knowledge and skills you have identified as areas for improvement. Attending local events, such as a lecture, will help your understanding, and provide a chance for you to meet with other professionals. Events run by local professional groups, especially institution branch events, are particularly useful for this. It is important for many reasons that you build up a network of contacts, both locally and wider afield. Not only can

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these be a source for obtaining learning support, but they will provide you with a source of informed opinion on current trends and developments. Even if you are not currently considering your future needs, now is a good time to begin compiling a database of contacts. It will prove useful to get into the habit of exchanging business cards with interesting people you meet at conferences and other events. You may find that these are people able and willing to help, when the time is ripe for you to move employer or if you simply need advice or mentoring support in later career. Do not call them cold, however: maintain periodic contact (even if on relatively routine or even social matters) over the years. 4) Open and flexible learning Open, flexible or distance learning has become a very powerful way for busy professionals to develop new skills. Materials come in a variety of media printed matter, videos, interactive CDs, and via the internet. Their main benefit is that you can use them as you please, in your own time and at your own pace. Feedback on your progress usually comes from the materials themselves, and/or from tutors who review your assignments. 5) Learning from life outside work As an individual you will probably be involved in many activities, organisations, sports, societies etc. which, although not directly connected to professional development, can make a contribution in many ways to your personal development. Often it is experiences outside the immediate work environment which do most to develop personal competence, and it is worth recording this type of experience to supplement your personal portfolio.
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As a professional engineer you have a duty to the public as well as to the profession. You are strongly encouraged to maintain involvement with the wider community and some of the many possible ways are listed below. The experience which professional engineers can bring to these activities is frequently a great benefit to those organisations, and through this involvement the engineers concerned can benefit from seeing at first hand some activity completely removed from their normal work. Examples of the type of experience you might consider are: Involvement in local or national government, which would widen your understanding of major issues, help you to appreciate the complexity of decision making, and enhance your skill in negotiation and persuading others. Contributing to a voluntary service, such as St Johns Ambulance, which would give you vital first-aid skills. Involvement in running a youth group, which would contribute to your leadership skills. Activities in a local club, enhancing your communication skills and your organisational ability. Participation in a new sport, which might sharpen your learning skills and improve your confidence to tackle a new challenge. Working with the disabled or underprivileged, which might deepen your understanding of the needs of others. Dont forget that you are also learning from family life. Time spent looking after small children develops patience, understanding, a high degree of personal organisation, and the ability to handle a multitude of tasks simultaneously.

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6) Learning from your own experiences Everyone learns from experience, and the greatest benefits are often achieved from risky situations or from failure. It is important to identify success as well as the lessons learned in any situation, however apparently negative, and to consider how it has improved your competence. Unless you are self-employed or working alone, your colleagues will have experience of opportunities they have identified and exploited in the past. The prime benefit of talking to colleagues in an environment similar to yours is that they will have experienced similar training needs, and so are likely to have information directly relevant to you. In larger companies, the personnel department will generally be able to put you in touch with training providers used by the company, or provide you with lists of internal courses. Your institution will have groups/networks that bring together professionals from different backgrounds, often on a nationwide basis. You should be able to find details of such meetings and events on your institutions website. Networking at such meetings will bring you into contact with a variety of people in your field, with whom you can discuss your needs and share information.

Often, people like to try using different styles to add balance to their learning, and to help them become more flexible and a multi-skilled learner. Try activities from different learning styles and see how you get on. You can find out more about learning styles under Planning, page 2.10. Remember to consider your learning style when finding opportunities for development. In addition, although it is generally important that you stick to your plan where possible, if opportunities arise for you to do a task with lesser priority before a higher one, it should not be overlooked. Opportunities for professional development do not always arrive at the most convenient times, and this is why your plan should be flexible enough to allow you to benefit from such opportunities when you can. You can always change your priorities if you need to.

Pointers to learning resources

Anyone seeking to develop their professional competence need not go short of learning resources. The main difficulty is knowing where to start looking for these. The worldwide web offers endless possibilities but you can spend a lot of time surfing before finding what is right for you. A good place to start is your institutions website or Professional Development Department. Some institutions run technical and managerial courses but even if yours doesnt they will have a list of providers they can put you in touch with. Your institution will also have a network of local and regional groups which put on lectures and visits which may be of interest to you. Local libraries carry directories of

Accessing opportunities
The internet is a tremendous resource for finding and accessing learning and development, and it can be a tempting place to begin looking for training and work opportunities. This is fine, and you will certainly find plenty to choose from! However, it is sometimes better to start small, so instead of starting big, begin your search in a small way, by talking to the person next to you.

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course providers as well as technical publications and management textbooks. A countrywide network of Learning and Skills Councils hold information about learning providers within their area and also house SETPOINTS which offer opportunities for online learning. Local universities and colleges will have details of their own courses but often also carry lists of recognised NVQ assessor/verifiers as well as other course providers. your competence has improved significantly as a result of the learning, you may also update any self-assessment or competence records you have.

Motivation
1) Motivating yourself The main motivations in professional development are the benefits and rewards it can bring to you personally and professionally. To maximise the motivation you feel it is important to have a goal that you are currently working towards. This enables you to judge your progress toward that goal, and to enjoy a feeling of accomplishment, both at arrival and also while en route. A good way of defining your goal, or goals, is through the development action plan, covered in the Planning section, page 2.4. It is important not to limit yourself to short-term goals as early completion of these could lead to you losing interest. It is perfectly acceptable to have goals coming to fruition several years in the future: those, you can work towards, one step at a time. If your goal is to change jobs, it may help to think of your development in terms of enhancing your CV. Some projects may seem unrewarding or uninteresting: however, you can gain fresh motivation by considering them in terms of keywords, such as teamwork, budget planning, project management, and so on. These projects can then provide evidence that you possess these skills. You can go further, and analyse which competences your project fulfils. When you do not wish to change job role but are finding motivation difficult, you can identify those elements of your work you particularly enjoy, and consider how you could maximise or develop these. For instance, if you particularly enjoy website development, you could volunteer to take on further responsibility in this area.

Turning learning into competence

One of the most important contributors to the growth of your competence will be the way you capture your learning. This is probably the most rewarding and encouraging aspect of following your development action plan and measuring your competence, as it demonstrates to us how we are growing and improving. Capturing learning is also vital if we arent to lose the valuable learning experiences that are happening to us every day. Capturing your learning will enable you to establish the value of each new skill or piece of information, and identify which of your competences it will contribute to. Key to this process is recognising when you have learnt something. You may find this difficult initially, but you will soon be in the habit of spotting your own light bulb! Starting to think in terms of competences will also help you here. Each time you spot that light bulb, stop and think about it. Ask yourself what you have learnt, how you can apply that knowledge in the future, and whether it will make a direct or indirect difference to your competence levels. You should be recording significant learning events anyway, but you may like to write down other events too, as this will help you in your reflection. If
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2) Motivation from others Talking through our plans and achievements with others can be a great boost. Even when we are feeling unmotivated, a quick chat with a colleague can often make us see that we have achieved more than we thought, or that we are still on the right track. Having a mentor can be an invaluable support at these times, and will help us focus on the positives and keep sight of our goals. Even someone who is not our formal mentor, but is perhaps a trusted and respected friend, can provide the kind of positive reinforcement that will keep you going when you feel as though youve run out of steam. 3) Rewards Rewards can take many forms, and their importance will vary according to personal taste. The most obvious reward of personal and professional development is increased employability, which is especially useful if you are considering a change in career path or applying for a promotion. Gaining experience of core skills (such as interpersonal skills and project management) can provide a boost to your CV, and make it sparkle in comparison with your less developed peers. Gaining experience in a diverse range of environments and situations should increase the range of evidence contained in your portfolio again useful when considering a change of direction. For those not seeking to change career, the main reward might be increased profile within the work environment. As you become more aware of, and competent using, various skills, you will become more in demand at your current location. In some cases you may be working towards a specific qualification, or professional recognition: in this case attaining that particular goal will be reward in itself. This in turn will increase your employability. As mentioned previously, there are rewards and benefits available to you outside the work environment. These tend to be for short-term goals, and can be as simple as knowing that you have nothing to do, other than relax, during the weekend following a week of hard work. Other rewards can include meals at restaurants, chocolate or trips to the pub!

Gaining support
One of the most important, but often overlooked, aspects of professional development is gaining the support of others. This can take many forms, not only in the variety of people who may help you, but in the type of support that they are able to give. Who can help? Think about those people who might be able to assist you with your development plans. Your employer, colleagues, friends and family are all possible sources of help. Great benefit can be gained by discussing your development ideas and problems with impartial advisers, and they can be a source of useful ideas and unexpected opportunities. For this very reason, the professional institutions strongly advocate having a mentor ideally throughout your career, but certainly in its early stages. 1) Mentoring for career success If you have a mentor, discussing your personal and business development needs should be a natural part of your regular conversations. There is general acceptance that most people achieve better levels of professional success if they have the guidance and help of a mentor, someone with whom they can discuss their career plans. See page 3.8, to find out more about mentoring.

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2) Manager(s) at work Talking to your line manager whether as a formal appraisal or an impromptu discussion will be a vitally important part of your professional development. These discussions will help you to establish opportunities available to you, help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and give you valuable feedback on your performance. You may also gain help with identifying competences and, because they want you to succeed as much as you do, the motivational support will be immeasurable. However, many people feel awkward about asking for career or personal development advice, especially if they do not have their next move clearly in mind. Asking the boss for advice can feel like a high risk strategy if he or she thinks you are looking for a move, they may undermine you or stop investing in you. Usually such fears are unfounded. If you have a formal appraisal, objectivesetting and/or development planning system in place, then this should provide the opportunity to find out if your company has plans for you. Use this valuable opportunity to share your goals and ideas. If you are developing your skills, you are likely to have more to offer your present employer, and the evidence of your planning and commitment will be seen as positive. Even if you see your next opportunity outside the organisation, having advance warning will help your manager to plan for your succession. If you still feel nervous about speaking to your line manager, why not seek the advice of your personnel manager instead? They will understand how you feel, and may be able to provide the advice you need without rocking the boat. 3) Sponsor/assessor If you are working towards registration as a Chartered Engineer, Incorporated Engineer, or Engineering Technician, then your Sponsor and Assessor will also be valuable sources of help and support. Those seeking registration as a Chartered Physicist will have identified 2 supporters who will, themselves, hold the designation - or one of equivalent professional standing. Contact your own institution for information on the requirements for your chosen qualification and see Professional Registration later in this guide. 4) Colleagues Colleagues are a great source of inspiration and ideas. Along with your friends, they are also often the best source of frank and honest feedback, and can be a useful resource for information on other areas of your business! If you are on a development scheme and have colleagues who are also on the scheme, or have been through it in the past, they will be able to guide and support you. 5) Friends & family One of the reasons people often use for not doing professional development is the impact it will have on their home life. Talking through your aims and ambitions with your friends and family will help them to understand why you need to spend time on professional development activities. Involving them in your planning will elicit their support, and you will be able to structure your learning to create a balance in your life.

