Continuing Professional Development: Guidance

Introduction
CPD is becoming progressively more important internationally and within an ever-growing number of professions. Structural
engineering is no different, and the highly competitive nature of the industry means that the maintenance and development of skills
and abilities is of fundamental importance if one is to preserve one’s standing and advance one’s career or practice.

Clients and employers increasingly expect engineers to undertake appropriate CPD on an on-going basis, and, although support may
be garnered from one’s employer, the onus for development remains on the individual as the primary interface between the industry
and the general public. Working within such a high profile industry, and especially one so closely concerned with health, safety and
risk on a variety of levels, places a number of obligations on members of this Institution; not least amongst these is the duty to
maintain and extend their knowledge, expertise and experience.

The Institution’s CPD Policy The Benefits of CPD

The Institution defines CPD as being “the systematic Benefits to the individual
maintenance, improvement and broadening of knowledge and • Maintaining and improving knowledge and abilities will lead
skill and the development of personal qualities necessary for the to enhanced work performance and confidence
execution of professional and technical duties throughout the
• Career prospects will be widened and improved
practitioner's working life”. Attaining a professional qualification is
not the end of the road, merely one stage in the process of • CPD focuses the individual’s career development allowing
lifelong learning. Structural engineers need to change and for specific targeting of areas of development
develop in order to remain competitive in an evolving industry.
• Individuals will be able to more readily react and adapt to a
To further this ethos the Council of the Institution, at its meeting changing profession and world
on 23 May 1996, approved the introduction of an additional Rule • CPD records and annual returns demonstrate a
of Conduct to clarify members' obligations to the profession in commitment to the profession and continued competence
respect of CPD:
• In an increasingly litigious world, it makes obvious sense to
take precautions against possible legal action. It is not
Members of the Institution shall have a duty to update
and broaden their professional knowledge and skills on a beyond the realms of possibility to imagine an enterprising
continuing basis lawyer in a courtroom capitalising on the lack of a CPD
accreditation in order to undermine or cast doubt on an
individual’s professionalism. An easy way to potentially
It is the Institution's intention to ensure that its members remain mitigate against this eventuality is simply to ensure that your
at the forefront in maintaining and developing their professional CPD Return is approved
competence for their own benefit and for that of society. • Although graduates are not requested to complete the
Members should also assist in furthering the formation and annual return, they are required to demonstrate a
professional development of other members and prospective commitment to CPD during their Professional Review
members of the profession. Interview and need to gain the support and signature of a
Fellow for their application to Chartered or Associate-
Evidence of REVIEW Profiles of Membership – this can be easily achieved by attendance at
Competence Analysis/ Competence & Branch evening meetings and seminars
Gained Appraisal Needs
• CPD records are required when transferring to the grade of
Fellow.
ASSESSING THE CPD PLANNING
ACHIEVEMENT CYCLE
Benefits to the employer
• Better skilled and more efficient workforce
Development DEVELOPMENT Development • More adaptable staff
Record ACTIVITIES Plan
• Employers supporting CPD can expect greater staff
This model is derived from CPD Framework provided by EUSCCCIP – European retention and motivation
project for the Use of Standards of Competence in CPD for Construction
Industry Practitioners, November 1997. The model has also been adopted by a • There may be a potential impact, through non-submission of
number of other organisations, including the Construction Industry Council
CPD, on P.I. Insurance and liability under CDM regulations.
(CIC) and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE).
CPD Activities Give details wherever possible (including dates)
As far as possible members should avoid using vague,
The Member activities section of the Return is split into four
unsubstantiated terms. Although those Professional
sections. Members should complete all applicable sections;
Development Panel members reviewing the forms are not asking
Members should not feel compelled to enter information into an
for reams of information, they will want to understand what CPD
area where they have no activities to report.
has been undertaken and gain a ‘flavour’ of the development of
CPD is not just about attending courses – there are many ways the individual. As such, terms such as ‘various seminars’,
of undertaking CPD. These include (but are in no way restricted ‘research related to numerous projects’ and so forth would not
to): be considered acceptable. This is not to say that the necessary
CPD remains unfulfilled, merely that, as the details have not been
1. Work-based learning: included, it can not be appropriately gauged. Hence, wherever
• teaching/mentoring of members and prospective possible, the member should indicate what the seminar was
members about, or what research was undertaken. Again, this does not
• project specific research require an exhaustive description, one simple line stating the title
of the course or the name of the paper read will usually be
• IT skills development.
sufficient.
2. Self-directed study:
• preparation and delivery of lectures Don’t simply list work responsibilities – ensure that the learning
you have undertaken is clearly stated
• preparation of articles and refereed papers
• reading of journals/technical papers Members should always avoid simply listing their work
• appropriate TV programmes responsibilities. Similarly, it is not enough to give details of
projects worked on, unless they also state how they have
• post-graduate study.
undertaken research/learning related to those projects.
3. Courses/events/seminars:
• Institution The online facility