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6) Professional institutions Never overlook your professional institution as a source of help. They will have many practical solutions to make your professional development easier, from guidance on how to do it, through to learning and networking opportunities, ideas for gaining financial and practical help, sources of information and links with training suppliers, mentors and advisors. If you want to raise a career issue in appraisal, tell your appraiser beforehand. Ask for a follow-up to the appraisal meeting, if there are career issues you could not discuss fully. Take advantage of other types of career support offered by your organisation. If you are planning a job move, start raising the issue well in advance. If you want to talk to someone, ask for an appointment and explain what you want to discuss. Ask for at least half an hour. Prepare by thinking about your situation and skills, and how they fit with the business. Think about what you want to discuss, and what you want from the discussion. You should not reject advice or feedback out of hand, fail to listen attentively, or become aggressive or defensive.

Asking for help and advice

The CRAC publication Straight Talking: effective career discussions at work (2002) reports that in the supporting survey, 55% of respondents had good discussions with managers in their employing organisation, whilst 20% found external sources of advice such as career or training events, external advisers and psychologists, helpful. 80% of discussions took place by appointment, and 60% were initiated by the person seeking advice. So you need to take the initiative, but also give your chosen adviser an opportunity to prepare for the discussion. Make sure you are wellprepared. Work through the professional development cycle, so that you have an idea of your current skills, those you would like to develop, the type of work-based activities which might contribute to that development, and what you perceive as the benefits to, and the opportunities within, the organisation. CRAC offers the following tips for receivers of career support: Put yourself in the driving seat. Think about who can help you address career issues. Make sure you get the help you need, by asking for it. Try to develop a relationship with your boss such that they will actively support your career. If this is impossible, try to keep your boss informed.

Seeking financial support

For many professionals considering further education as a part of their professional development financing it can be a major hurdle. But a variety of schemes exist specifically to deal with this problem. 1) From your employer Many large employers are aware of the value of training their staff to their best potential and will pay for or part-fund particular training schemes if they are relevant to your job. Some enlightened employers will even offer funding for personal development which is not directly job-related, although you may have to pay tax on this as a benefit in kind. It is well worth approaching your Human Resources department about what is available to you.

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If your employer has 50 or less employees then they may be eligible for a Small Firms Training Loan (SFTL). They can borrow as little as 500 or as much as 125,000 at lower than usual interest rates, depending on their needs and the number of people being trained. An SFTL is a commercial bank loan offered in partnership between the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and eight high street banks. You can get an SFTL anywhere in Great Britain by applying to one of the participating banks which are: Barclays, Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale, The Co-operative, HSBC, Lloyds TSB, NatWest and The Royal Bank of Scotland. 2) Other sources If you need to finance your training or course yourself then you might consider applying for a Career Development Loan or one of a variety of bursaries and awards. Career Development Loans were launched by the DfES in 1988. Visit www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/pdl for an application and information pack. Bursaries and awards exist and your institution will be able to advise on those that may be relevant to you. Remember that some career development activities may also qualify for tax relief. able to act as a confidential helper and guide to another professional, to stimulate their development and make it more effective. Many organisations have successfully adopted mentoring in order to help selected employees to develop more effectively. If your employer does not have a scheme, but you would like to benefit from working with a mentor, your institution may be able to put you in contact with someone who can help. (Each partner within the PDP has their own advice and support on mentoring, contact your own institution for more details.) Mentoring for professional development Planned professional development is essential for all practising professionals. The responsibility for development must always lie with the individual, but the active support of a wise colleague, in the role of a mentor, can be extremely helpful at particular times, for example in the early stages of a career or in times of change. A mentor can help you to assess your needs and establish a development plan. Regular review meetings can then be arranged to consider progress and review learning. Knowing you have a forthcoming meeting helps you to focus on achieving targets! Your mentor will also give you the opportunity to try out, in confidence, a range of ideas and methods of working before having to make final decisions on the way ahead. Many professionals wish to focus development on gaining professional recognition. Part of achieving this is satisfying a number of requirements laid down by your institution. Obtaining help and guidance from a senior colleague who is knowledgeable about the requirements and the level of achievement expected is very strongly recommended, and will prove to be a tremendous help.

Mentoring
A wise and trusted professional friend There is a general acceptance that most people achieve better levels of professional success if they have the guidance and help of a mentor; someone with whom they can discuss their career plans, evaluate options and achievements, and work through issues. We define a mentor as a suitably experienced person, who is willing and

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Making mentoring work Whatever your particular needs, the role of the mentor should be clearly defined by both parties at the start of the relationship. The boundaries of the mentors involvement and influence should be agreed, and you will need to take into account the interests of everyone concerned, including your employer (particularly if confidentiality is an issue). You may want to define a time-span for the relationship. Experience shows that effective mentoring partnerships usually last for a relatively short time and you may get help from different mentors at different times of your career. If you are provided with a mentor through your employer then that is fine. However, sometimes you may find someone from outside more helpful. Your mentor does not have to be in the same profession as you, and at times you may have more than one mentor. The relationship between mentor and mentee should be personal and confidential. Your mentor should challenge and support you, but should neither tell you what to do nor provide assessments to others. A good mentor will want to ensure that you gain confidence and independence as a result of mentoring, and that you are enabled to take full and effective responsibility for your own development over the next career stage. Long-term dependence on one influential person is not helpful, although some mentoring partnerships have led to lifelong friendships. The structure and frequency of meetings can be decided between you. However, it is good practice always to arrange a subsequent date before the close of a meeting to make sure that a regular review of progress is maintained. It is also helpful if the mentor can be available for consultation earlier than planned if an unexpected need arises. Both members of the partnership should find that they gain personal satisfaction and experience personal growth during the progress of a mentoring relationship. If mentors approach the undertaking with open minds they will find they learn from the other person and recognise development opportunities in their own careers. Benefits of mentoring Mentees have found consistently that mentoring has: Enhanced their training and career development. Significantly influenced their attitudes and professional outlook. Guided them round major procedural obstacles and pitfalls. Improved their results by challenging their assumptions. Benefits frequently reported by mentors for themselves include: Satisfaction from helping others and seeing them progress. Deeper and broader knowledge of their own and other organisations. Opportunity to practise and develop management skills. Job enrichment and the chance to build wider networks. Increased self-confidence and higher visibility within the company. The benefits acknowledged by significant numbers of organisations include: Faster, more effective induction. Retention of quality staff. Enhanced transfer of skills. Gains in productivity and the performance of individuals. Increased on-job learning that reduces off-job training costs. Better communication, commitment and motivation.

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A cost-effective method to enhance staff development. A stabilising factor in times of change. commitment of the individual being mentored. He or she should: Understand that the role of the mentor is to challenge and encourage but not to provide answers. Guard against becoming dependent on the mentor. Approach each meeting fully prepared. The mentoring relationship Relationships which start with a clear learning contract are generally the most rewarding. In good relationships: Conflicts of interest must be avoided, so it is usually considered inappropriate for a mentoring relationship to exist between manager and subordinate, or close colleagues. It is important that ground-rules are established at the beginning of the relationship, to avoid misunderstanding later on. These may include the timings and format of meetings, the expected length of the commitment and methods of communications. Responsibilities and expected outcomes may be discussed at an early stage. For instance, it is important to state any specific results the mentee hopes to gain from the relationship, and what the measures will be for these. Company mentoring schemes Mentors can operate independently in all types and sizes of organisation, but company schemes are found to be more effective if they: Have the support of top management. Use carefully selected volunteers, who are well-matched to the employees being mentored. Start within a limited pilot mentoring programme, which can be extended as it becomes established.

Best practice in mentoring

The mentor The successful mentor is someone who: Volunteers time to take a personal interest in others. Listens actively. Questions and finds out what is important to others, exploring their skills, aptitudes and aspirations. Challenges assumptions and acts as a sounding board. Creates an open and candid relationship, to encourage the growth of trust and confidence, which assists the learning process. Regards all that the mentee says as confidential. Helps someone less experienced to learn by allowing minor errors, but will endeavour to prevent them making major errors. Avoids mentoring those in a direct reporting line, and may influence, but does not step on the toes of, other line managers. Brings a rigorously professional approach to the mentoring relationship. Uses imagination to overcome own limitations as well as those of the mentee. Recognises when the mentee should be identifying a need for other sources of help (such as from an institution). Has appropriate training and experience for the role. Gains significant personal and career development from mentoring. The person being mentored (the mentee) The success of a mentoring relationship depends also on the attitude and

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Operate as part of a wider scheme, which is unobtrusively monitored. Are supported by an able co-ordinator, usually a manager or Human Resources professional, who maintains the programme and ensures that its standard (and thus its reputation) remains high. Take care to distinguish between the roles of line managers and mentors, to avoid conflicts between concern for task completion and the mentees training and development needs.

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Recording
Keeping records
Really it is up to you how you record your learning and development. You need to keep records of what you have done, but it is even more useful to actually record what you have learned. The process of committing learning to paper or computer helps you to organise your thoughts and experiences, so you can build on them. It also will aid your recall process by transferring the experience from short-term to long-term memory. This is probably something that you are already familiar with from your days in formal education and it continues to be a powerful aid to learning in adult life. Here we explore some issues you might like to consider when deciding how to keep your records. If you wish to try these, some of the forms are available in this guide for you to try, and you may adapt them if you wish. However, if you have a different idea that works for you, then you should follow that. Learning logs Learning logs are an extremely useful way to enhance reflective learning. It is important to recognise from the outset that the purpose of the log is to enhance learning and that the primary user of the log is the writer. Keeping such a log generally feels like a chore. It is not until the writer is in a position to look back on the record that its value can be appreciated. Thus people tend not to keep one unless they are required to do so. But when the activity is made compulsory, all too often the emphasis shifts and people start writing the log for their supervisor and some of the benefit is lost. Keeping a learning log is not compulsory for people working towards registration, but many people find that it helps to consolidate learning. If you keep one, you should aim to record: What you have done. When you did it. What you learned. How you will be able to apply it. What follow-up activities you feel might be useful.

Do not limit your records to formal events. Try to capture all your learning including any small day-to-day experiences. The process of capturing learning in this way will greatly enhance your achievements/ learning. Remember to keep focused on the areas that you wish to develop and link each learning experience to those areas. This will later enable you to reflect on your learning over the period of a few months to see how far you have progressed. Additionally, do not forget to record those learning experiences that do not directly relate to those identified competence areas they are of value too and may be linked up later on! Evidence portfolios If you are using competences you will find yourself needing to keep a record of evidence of your competence. The body of your original evidence will form a portfolio which you will keep in order to produce evidence to prove competence if you are required to in the future (this may be for Quality Assurance Audit purposes or for professional registration/ qualification). This evidence should be kept in a structured way so that it can be easily referenced and located when necessary by your company or by your institution. Diaries, logbooks, etc. will normally become part of the evidence that you maintain within your portfolio. Portfolios are discussed in greater depth later in this section, see page 4.3.

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Employer systems Many employers have their own paperwork systems to help employees keep records of the training and development that they have undertaken. These range from staff reports written after formal appraisal meetings to a note in a personnel file about a course attended. Many employers also keep written development action plans for each employee and maintain notes of progress. All records are useful and it is important not to duplicate paperwork and the effort of writing things up, but it is also important for individuals to make sure that they are accumulating sufficient evidence themselves. It will almost certainly be necessary to keep some records and evidence of work undertaken, additional to those kept by the employer in order to capture informal, work-based learning. Professional body systems Different institutions may have slightly different requirements, particularly for records to be submitted as part of an application for registration. It is important that you check with your own institution before you start. Format of records One important point to consider when deciding how to keep your records is who the audience will be. If you are doing professional development on your own, without input from your employer and not working towards a qualification of any kind, then it is unlikely that anyone but you will see them. Therefore you neednt worry about their format, neatness or presentation. However, if it is possible that you will want to show your records to your employer, your institution, or even to clients, then you should try to take into account their needs. Will they want to see all your records, or just a summary? In what terms will they expect to see the information presented; are they interested in your learning, your abilities, or seeing progress? Adapt your forms and keep updated indexes, and be sure to keep any evidence carefully, so that your records give a good impression and show that you consider the information they represent as important. Keeping records up-to-date We all put administrative tasks to one side thinking that we will do it later; our record keeping is no different. We also know that later never comes! It is important that you keep your records updated regularly, particularly so if you are keeping detailed records. This is even more important if you are trying to apply your learning for improved performance as you will need to reflect upon your learning, and this becomes more difficult the longer you leave it. Try to keep notes of informal learning that happens during your everyday work perhaps in a logbook or diary, or directly into your records. After more formal events, such as a training course, you may wish to discuss your learning with your manager or mentor, and this is a good time to update your records. Creating retrospective records Creating retrospective records is difficult, but can be done if necessary. Look out old certificates or course notes, and ask Human Resources if you can look through your personnel file for key points. Produce a chronological record of key learning events, including job changes or promotions, and think back to recall the significant learning that occurred. An exercise like this can produce more than you might think, and will form a good basis for future records.

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Records fit for purpose How you keep your records may change over time. You may keep very detailed and formal records at the beginning of your career, perhaps because you are on an employers scheme or to meet institution requirements. Later in your career you may only keep very informal records, just for your own use. Be prepared to change the way you record your development to suit your current circumstances, and do not slavishly keep to a formal system if you really do not need to. However, having a portfolio of substantial evidence that you can refer back to can be enormously beneficial. Substantial evidence can be used as irrefutable proof of your abilities. Keeping evidence of this type can be a useful habit to get into. ladder; but whatever your circumstances you may well find yourself needing to work with competences at some point in the future. Whether your introduction to the world of competences comes from your employer, or through an individual desire, you will need to prepare and maintain a portfolio of evidence. Here we try to help you through the task of starting your portfolio, and give advice on the continuous process of maintaining it. Whether you are working towards professional recognition through your institution, trying to follow a company scheme, or acting as a consultant tasked with providing evidence of competence for clients, creating a portfolio of evidence can be approached in the same way. Identifying evidence When searching for evidence, ask yourself What could I show someone to convince them that I am able to do this task? Put yourself in an assessors shoes and consider what it would take to convince you under the same circumstances. If you are undertaking a formal training course, or academic studies, your achievements in these will give demonstrable proof of attainment. However, in many instances you will be improving your performance in your daily work with no externally provided proof or assessment of your activities and achievements. In those circumstances you should try to identify and keep evidence of work completed satisfactorily that is a testimony to your skills.

Building a portfolio of evidence

We are always telling people what we can do. In dealings with our colleagues, in job applications and during everyday conversations we quantify our skills, knowledge and experience to reassure those around us. We also use it as a way of expressing who we are. Never is this more critical than when we are at work, where it is vital to gain the respect and trust of our peers, management and clients. Sadly it is no longer enough to just say that you are able to do a job. More and more employers and customers are asking for proof of our abilities. When changing employer we are increasingly asked to complete psychometric tests and practical exercises as a measure of our skills. But the current trend is to seek real evidence of competence. This is particularly applicable to people who move roles within their organisation, or for young professionals moving up the career

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Evidence may take many different forms, including: Business/project plans. Proposals or reviews. Presentations to clients or at conferences. Specifications. Designs. Programmes. Internal memos. Letters, reports. Minutes of meetings (which demonstrate your contribution). Employer assessments for pay and/or promotion reviews. Testaments from others witnessing your attainments. Whatever form your evidence takes, consider how it can be verified as your own work. Obviously for documentation (such as reports or papers) written under your own name this is not necessary. However, for items where the author is not obvious, you should try to obtain a verifying signature from an appropriate person, to confirm that it is an accurate record of the activity and that it is your work. Often this will be your line manager, supervisor or project leader. The signature could be on the document/item itself or, if that is not appropriate, you could use an Evidence Summary Record or your companys equivalent (see our sample forms on pages 4.9-17, for an example). Where you are using evidence which is from a joint project, you might like to detail which parts of the work were your responsibility and what specific actions you took. There may also be times when your evidence includes an un-assessable, individual experience such as a conversation. It is in this situation that discussion with your manager or mentor will help you analyse what you have gained from the experience and they may then be able to testify to your experience.
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Finally, when considering what constitutes evidence for a particular competence, pay close attention to the level at which you perform. This is particularly important when you are trying to demonstrate a mature and professional approach. Many tasks can be performed at more than one level. For example, you might be able to perform tests on a piece of equipment as a trainee (whilst being supervised) or as an expert (being more able to assess the results and have an understanding of which tests are required for particular equipment). Clearly these are very different levels of competence, and your evidence should reflect the level at which you are working. Collecting and storing evidence In many cases evidence will be paperbased and can be stored in a folder. As your collection grows it will be important to keep a record of what you hold and where it is located in your folder. Split your evidence into logical sections, such as competence or functional areas, and keep an overall index. You may also like to use a cross-referencing grid or matrix that will help you relate particular pieces of evidence to the appropriate competences. These can then be used as a quick reference guide, to help you review or, should you wish, to extract a particular piece of evidence from your folder. Gathering evidence may not be easy to start with, as you will need to get used to spotting possible sources. Also, you will probably have a backlog of competences for which to gather evidence, which might be a little daunting at first. However, as you get used to the concept of evidence (and competences in general) you will find yourself thinking in terms of the results of your work as being evidence, and it will soon become second nature. Once you have located evidence for all the achieved competence areas,

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you need only maintain your portfolio through regular housekeeping, and add pieces as you acquire new competences or improve upon your past achievements. When you first start your folder, you may like to insert a copy of your current CV and it might also be useful to include your competence framework, copies of appraisals or any assessments you have done. It is also a good idea to have a list of your assessors somewhere in your portfolio: you can then refer back to this, particularly if you move job or company, should you ever need to contact them. It is not necessary to store all evidence within the portfolio. Small items of evidence such as photographs, witness statements, certificates and short notes can easily be stored in a binder. However, larger pieces of evidence (such as project reports, presentations, produced items, etc.) and also items of a confidential nature, can not be removed from the workplace. Their whereabouts can be noted in the index, and a summary of their contents (or a general description of the item) placed in the portfolio. In such cases your manager or assessor may sign the index or description, as it is not possible for them to sign the item itself. Core evidence Your portfolio should contain some key documents such as your CV, current job description and person specification and your Development Action Plan. You may also want to keep copies of key certificates such as your main higher academic qualification and any postgraduate studies. Most of these documents will need to be updated periodically, so remember to date them. Shelf life Evidence only stays fresh for a certain amount of time. This is for two reasons: 1) Although you have the proven ability to perform a particular task at a specified point in the past, we all forget knowledge, and lose our abilities and skills, with time. Therefore, evidence that we were competent to do something in the past, is not evidence that we can do it now. 2) As time goes by our abilities change, not just in respect of knowledge and skills, but also in attitude and the manner in which we perform tasks. Usually this path is one of increasing ability and responsibility, therefore you may need to keep updating your evidence as it increases in quality. For example, your first ever written report may have been perfectly adequate to prove your ability to write a report: however, as time goes by and your skill increases, you will want to give a better example, showing how accomplished you are now. There are various ideas on how long evidence life span is, but different timescales will apply to different types of evidence and under different circumstances. For example, the ability to communicate effectively (either verbally, in written form or giving presentations) will stay with you for some considerable time, and probably wont need updating very often. However, if you were to claim competence in creating websites or some other field of I.T., it is unlikely that, without updating yourself on the latest tools and techniques, you could still claim to be competent two years later.

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In general terms a period of two years is often quoted, but you will need to use your judgement on this. In any case, for most of your role you will be performing tasks that are repeated regularly: not only will this provide a ready source of renewed evidence, it will also reflect your everincreasing level of proficiency. Housekeeping Obviously, if evidence has to be refreshed regularly you will need to undertake regular housekeeping to examine your portfolio and, where appropriate, replace outdated items with fresh examples. This will require some effort as you will need to update your cross-referencing and indexing systems too, but is a necessary part of ensuring the portfolio is kept current and thereby retains its value. Validation It is important that your evidence carries weight. To do this it not only needs to be sufficient and appropriate, but it also needs to have a stamp of authority. Having your evidence signed off as a true and accurate record of your ability and achievements, preferably by someone who is seen as having the status to judge this, is a vital part of preparing your portfolio. Make sure you always keep a list of the people who have signed off evidence for you, with contact details and job titles where possible. Confidentiality For some people, such as those working in secure environments, gathering evidence can be difficult. No institution or employer will expect you to breach security in order to provide evidence. In most cases where it is necessary to inspect evidence arrangements will be made to ensure that security is not compromised. You should consult with your own institution if you suspect that this applies in your case. In instances where it would be unwise to keep evidence of specific projects in your folder, you may still add the item to your index, making a note of what the item is, where it may be found and which competence it refers to. Where evidence cannot be placed in the folder you may use a summary sheet or note to summarise your competence: your manager/mentor can then sign this off. This will apply equally well to items that are large, or difficult to handle and store (such as actual pieces of completed work). Selecting and presenting evidence Your portfolio will be a working document and, while you are compiling it, the folder will be seen mainly by yourself, so appearance is not initially important. However, if you find yourself needing to show your portfolio to someone else you will need to ensure that: Only relevant, up-to-date information has been included. All evidence is clearly indexed. Evidence can be located without delay. The overall appearance of the folder is professional and well organised, with no loose sheets of paper. In order that you dont get caught out by a sudden need to show your portfolio, it is advisable to carry out regular housekeeping exercises (see Shelf life above). During these you can ensure that each piece of evidence is still relevant and easily accessible. Creating your index It is important that your records are indexed. This will allow you to arrange your records in a logical way, to quickly access information when you need to, and will

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help you when keeping your records upto-date. Initially you may find it easy just to keep a simple list of the items you have, and maybe organise them into sections according to subject. However, as time passes and you have larger or more detailed records you may find you need to develop a more complex indexing system. Using a cross-referencing system or matrix To make tracking of the evidence you have stored easier, a cross-referencing system may be used. The principle is to be able to quickly determine which pieces of evidence relate to which competences, thus helping you establish which you have met, and which still demand further items of evidence. When compiling a portfolio, some people like to file their evidence according to the competence it relates to. However, as one piece of evidence may go towards satisfying the criteria for more than one competence statement, it is not always possible to do this. You may therefore need a matrix, detailing each piece of evidence, which will be in addition to, and separate from, your index. You will then be able to use either route to search/review your evidence, depending on your needs. There are many ways in which matrices can be tackled and you should devise a system that meets your own requirements and which you can easily follow, but our Competence Record form may help you to get started.

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Forms for recording your professional development
There are no rigid rules about how you record your professional development. It is important that you develop a system that is simple and easy to use, so that you continue to follow it, whilst ensuring that it meets any other needs, such as those of your employer. Here we give you a few examples of forms that you can use if you wish. There are worked examples to show you how they could be used, and blank forms for your own use. Please feel free to make photocopies, and you may adapt them to fit your own circumstances if you would like. Copies are also available to download from the website at www.PD-How2.org. Development action plan (DAP)* Use the DAP to record your goals and the actions you plan to undertake during your next development period. There is space for you to record your progress, and you may also cross-reference your plan to competences. Development activity record This useful form will help you record informal learning, as well as giving you a framework for reflecting on formal learning activities. It will help you formulate how you will apply your learning for improved performance. Competence record* Cross-referencing your evidence to your competence framework will help you identify any skills gaps, and will ensure you can easily find evidence for specific competences when you need to.
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Evidence summary record* This simple form will help you easily and quickly locate a piece of evidence in your portfolio. *You will find these forms particularly useful if you are working towards a professional qualification.

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Development action plan (DAP)
The period covered by your development action plan (DAP) may vary. Any period from about two months (e.g. a specific secondment) to two years is likely to be appropriate. If your employer has its own professional/career development system, then it is better to use this either in place of, or complementary to, your DAP. DEVELOPMENT ACTION PLAN
Name:
....................................................................................................................................................................

Date:

....................................................................

Section 1 (1) (2) (3) (4)

Achievements since last Development Action Plan (including report on actions agreed then)

Competence Reference B2 A1

I am confident he met the agreed actions from the last plan and in March a full PRP review for the department was carried out with Alan (see PRP file) Candidate: Date:
.......................................................................................................

Was sent as part of company team to Spring Exhibition at Hanover performed well in company presentations

EX A M
......................................................................................................................

Section 2

Alan needs to start using his Visual Basic Training and discussions will be held with the head of Software products to set something up meeting 23 April

We feel he needs more commercial awareness and a discussion has been set up with HR to arrange a suitable attachment for a period (probably of not less than 8 weeks) Alan is beginning to develop a real interest in management and shows good potential we should be looking for line management or supervisory experience within the next 18 months or so To attend the H & S course on emissions HR note

Next Review is set for 31 Sept 2003 Alan to arrange details Plan Agreed Candidate:

.......................................................................................................

Points to note: Section 1 refers to previous DAP and goes on to list the key achievements to date giving a basis for further development. Section 2 will be more effective if an outcome is specified in objective terms for each development action (i.e. what to be able to do, by when, to what standard).

PL
D2 Line Manager/HR: Date: Development Actions agreed for next DAP period (Capture any individual career plans and development activities agreed with line manager or human resources department.) Specify action, competence areas targeted and timescales. E3 Line Manager:

Has become a valuable member of the controls team and has taken responsibility for 2 changes to the products for important customers.

E
B3, C2, D1
...................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................

Attachment arranged with motor manufacturer one week in all departments report produced and suggestions made for improving return procedures

Has commenced a Visual Basic course at local College duration 1 year evenings. Appropriate project to be arranged to use programming learnt

Competence Reference

A1, A2 C2, D3

C3, D3

..............................................................................................

Refer to other departments (e.g. Human Resources) to ensure they are fully informed and dont forget to keep any mentor/advisor aware of all outcomes. This example has been written by a manager, in discussion with the individual. See overleaf for an example written by the individual themselves.

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Development action plan (DAP)

Name:

....................................................................................................................................................................

Jaquie Jones

DEVELOPMENT ACTION PLAN

Date:

....................................................................

19/10/01

Section 1

Achievements since last Development Action Plan (including report on actions agreed then)

Competence Reference A1 D2 C2

M
.......................................................................................................

Candidate: Date:

......................................................................................................................

Section 2

EX A
Continue with mentor, having meetings once per month to keep pace of progress Plan Agreed Candidate:
.......................................................................................................

Continue working with the K23 team, and try to take more active role. Aim to be able to handle the next car industry assignment when it comes up in April. (Review with supervisor due in March)

Secondment available to Business Group in January, which would increase my commercial awareness

Recording/4.10

PL
28/10/01 J Jones
Line Manager/HR: Date:
...................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................

Time management course this really helped me understand how I work and I am better at meeting deadlines now.

Development Actions agreed for next DAP period (Capture any individual career plans and development activities agreed with line manager or human resources department.) Specify action, competence areas targeted and timescales.

J Jones

E
28/10/01 S Smith
Competence Reference C2, C3 A1, A2 B3, C1 D1 Line Manager:
..............................................................................................

Joined the K23 team, which has enabled me to familiarise myself with the products for the car industry

Started working with my mentor, and found the feedback really useful. It helps me to have my assumptions challenged.

S Smith

4
Development Activity Record

Communication Skills Subject: ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Date: Type of Activity: Title and Provider:

DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY RECORD

15/08/02

Presentation

N/A

Presentation to project team on solution to power supply problem on 2945. I was given 5 minutes to report on the findings from my fault analysis and propose solutions. I had prepared 3 slides and written notes. The presentation went relatively well, and the notes I should have researched my audience in order to anticipate their interest. Possible application(s) of what was learned:

For my next presentation to the team (in September) I will ensure that I do thorough research, and the project manager has agreed to spend time with me beforehand to talk through any issues.

EX A
None. If appropriate, Employer or Verifiers signature: D Banks Date: 17/08/02

M
Possible area(s) of impact on career opportunities if any: Other possible Development Activity(s) suggested by this activity:

I will be doing presentations on a regular basis in my next role, and will need to polish my technique before then.

PL
improve will ensure he continues to succeed. David did well in this task, and his determination to

really helped this time, but I couldnt answer some of the questions.

E
If appropriate, any Employer or Verifiers comments: Recording/4.11

Summary of what was covered and/or what was learned:

Recording/4.12

Chartered Engineers must be competent, by virtue of their initial formation and throughout their working life, to apply appropriate theoretical and practical methods to the analysis and solution of engineering problems.
B1* Identify potential projects & opportunities B3 Implement design solutions and evaluate their effectiveness B2 Research, design and development of engineering solutions Assessor Approval & Date Other competences this evidence contributes to

COMPETENCE RECORD - EXAMPLE COMPETENCE & COMMITMENT STANDARD B: APPLICATION TO PRACTICE

Competence Record

Evidence Ref.

Description of Task

3/1

Attachment to Marketing Dept

work on new product Z456

EX A
D1, D3 C1, C2, D1 D2, D3, E1, E2

3 3 3

4/1

product T345

Prototype dept project manage

4/2

Attachment to design & development 1

4/4

Attachment to manufacturing

engineering 1

6/1

Design Dept New Starter configuration

6/2

project team

Design Dept Product CDE design

3 3

Assessor Comments:

M PL E

EVIDENCE SUMMARY RECORD

...........................................................................................................................................................................

Training/Development Period (e.g. induction, attachment etc.): Type/ where located

Successful post project review, discussed and recorded in the Performance Review in Jan 2000, see DAP file

Evidence Ref.
Project file at Aberdeen office of XYZ Oil Co.

Start/finish date

Activity and brief description (+ verifying signature of line manager/supervisor for this activity)

Notes (or competence/ commitment reference)

12/2

Jan 99May 99
Certificate in portfolio + sample program and course notes in office file at XYZ Oil See PRP Training need identified in Project Review and discussed at PRP and built into training and development plans. See next project

North Sea Drilling Rig Communications project to design, specify, project manage, install and commission the communications equipment for data and voice/satellite and microwave links for the rig. A wide range of evidence available in the project file reports, reviews, minutes etc.

Evidence Summary Record

12/3

May 99

C++ course intensive C++ course at AB Computer Training. C++ identified within a future project and this course took me to a level of practitioner ready to contribute to new project. Successfully completed programme at end of course Project file at Aberdeen office of XYZ Oil Co. and DAP

EX A
Certificate and notes now allowed to carry out surveys

12/4

June Sept 99

Thailand sea gas and drilling rig communications project to design, specify, project manage, install and commission the communications equipment for data and voice/satellite and microwave links for the rig. This project included a program for the front end users of the system on the rig which was written by me in C++. A wide range of evidence available in the project file reports, reviews, minutes etc.

12/5

13-14 June 99

Helicopter training at AB Co Aberdeen training for safety in helicopters and their use on rigs in under sea oilfields 2 days.

M PL E

Recording/4.13

DEVELOPMENT ACTION PLAN

Name:
....................................................................................................................................................................

Date:

....................................................................

Section 1

Achievements since last Development Action Plan (including report on actions agreed then)

Competence Reference

Candidate: Date:

.......................................................................................................

Line Manager/HR: Date:

......................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................

Section 2

Development Actions agreed for next DAP period (Capture any individual career plans and development activities agreed with line manager or human resources department.) Specify action, competence areas targeted and timescales.

Competence Reference

Plan Agreed Candidate:

.......................................................................................................

Line Manager:

..............................................................................................

Recording/4.15

DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY RECORD

Subject: Date:
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Type of Activity:

Title and Provider:

Summary of what was covered and/or what was learned:

Possible application(s) of what was learned:

Possible area(s) of impact on career opportunities if any:

Other possible Development Activity(s) suggested by this activity:

If appropriate, Employer or Verifiers signature:

If appropriate, any Employer or Verifiers comments:

Date:

COMPETENCE RECORD
......................................................................................................................................................................................... (Competences)

Competence & Commitment Standards for: Competence Statements

Evidence Ref.

Description of Task

Assessor Approval & Date

Assessor Comments:

Recording/4.19

EVIDENCE SUMMARY RECORD

...................................................................................................................................................................................

Training/Development Period (e.g. induction, attachment etc.): Type/ where located

Evidence Ref.

Start/finish date

Activity and brief description (+ verifying signature of line manager/supervisor for this activity)

Notes (or competence/ commitment reference)

Reviewing
Review is the start and the finish!
Most projects and plans start with a thorough review of the current situation: professional development is no exception. The review stage appears at the beginning and the end of the Professional Development Cycle because you need to be aware of where you are before you start, and because it is important to check regularly where you are in order to keep going in the right direction. It is a critical part of the process, and deserves serious time and effort. This is the same type of thinking process that you would probably employ in preparation for your appraisal at work or for a job interview, i.e. considering your strengths, your weaknesses and any future opportunities or threats.

5
Frequency of review
Obviously you will need to do a thorough review of your current position before you can possibly begin to plan to make changes. Equally, once you have started, your development must be reviewed regularly. This will: Demonstrate achievements against your original targets. Ensure you are still progressing in the right direction. Allow you to focus and define your learning for the next period. Give you an opportunity to review your long-term goals, taking account of any changes in your circumstances. It is at these times that you should reevaluate your targets and make any necessary modifications to your plans. How frequently a review should be carried out and the date this should be done will depend on a number of factors and may be very personal. When setting a review date you must consider whether your objectives are short-, medium- or longterm. Clearly, the frequency must depend on the time-frame envisaged. It would be pointless to review a set of very short-term objectives only annually, while there can be more flexibility about longer-term ones. You may find it useful to carry out some sort of review every month to see whether you have met your short-term objectives and are on course for the longer-term ones so that any corrective actions can be considered. One year should be considered the maximum period for an indepth review. Much will depend on the rapidity with which your work and responsibilities are changing, and the range of competences you are developing at any one time.

Reflective learning
The most important aspect of reviewing your learning is thinking about what you have learned. This reflection on what happened, what you understood from the experience, the new knowledge and skills you have gained, and how these will contribute to your improved future performance is where we gain real benefit from our learning experiences. Only once we have gone through this process, is the information in a form that we can readily store away (both in our minds and our records), and that we can recall for future use. Even if you are not planning a formal review just yet, taking regular time out to reflect on your learning is important. Reflection will help you formulate your experiences in such a way that they can be recorded easily; and it is important that this is done regularly, so that you dont forget the details. Once recorded, you may keep your notes for a more formal review.

Reviewing/5.1

5
Short-term plan review the individual targets that you set, and remove them or transfer them onto your next plan as appropriate. Add new goals from your appraisals or medium-term plan, to build your targets for the next period. This review should be regular say every two to six months. Medium-term plan review progress against medium-term goals. These goals may be broken down into sections, and it may be possible to tick off some of these. Amend your plan to include any new ideas that may have arisen. This plan should be reviewed at least every year. Long-term plan check that this plan is still realistic, and add/remove/change any items as necessary. It is likely that this plan wont change dramatically, but should still be reviewed annually. There may be other times in your life when it will be particularly important to review your professional development. 1) External changes, constraints and opportunities Do carry out a review at any points of change, e.g. changes of responsibility, location or employer. Not only do you need to account for the changes themselves in the development plans, probably adding and subtracting topics at the detailed level, but you must also take account of the broader effects on your career aims and directions, not forgetting the implications for your personal objectives. You may like to think of the regular review and updating of your CV as part of this process. Any change of circumstances or consideration of other job opportunities should trigger a review of your CV and, if nothing else, will act as a quasi-review process.
Reviewing/5.2

2) Appraisal It is convenient to plan for a review to coincide with formal (annual or halfyearly) appraisals. This not only meets your employers planning cycle, but allows you to be fully prepared to derive value from the exercise, to take on board any suggestions for change and to incorporate these rapidly into your plans. 3) Professional registration Your professional development may be directly linked to gaining professional registration. If this is the case, then many of your goals will be linked to the specific competences required to achieve that. Once you have attained your goal, you will need to conduct a thorough review and set new goals. Remember though, that membership of your institution may include an obligation to maintain your competence and, if so, you will need to ensure that your new plans and future reviews take account of this. 4) Shelf life of learning/evidence If you are working towards professional registration, or other competence-based qualifications, you will need to set regular dates to review your portfolio of evidence. Your competence, and the evidence that proves it, only has a limited life. It follows that you will need to keep ensuring that your portfolio is up-to-date.

5
Starting your review
Start by taking a metaphorical step back and taking a good look at where you are. It may help to ask yourself some questions, and to give yourself some honest and considered answers. Some of the questions you might ask yourself are: How far have I gone towards achieving the targets I set myself? What improvements have I realised through my activities? How can I use my new knowledge and skill? Have my long-term plans been affected? Do I need to make any changes or modifications? What trends have emerged that might affect my plans?

Evaluating your approach

Consider how you have reached your achievements. Did you take a planned approach or was it more opportunistic? Has your approach helped or hindered the achievement of your goals? It may be that you need to change the way you tackle your professional development in order to achieve more, or to meet particular targets.

Sources of help
Your manager or mentor will be ideally placed to help you review. This is particularly so if you are using your work appraisal to set your targets. However, if you are adopting a more informal or personal approach, you might like to talk to your colleagues for their feedback on how you are improving (or with ideas for the future). Friends and family can also provide a valuable input to your reviews.

Tracking progress
Look back at your development action plan, or your last appraisal, and see how many of the targets you have achieved. If you have completed a task fully, then remove it from your plan. (You may like to keep a note of it, though perhaps in a completed development log so that you can look back and see your progress over time.) If you have only partly completed a task, you might like to update your plan with a re-phrased goal to reflect the parts still to be done. If you are failing to achieve your goals, ask yourself why? Is it because your goals were too big, or unrealistic? Or have other circumstances taken over? If this is the case, re-evaluate and reset your goals in such a way that you will be able to achieve them over the next period.

Measuring progress
Measuring progress can seem difficult, particularly in these days when individual employees do very different jobs, even within the same department. This can mean that there are no obvious benchmarks against which you can compare yourself. One place to start is your development action plan. You can simply measure progress by looking at the number of goals you have achieved. If, however, you want to measure your current ability against external standards, you will need to identify those standards.

Reviewing/5.3

5
Another way to measure your progress is through assessment. This can be formal, through examination or peer review, or informal, when you assess yourself against specific measurements. Formal assessments might take the form of gaining a qualification through examination by an external body, or testing, such as psychometrics or skills and knowledge tests. Peer review, whilst obviously not as objective as an examination, can be a two-way process, giving you valuable feedback, and guidance. You might ask for a formal review with your manager, mentor, or personnel department. Many people find self-assessment the most difficult way to measure progress. We all find it difficult to assess ourselves, particularly when we dont have good examples against which to compare. However, if you have chosen appropriate standards, and you are fair and objective in your measurement, you may find this a very enlightening exercise. Ask a friend, colleague or your manager/mentor, to verify your assessment if you wish. next project. However, if they are to share that learning, every project team in the organisation will improve next time. Organisations have adopted many ways of helping their employees to share learning, from intranet-based forums, through to action learning groups. Adopting a matrix organisation for project teams is another method, ensuring people swap teams regularly and therefore spread their experience. These simple but effective methods of capturing learning lead to improved working practices, cross fertilisation of ideas and thinking, and facilitates the development of new ideas and implementation of changing technology. In addition, it has a direct effect on the development of younger team members, helping them be better performers and become the experts of the future.

Sharing learning
Learning is a very individual thing. This is demonstrated by the fact that different people will gain widely differing things from the same learning event. This is fine when we are aiming to improve our personal competence, and it will contribute to the intellectual wealth of our organisation. However, organisations really gain when people share their knowledge, and this is an important contributor to business success. As an example, when one project team learns a new technique which adds to their performance, they are able to use it to increase their performance on the

Reviewing/5.4

Frequently Asked Questions and References

Frequently asked questions
Why are there different types of Chartered status? Millions of people work in SET (science, engineering and technology). With so many different areas coming under that one umbrella, it would be impossible to design a professional status that would reflect the skills of all of them. Therefore SET is divided up and has several different chartered statuss available. The three main ones are Chartered Engineer, Chartered Physicist and Chartered Scientist. What is the difference between IPD and CPD? Only the name. We use the different initials to differentiate between the Initial Professional Development we do for our Initial formation (particularly when working towards professional registration), and the Continuing Professional Development, that we do to maintain our skills and knowledge thereafter. However, the process is the same, whatever category you fall into. What counts as professional development? Everything that contributes to your learning is professional development. Whether you are gaining increased knowledge, developing a new skill, or improving your performance or attitude, it all counts. It is also important to remember that sometimes you need to practice your skills, as well as developing new ones, in order to maintain your professionalism. Does my institution measure the professional development I do? No. We only assess IPD, when it is put forward as part of an application for professional registration; the CPD you do thereafter is governed by you and your employer. However, it is important that you keep records of your development, for your own future benefit. How do the institutions monitor members professional development? We expect members to be able to demonstrate, if requested, their commitment to professional development and continuing competence. Written evidence will be required for members wishing to achieve professional recognition, and you may be asked to provide records at times of moving between membership categories. At other times members may be asked, on a random basis, to complete and return a feedback questionnaire to assist your institution in establishing whether its policies and support services for professional development are effective and helpful to them. This non-prescriptive approach reflects our intention to help and support our members in their professional development, and that we realise how important it is for members to be able to control and direct their own activities. What you choose to do, and how much value you gain from the experience, will be as individual as you and your career. How much professional development do I need to do? Only you can decide what is the right amount and type of professional development for you. Every engineer will have different goals and requirements, dictated by their individual roles and ambitions. The amount you do will vary at different times in your career, as your needs change, but should be sufficient to maintain your professional competence at the least.

FAQs and References/6.1

6
Who should take responsibility for my development? Ultimately, you are responsible for your own learning and development. However, your employer will obviously benefit from any growth in your professional competence, and it will be in their best interest to guide and support you. Organisations vary greatly in the provision they make for employee development, from those who have an institution accredited or approved professional development scheme to those who make no effort at all. If your employer does not have any form of development scheme, but will support your development informally and provide training and support when required, then you will self-manage your own professional development to some extent. Whatever the case, you should drive the process yourself, using guidance and advice provided by your institution when you need it, to ensure that your career takes the shape that you want. What happens if I change employer? Changing employer will never be a barrier to your professional development, and is often a mark of your successful career planning. All your development to date will transfer with you and, providing you keep your records current and up-to-date, you should not have to retrace your steps later to find evidence or obtain verification. However, it is important to be sure that evidence you have collected is signed off, that you have sample signatures where necessary, and to have a final tidying up meeting with your mentor, if you will not be able to continue working with them. Once you join your new employer, you will need to build relationships with a new network of supporters, and possibly a new mentor. If you need a new mentor and are unable to gain one through your new employer, you should approach your institution for help. What happens if I am self-employed? Being self-employed is not a barrier to professional development. You may find it beneficial to find support through friends, clients, a mentor, or your personal network, particularly if you wish to self-assess or need to benchmark your competence. Those supporters will also be able to help you with verification if necessary. What happens if I am not getting the development I need? You are responsible for your own development so if you feel that you are not getting the right opportunities to develop appropriate competences, you need to take action. Your first step should be to arrange to discuss your concerns with your mentor or line manager. They may be able to help you to identify how your current tasks are contributing to your development, or facilitate a move into a different role with better scope. If you feel you cant talk to someone in your employing organisation, contact your institution for advice. What happens if I am taking a career break/unemployed? If you are taking a career break your employer may require you to undertake a certain amount of development activity during your break or in the period immediately before your return to work. Additionally, during the break you may be involved in activities which contribute to your development. If you are unemployed you may have opportunities to undertake short courses, cross-training or work placements.

FAQs and References/6.2

6
Voluntary work, researching job opportunities, preparing for and attending interviews can all help to develop your interpersonal skills. Whatever the case, be sure to maintain details in your professional development records and obtain verification wherever possible. Ive heard references to SARTOR and UK SPEC, but what do they mean? SARTOR stands for Standards And Routes to Registration and was replaced on 1st March 2004 with UK SPEC , UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence. These are the standards set down by the Engineering Council (UK), against which the institutions judge candidates before they are admitted to the Register as Chartered Engineer, Incorporated Engineer or Engineering Technician. You will only need to consider this if you are working towards professional registration. The professional development element for those working towards professional registration is now based on competence. Your institution will be able to provide you with further information on UK SPEC, and answer any questions on your specific circumstances. Information on the educational requirements can be found on your institutions web site. If you are working towards a professional qualification, please also see the section to the right on Professional Registration for more specific answers to some of these questions.

Professional registration
If one of your goals is to gain professional registration, this section will provide you with the additional information and guidance you will need. However, dont forget that your institution is there to help and support you in achieving this important milestone. Whether you are working toward becoming a Chartered Engineer, Chartered Physicist, Incorporated Engineer or Engineering Technician, the professional development process is the same. Here you will find basic, generic information however, your own institution may have some specific requirements regarding the way you make your application. You should contact your own institution for guidance on the requirements for your specific qualification. Competence and commitment statements Engineering Qualifications: If you are working towards professional recognition then your institution will require you to be working at an appropriate level. Descriptions of these levels are set out in the Engineering Council (UK)s Roles and Responsibilities, see page 6.8 of this section. You are also required to demonstrate competence and commitment in a number of areas. The Engineering Council Competence and Commitment statements, derived from the Roles and Responsibilities, form the basis of the Professional Review. Development action plans and evidence records should be presented to demonstrate that these statements have been addressed and competence achieved to a standard appropriate to the candidates job for the required registration level Chartered Engineer, Incorporated Engineer or Engineering Technician.

FAQs and References/6.3

6
These statements may be useful as a framework for your lifelong/CPD activities as well as Initial/Qualifying Professional Development, and can be found in Competence & Commitment Statements, page 6.9. Chartered Physicist: Whilst the Institute of Physics reserves the right to interview candidates for Chartered Physicist, this is not normal practice - the exercise being paper-based. CPhys is the professional qualification for those Members or Fellows who can demonstrate a high level of competence and professionalism in the practice of pure or applied physics, and who are committed to maintaining their expertise. (Pure or applied physics includes engineering, inter-disciplinary subjects, and physics teaching.) The requirements for CPhys are: An accredited MPhys degree in physics or its equivalent: those with an accredited Bachelor's degree (or other qualification) must demonstrate MPhys/MSci equivalence Evidence of a commitment to CPD (through development plans, logs and reports) 2 years of structured professional development, leading to the acquisition of the following technical and managerial competences 1. general and specialist knowledge, in relation to the practice of physical science 2. theoretical and practical methods in the analysis and solution of problems 3. technical and managerial skills 4. communication and interpersonal skills 5. professional conduct
FAQs and References/6.4

2 years of responsible experience. All CPhys candidates must complete a Professional Review Report of about 1,000 words (addressing responsible experience, the acquisition of the listed competences, and CPD evidence). Those required to demonstrate MPhys equivalence by means of professional experience are asked to write an additional report (of some 1,000 words) as evidence that this has been achieved. This report is separate from the review report mentioned in the preceding paragraph but, should candidates having to submit both choose to do so, these two reports may be combined in an overall report of not less than 1,500 words. CPhys candidates must also nominate 2 'supporters', able to comment on the data and evidence contained in the application papers. These Supporters must be of CPhys - or equivalent - professional status. Chartered Scientist The designation Chartered Scientist (CSci) ensures high and improving standards across all scientific disciplines. The Chartered Scientist designation reflects best practice in science and is set at a benchmark level throughout the profession. In 2003 the Science Council invited institutions to apply for licenses to award Chartered Scientist (CSci). The Institute of Physics and Royal Aeronautical Society were two of the first bodies to be awarded a license and are now ready to accept applications. Like CEng and CPhys, CSci has a set of competences candidates should consider while undergoing professional development (please refer to page 6.14). Candidates may be confused about

6
which chartered status would be most suitable for them. If this applies to you look at the FAQ page for ways to make the choice easier. These competence statements may be useful as a framework for your lifelong/CPD activities as well as initial/qualifying professional development. The statements appropriate to your level of registration are listed below. In each case you retain responsibility for your own professional development. In cases 1. and 2. it is likely that your employer will operate some of the procedures for preparing and verifying your professional development records. Nonetheless you should maintain ownership of your own development and make significant inputs to the process. In cases 3. and 4. you will probably have to drive the process yourself, using guidance and advice provided by your institution. Changing employer Changing employer will not be a barrier to you, providing you keep your records current and up-to-date. It is important to be sure that evidence you have collected is signed off, that you have sample signatures from your assessors, and to have a final tidying up meeting with your mentor, if you will not be able to continue working with them. Once you join your new employer, you will need to build relationships with your new assessors, and if possible a new mentor. If you need a new mentor and are unable to gain one through your new employer, you should approach your institution for help. Make your new employer aware that you are working towards professional recognition, and seek their support where possible. Then just update your employment history and continue to keep your records as before.

Issues that may arise for those working towards registration

Who is responsible for your development? Whatever qualification you are trying to achieve, you are likely to fall into one of the following categories with regard to the support you receive for your initial or qualifying professional development: 1. Your employer has an Institution Accredited or Approved Professional Development Scheme 2. Your employer has an established Professional Development or Graduate Training Scheme but it is not Accredited by your institution. 3. Your employer does not have any form of Development Scheme but will support your development informally and provide training and support when required. You will self-manage your own Professional Development to some extent. 4. You have progressed to a responsible role in engineering without a professional qualification or structured training/development, and now wish to obtain professional recognition.

FAQs and References/6.5

6
Becoming self-employed As a self-employed person you will not have easy access to assessors, a sponsor or a mentor. Speak to your institution about the help and support they are able to give. Clients may be willing to help you by acting as assessor. However, where this is not possible you will have to self-assess yourself, maintaining records of this, and seek verification later. Being self-employed can make getting a record of evidence assessed more difficult, but with help from your institution you will be able to achieve your goals and obtain professional registration. Getting the development you need You are responsible for your own development so if you feel that you are not getting the right opportunities to develop appropriate competences you need to take action. Your first step should be to arrange to discuss your concerns with your mentor or line manager. They may be able to help you to identify how your current tasks are contributing to your development, or facilitate a move into a different role with better scope. If you feel you cant talk to someone in your employing organisation, contact your institution for advice. Taking a career break or becoming unemployed If you are taking a career break or you become unemployed, you may have to delay your plans to gain professional registration. However, the work you have already done will not be lost, and you may have opportunities to undertake short courses, cross-training or work placements which will contribute to your records. Volunteer work, researching job opportunities, preparing for and attending interviews can all help to develop your interpersonal skills. Whatever the case, be sure to maintain details in your professional development record and obtain verification wherever possible. You will then be able to recommence your plan once you return to work. Understanding UK SPEC UK SPEC stands for UK Standards for Professional Engineering Competence. These are the standards set down by the Engineering Council (UK), against which the Institutions judge candidates before they are admitted to the Register as a Chartered Engineer, Incorporated Engineer or Engineering Technician. UK SPEC replaces SARTOR 2 and 3, Standards and Routes to Registration, and came into effect on 1st March 2004. Professional development for those working towards professional registration is based on competence, a full list of the competence and commitment statements can be found on page 6.10. Your institution will be able to provide you with further information on UK SPEC, and answer any questions on your specific circumstances.

FAQs and References/6.6

6
Engineering Councils Definition of Professional Development The systematic maintenance improvement and broadening of knowledge and skill, and the development of personal qualities necessary for the execution of professional duties throughout working life. Engineering Councils Three Point Code of Practice UK Standards for Professional Engineering Competence (UKSPEC) requires registrants to: 1. demonstrate commitment to maintaining professional competence through self-managed Professional Development, 2. take responsibility for and manage Professional Development, and

3. support the learning and development of others.

Keeping records for professional registration When making an application for registration you will need to prove that you have met the competence and commitment statements, at a level appropriate to your target qualification. In order to do this, you will need to keep a portfolio of evidence. How you create and maintain your portfolio is entirely up to you. In the section on Recording we have included some forms that you might like to try. You do not have to use these forms. You may have some provided by your employer, decide to create your own, or you may adapt these to meet your own needs.

FAQs and References/6.7

6
Roles & responsibilities
Extract from Engineering Council (UK) UK Standards for Professional Engineering Competence 2004 Chartered Engineer (CEng) Chartered Engineers are characterised by their ability to develop appropriate solutions to engineering problems, using new or existing technologies, through innovation, creativity and change. They may develop and apply new technologies, promote advanced designs and design methods, introduce new and more efficient production techniques and marketing and construction concepts, and pioneer new engineering services and management methods. They may be involved with the management and direction of high-risk and resourceintensive projects. Professional judgement is a key feature of their role, allied to the assumption of responsibility for the direction of important tasks, including the profitable management of industrial and commercial enterprises. Incorporated Engineer (IEng) Incorporated Engineers are specialists in the development and application of todays technology, managing and maintaining applications of current and developing technology at the highest efficiency. With their detailed knowledge and understanding of current engineering applications, they possess the skills and know-how to make things happen and often have key operational management roles. They have detailed understanding of a recognised field of technology and exercise independent judgement and management within that field. They add substantial value, independently and as leaders, to any organisation where technology is a core activity or supports the business. Engineering Technician (EngTech) Engineering Technicians are creative and skilled engineering practitioners, often with responsibility for operational engineering and other staff. They apply knowledge and proven techniques and procedures to the solution of practical problems in a wide variety of contexts. They carry a measure of supervisory and technical responsibility and are competent to exercise creative aptitudes and skills within defined fields of technology. They make a key contribution to a range of functions, including design, development, manufacture, commissioning, operation and maintenance of products, equipment, processes and services. They apply safe systems of work.

FAQs and References/6.8

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Competence and commitment statements
This section details the Competence and Commitment Statements, which are the standards for the following qualifications: Chartered Engineer Chartered Engineers must be competent throughout their working life, by virtue of their education, training and experience, to: A Use a combination of general and specialist engineering knowledge and understanding to optimise the application of existing and emerging technology A1 Maintain and extend a sound theoretical approach in enabling the introduction and exploitation of new and advancing technology and other relevant developments. This could include an ability to: Identify the limits of own personal knowledge and skills Strive to extend own technological capability Broaden and deepen own knowledge base through research and experimentation A2 Engage in the creative and innovative development of engineering technology and continuous improvement systems. This could include an ability to: Establish users needs Assess marketing needs and contribute to marketing strategies Identify constraints and exploit opportunities for the development and transfer of technology within own chosen field. Promote new applications when appropriate. Secure the necessary intellectual property rights. Develop and evaluate continuous improvements systems. B Apply appropriate theoretical and practical methods to the analysis and solution of engineering problems: B1 Identify potential projects and opportunities. This could include an ability to: Explore the territory within own responsibility for new opportunities. Review the potential for enhancing engineering products, processes, systems and services. Use own knowledge of the employers position to assess the viability of opportunities. B2 Conduct appropriate research, and undertake design and development of engineering solutions. This could include an ability to: dentify and agree appropriate research methodologies. Assemble the necessary resources. Carry out the necessary tests. Collect, analyse and evaluate the relevant data. Draft, present and agree design recommendations. Undertake engineering design. B3 Implement design solutions and evaluate their effectiveness. This could include an ability to: Ensure that the application of the design results in the appropriate practical outcome. Identify the required cost, quality, safety, reliability, appearance, fitness for purpose and environmental impact of the outcome.

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Determine the criteria for evaluating the design solutions. Evaluate the outcome against the original specification. Actively learn from feedback on results to improve future design solutions and build best practice. C Provide technical and commercial leadership C1 Plan for effective project implementation. This could include an ability to: Identify the factors affecting the project implementation. Lead on preparing and agreeing implementation plans and method statements. Ensure that the necessary resources are secured and brief the project team. Negotiate the necessary contractual arrangements with other stakeholders (client, subcontractors, suppliers, etc). C2 Plan, budget, organise, direct and control tasks, people and resources. This could include an ability to: Set up appropriate management systems. Agree quality standards, programme and budget. Organise and lead work teams, co-ordinating project activities. Ensure that variations from quality standards, programme and budgets are identified, and that corrective action is taken. Gather and evaluate feedback, and recommend improvements. C3 Lead teams and develop staff to meet changing technical and managerial needs. This could include an ability to: Agree objectives and work plans with teams and individuals. Identity team and individual needs, and plan for their development. Lead and support team and individual development. Assess team and individual performance, and provide feedback. C4 Bring about continuous improvement through quality management. This could include an ability to: Promote quality throughout the organisation and its customer and supplier networks. Develop and maintain operations to meet quality standards. Direct project evaluation and propose recommendations for improvement. D Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills D1 Communicate in English with others at all levels. This could include an ability to: Contribute to, chair and record meetings and discussions. Prepare letters, documents and reports. Exchange information and provide advice to technical and nottechnical colleagues. D2 Present and discuss proposals. This could include an ability to: Prepare and deliver appropriate presentations. Lead and sustain debates with audiences. Feed the results back to improve the proposals.

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D3 Demonstrate personal and social skills. This could include an ability to: Know and manage own emotions, strengths and weaknesses. Be aware of the needs and concerns of others. Be confident and flexible in dealing with new and changing interpersonal situations. Identify, agree and work towards collective goals. Resolve conflicts and create, maintain and enhance productive working relationships. E Demonstrate a personal commitment to professional standards, recognising obligations to society, the profession and the environment E1 Comply with relevant codes of conduct. This could include an ability to: Operate and act responsibly, taking account of the need to progress environmental, social and economic outcomes simultaneously. Use imagination, creativity and innovation to provide products and services which maintain and enhance the quality of the environment and community, and meet financial objectives. Understand and encourage stakeholder involvement. E4 Carry out continuing professional development necessary to maintain and enhance competence in own area of practice.

This could include an ability to: Comply with the rules of professional conduct of own professional body. Work constructively within all relevant legislation and regulatory frameworks, including social and employment legislation. E2 Manage and apply safe systems of work. This could include an ability to: Identify and take responsibility for own obligations for health, safety and welfare issues. Ensure that systems satisfy health, safety and welfare requirements. Develop and implement appropriate hazard identification and risk management systems. Manage, evaluate and improve these systems. E3 Undertake engineering activities in a way that contributes to sustainable development.

This could include an ability to: Undertake reviews of own development needs and prepare actions plans to meet personal and organisational objectives. Carry out planned and unplanned CPD activities. Maintain evidence of competence development. Evaluate CPD outcomes against the action plans. Assist others with their own CPD. Chartered Physicist The competences to be attained are as follows. These need to be interpreted within the context of your career and will differ in detail for physicists in research, teaching, engineering, etc. It is recognised that the degree of emphasis on specific competences will vary between different occupations. A General and specialist knowledge in relation to the practice of physical science This could include an ability to: Maintain a sound theoretical approach to the introduction of new and advancing theories.

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Apply a lateral approach to problem solving, and to evaluate data critically, drawing logical conclusions. Exploit emerging theories, so as to enhance current practice and knowledge. Demonstrate an interest in broader developments within the physical sciences, and make a contribution to your profession outside your direct work environment. B Theoretical and practical methods in the analysis and solution of problems This could include an ability to: Identify potential projects and problems. Conduct appropriate research and appraise possible solutions. Plan and implement solutions. Evaluate solutions and make improvements. C Technical and managerial Skills This could include an ability to: Plan and prepare a project to effective implementation. Create and carry out an action plan to make effective use of all resources (such as people, time, finance) and demonstrate foresight in carrying out tasks. Develop the capabilities of staff/people for whom you are responsible, eg students or assistants, to meet the demands of changing technical and managerial requirements. Plan and implement a quality control and assurance framework. Exert appropriate influence and effective leadership qualities. D Communication and interpersonal skills This could include an ability to: Communicate clearly and effectively with others at all levels, both by oral and written methods. Present and discuss concepts, ideas and plans convincingly and objectively with your superiors and others. Participate effectively within a team. Apply negotiation skills. E Professional conduct This could include an ability to: Behave towards peers with integrity and honesty. Observe rules and regulations relating to your professional practice. Be aware of and sensitive to health, safety and environmental issues. Show sensitivity and, where appropriate, observe confidentiality in verbal and written communications. Carry out the continuing professional development necessary to ensure competence in your future career. Chartered Scientist These are the competences for CSci. Candidates should interpret them within the context of their career. A The broad knowledge, understanding, experience and skills appropriate to the level of CSci. Demonstrate theoretical and practical methods in the analysis and solution of problems. Plan and organise time effectively. Demonstrate good written and oral communication skills. Demonstrate good team skills. Demonstrate effective influencing and negotiation skills.

C D E F

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G H I Demonstrate an understanding and commitment to health & safety and environmental issues relating to your work. Apply professional ethics in your work. Demonstrate a commitment to continued learning and professional development. B engineering products, systems and services. Contribute to the evaluation and development of continuous improvement systems. Apply appropriate theoretical and practical methods to design, develop, manufacture, construct, commission, operate and maintain engineering products, processes, systems and services: B1 Identify, review and select techniques, procedures and methods to undertake engineering tasks. This could include an ability to: Select a review methodology. Review the potential for enhancing engineering products, processes, systems and services, using evidence from best practice. Establish an action plan to implement the results of the review. B2 Contribute to the design and development of engineering solutions. This could include an ability to: Contribute to the identification and specification of design and development requirements for engineering products, processes, systems and services. Identify problems and evaluate possible engineering solutions to meet client needs. Contribute to the design of engineering solutions. B3 Implement design solutions and contribute to their evaluation. This could include an ability to: Secure the resources required for implementation.
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Further guidance can be found at www.careers.iop.org Incorporated Engineers Incorporated Engineers must be competent throughout their working life, by virtue of their education, training and experience, to: A Use a combination of general and specialist engineering knowledge and understanding to apply existing and emerging technology: A1 Maintain and extend a sound theoretical approach to the application of technology in engineering practice. This could include an ability to: Identify the limits of own personal knowledge and skills. Strive to extend own technological capability. Broaden and deepen own knowledge base through new applications and techniques. A2 Use a sound evidence-based approach to problem solving and contribute to continuous improvement. This could include an ability to: Establish users requirements for improvement. Use market intelligence and knowledge of technological developments to promote and improve the effectiveness of

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Implement design solutions, taking account of cost, quality, safety, reliability, appearance, fitness for purpose and environmental impact. Identify problems during implementation and take corrective action. Contribute to the evaluation of design solutions. Contribute to recommendations for improvements and actively learn from feedback on results. C Provide technical and commercial management: C1 Plan for effective project implementation. This could include an ability to: Identify the factors affecting the project implementation. Prepare and agree implementation plans and method statements. Secure the necessary resources and confirm roles in project team. Apply the necessary contractual arrangements with other stakeholders (client, subcontractors, suppliers, etc). C2 Manage the planning, budgeting and organisation of tasks, people and resources. This could include an ability to: Operate appropriate management systems. Work to the agreed quality standards, programme and budget. Manage work teams, co-ordinating project activities. Identify variations from quality standards, programme and budgets, and take corrective action. Evaluate performance and recommend improvements. C3 Manage teams and develop staff to meet changing technical and managerial needs. This could include an ability to: Agree objectives and work plans with teams and individuals. Identify team and individual needs, and plan for their development. Manage and support team and individual development. Assess team and individual performance, and provide feedback. C4 Manage continuous quality improvement. This could include an ability to: Ensure the applications of quality management principles by team members and colleagues. Manage operations to maintain quality standards. Evaluate projects and make recommendations for improvement. D Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills D1 Communicate in English with others at all levels. This could include an ability to: Contribute to, chair and record meetings and discussions. Prepare letters, documents and reports. Exchange information and provide advice to technical and nontechnical colleagues. D2 Present and discuss proposals. This could include an ability to: Prepare and deliver appropriate presentations. Lead and sustain debates with audiences. Feed the results back to improve the proposals. D3 Demonstrate personal and social skills.

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This could include an ability to: Know and manage own emotions, strengths and weaknesses. Be aware of the needs and concerns of others. Be confident and flexible in dealing with new and changing interpersonal situations. Identify, agree and work towards collective goals. Resolve conflicts and create, maintain and enhance productive working relationships. E Demonstrate a personal commitment to professional standards, recognising obligations to society, the profession and the environment E1 Comply with relevant codes of conduct. This could include an ability to: Operate and act responsibly, taking account of the need to progress environmental, social and economic outcomes simultaneously. Use imagination, creativity and innovation to provide products and services which maintain and enhance the quality of the environment and community, and meet financial objectives. Understand and encourage stakeholder involvement. E4 Carry out continuing professional development necessary to maintain and enhance competence in own area of practice.

This could include an ability to: Comply with the rules of professional conduct of own professional body. Work constructively within all relevant legislation and regulatory frameworks, including social and employment legislation. E2 Manage and apply safe systems of work.

This could include an ability to: Undertake reviews of own development needs and prepare actions plans to meet personal and organisational objectives. Carry out planned and unplanned CPD activities. Maintain evidence of competence development. Evaluate CPD outcomes against the action plans. Assist others with their own CPD. Engineering Technicians Engineering Technicians must be competent throughout their working life, by virtue of their education, training and experience, to: A Use engineering knowledge and understanding to apply technology and practical skills This could include an ability to: Review and select appropriate techniques, procedures and methods to undertake tasks.

This could include an ability to: Identify and take responsibility for own obligations for health, safety and welfare issues. Ensure that systems satisfy health, safety and welfare requirements. Develop and implement appropriate hazard identification and risk management systems. Manage, evaluate and improve these systems. E3 Undertake engineering activities in a way that contributes to sustainable development.

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Use appropriate scientific or engineering principles. B Contribute to the design, development, manufacture, construction, commissioning, operation or maintenance of products, equipment, processes, systems and services In context, this could include an ability to: Identify problems and apply diagnostic methods to identify causes and achieve satisfactory solutions. Identify, organise and use resources effectively to complete tasks, with consideration to cost, quality, safety and environmental impact. C Accept and exercise personal responsibility This could include an ability to: Work reliably and effectively without close supervision, to the appropriate codes of practice. Accept responsibility for work of self and others. Accept, allocate and supervise technical and other tasks. D Use effective communication and interpersonal skills This could include an ability to: Use oral, written and electronic methods for the communication in English of technical and other information. Work effectively with colleagues, clients, suppliers and the public. E Make a personal commitment to an appropriate code of professional conduct, recognising obligations to society, the profession and the environment In order to satisfy this commitment, they must: Comply with the codes and rules of conduct of their licensed institution. Manage and apply safe systems of work. Undertake their engineering work making and utilising risk assessments, and observing good practice with regard to the environment. Carry out continuing professional development, including opportunities offered by their institution, to ensure competence in areas and at the level of future intended practice.

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Institution contact details
Educational Requirements Initial/Qualifying Professional Development Membership Enquiries Continuing Professional Development

IIE
Savoy Hill House Savoy Hill London WC2R 0BS www.iie.org.uk Membership Department Tel: +44 (0) 20 7836 3357 E-mail: membership@iie.org.uk Training and Professional Development Department Tel: +44 (0) 20 7836 3357 E-mail: training@iie.org.uk Membership Department Tel: +44 (0) 20 7836 3357 E-mail: membership@iie.org.uk Training and Professional Development Department Tel: +44 (0) 20 7836 3357 E-mail: training@iie.org.uk

IEE
Michael Faraday House Six Hills Way Stevenage Herts SG1 2AY www.iee.org Membership Department Tel: +44 (0) 1438 765673 E-mail: membership@iee.org.uk Professional Development Department Tel: +44 (0) 1438 767647 E-mail: profdev@iee.org.uk Membership Department Tel: +44 (0) 1438 767282 E-mail: membership@iee.org.uk Professional Development Department Tel: +44 (0) 1438 765572 E-mail: profdev@iee.org.uk

IMechE
1 Birdcage Walk London SW1H 9JJ Membership Department Help Line: +44 (0) 845 226 9191 E-mail: membership@imeche.org.uk www.imeche.org.uk Professional Development Department Tel: +44 (0) 207 797 31250 E-mail: ipd@imeche.org.uk Membership Department Help Line: +44 (0) 845 226 9191 E-mail: membership@imeche.org.uk Professional Affairs Accreditation & Professional Development Tel: +44 (0) 20 7973 1263 E-mail: k_schutz@imeche.org.uk

IOP
76-78 Portland Place London W1B 1NT www.iop.org Membership Department Tel: +44 (0) 207 470 4800 E-mail: membership@iop.org Professional Standards Membership Department Office Tel: +44 (0) 207 470 4800 Tel: +44 (0) 207 470 4800 E-mail: E-mail: membership@iop.org career.development@iop.org Professional Standards Office Tel: +44 (0) 207 470 4800 E-mail: career.development @iop.org

RAeS
4 Hamilton Place London W1J 7BQ Professional Standards Department Tel: +44 (0) 207 670 4300 E-mail: accreditation@raes.org.uk Professional Standards Department Tel: +44 (0) 207 670 4300 E-mail: professional@raes.org.uk Professional Standards Department Tel: +44 (0) 207 670 4300 E-mail: membership@raes.org.uk Professional Standards Department Tel: +44 (0) 207 670 4300 E-mail: professional@raes.org.uk

www.aerosociety.com

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Useful contacts
Engineering Council (UK) Tel: +44 (0) 207 240 7891 Website: www.engc.org.uk Institute of Reflective Practice Tel: +44 (0) 1452 309897 Website: www.reflectivepractices.com CRAC (Careers Research and Advisory Centre) Tel: +44 (0) 1223 460277 Website: www.crac.org.uk FEANI (Fdration Europenne dAssociations Nationales dIngnieurs) E-mail: secretariat.general@feani.org Website: www.feani.org Association for Project Management Tel: +44 (0) 845 458 1944 Website: www.apm.org.uk

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Tel: +44 (0) 208 612 6200 Website: www.cipd.co.uk

Chartered Management Institute (CMI) Tel: +44 (0) 1536 204222 Website: www.managers.org.uk Institute of Directors (IOD) Tel: +44 (0) 207 776 8866 Website: www.iod.co.uk

Department of Trade & Industry (Dti) Tel: +44 (0) 207 215 5000 Website: www.dti.gov.uk

The British Chamber of Commerce Website: www.britishchambers.org.uk Government Information Website: www.direct.gov.uk DfeS Website: www.dfes.gov.uk Investors in People Tel: +44 (0) 207 467 1900 Website: www.iipuk.co.uk

QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) Tel: +44 (0) 207 509 5555 Website: www.qca.org.uk SEMTA (Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering, Manufacturing Technology) Tel: +44 (0) 1923 238441 Website: www.semta.org.uk Health & Safety Executive (HSE) Tel: +44 (0) 845 345 0055 Website: www.hse.gov.uk British Computer Society (BCS) Tel: +44 (0) 1793 417424 Website: www.bcs.org

Engineering Employers Federation (EEF) Tel: +44 (0) 207 222 7777 Website: www.eef.org.uk The Chartered Institute of Marketing Tel: +44 (0) 1628 427500 Website: www.cim.co.uk The Institute of Leadership and Management Tel: +44 (0) 1543 251346 Website: www.i-l-m.com ENTO Tel: +44 (0) 116 251 7979 Website: www.ento.co.uk

SWEBOK (Software Eng. Body of Knowledge) Tel: +1 514 396 8623 (Quebec) Website: www.swebok.org

OSCEng (Occupational Standards Council for Engineering) Tel: +44 (0) 207 233 09353 Website: www.osceng.co.uk

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Definition of terms
Appraisal A formalised, recorded assessment of an individuals performance in a specific professional role, also used to identify contribution to business objectives and personal development needs. Assessor A person who is able to assess or verify a particular development activity that you have completed, or a piece of evidence. This could be a supervisor, line manager, course tutor, graduate development officer, project manager, etc. Competence The knowledge, skill and attitude to perform a certain task at a given level. Competence Framework A set of competence statements which, taken together, describe the abilities required to perform a given role. Competence Statement A statement or description of the level of ability which must be demonstrated, in order to be judged competent for one particular task. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) The systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of knowledge and skills, and the development of personal qualities necessary for the execution of professional duties throughout working life. Direct Objective Training (DOT) Formal or experiential training intended to meet a specific task or learning objective. Development Action Plan (DAP) A document which records the current development objectives of an individual, with timescales and means by which those objectives are intended to be achieved. This should be a living document, which is regularly reviewed for relevance to current and future competence requirements. Evidence An item or document which constitutes proof of an individuals ability or competence in a given task/role. Initial/Qualifying Professional Development (IPD) The structured professional development undertaken by an individual in order to meet the requirements for registration. (Competence) Level A grade signifying ones degree of competence or skill in performing a specific task. Learning Styles The different approaches to the acquisition of knowledge, defined by four disparate types of style. Mentor A person, preferably an appropriate professional, who can guide you towards becoming a competent professional person able to contribute to the company, the profession and the community. Performance Review An analysis of achievement against objectives, and other incidental development, normally conducted by either a line manager or mentor. Portfolio Collection of work or other papers (in this case, evidence) which, taken as a whole, offers a picture of an individuals range of abilities. Professional Development Cycle The cyclical process of planning, doing, recording and reviewing ones professional development. Sponsor The person with ultimate responsibility for endorsing a portfolio of evidence of competence. Likely to be a senior manager or director within the candidates organisation.

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