• in-house If members are having trouble remembering the CPD they have
done during the year, they may well find the online facility very
• external (for example, supplier-led seminars)
useful. Accessed via the ‘My Area’ section, this web-based
• attendance at lectures, seminars or conferences. resource allows members to enter details onto a Return at any
4. Horizon broadening activities: point during the year and save the information for future
• Institution work (e.g. Branch and Institution committees, reference. This means that, come submission time, members will
informal study groups, Part 3 examiner, interviews, etc) only need to update the form – if necessary – and click the
‘submit’ button. In addition, and at the request of several
• community and public service involvement (e.g. school
members, we have introduced the ability to archive CPD
governor, business and community involvement, etc).
Returns. This will automatically occur when a member submits a
Return, and this archived Return will remain accessible to the
member should they wish to a previously submitted CPD Return.
Completing the Return Please note that as the online facility is contained within the
protected ‘My Area’ section it is only possible to view and
The Institution will accept forms from other
amend your own details.
organisations
This means that if you have already completed a return for
another institution (for example, ICE, HKIE, IEAUST, IPENZ) – or
prepared a professional development forward plan/record for
your employer or personal use – you can simply submit a copy
of that document to the Institution as it is the content that is
important not the type of form. This is also the case where you
are required to submit a return as part of the legal requirements
of practicing in your locality. Consequently there is no need to
copy and paste information from one form to another. The only
thing we would ask is that your name, branch and membership
number are clearly indicated.
Example Returns
Poor Return Good Return
Assessors’ Use Assessors’ Use

The Institution of Structural Engineers The Institution of Structural Engineers

Further Assessment Further Assessment

Yes No Yes No
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
For guidance notes see reverse of form. ANNUAL RETURN 2005 For guidance notes see reverse of form. ANNUAL RETURN 2005
Please amend any incorrect information. Please amend any incorrect information.

Surname: Forename(s): Surname: Forename(s):

Grade: Membership Number: Grade: Membership Number:

Branch/Division: Branch/Division:

Job Description/Role (Optional): Job Description/Role (Optional): Consulting Engineer for The Large Bridge Company (approx. 50 employees)
Please include organisation type, Please include organisation type,
.e.g. sole practitioner, partnership, etc .e.g. sole practitioner, partnership, etc

a) Member’s report as to CPD activities over the last 12 months: (PLEASE COMPLETE ALL APPLICABLE
SECTIONS. IF NECESSARY, PLEASE CONTINUE ON A SEPARATE SHEET)
1. Work-based learning: incl. mentoring; research in relation to specific projects; development of organisational skills; etc
Talk to colleagues regularly regarding aspects of work
a) Member’s report as to CPD activities over the last 12 months: (PLEASE COMPLETE ALL APPLICABLE
SECTIONS. IF NECESSARY, PLEASE CONTINUE ON A SEPARATE SHEET)
1. Work-based learning: incl. mentoring; research in relation to specific projects; development of organisational skills; etc
Training Officer for East Lancs office – ongoing
Amongst other things, discussions with colleagues regarding bridge and culvert inspection, fire engineering, and resin
injection techniques to deal with subsidence

2. Self-directed study: incl. journals/technical publications; appropriate TV programmes; distance learning; post-grad study; etc
Journals (read throughout the year): The Structual Engineer
2. Self-directed study: incl. journals/technical publications; appropriate TV programmes; distance learning; post-grad study; etc
New Civil Engineer
Other reading:
Bought a few technical books over the year
• Suitability testing of materials to absorb lateral stresses behind integral bridge abutments. CARDER, D. R. and
Read Institution magazine others, 2002;
• Bridge decks: cathodic protection. Crowthorne, Berkshire: Transport and Road Research Laboratory, KENDELL, K.
and LEWIS, D. A, 1984;
• Proceedings of the 3rd international conference on current and future trends in bridge design, construction and
maintenance held in Shanghai, China 29 September-1st October, 2003, ICE China, BARR, B. I. G. and others,
3. Courses/events/seminars: including Institution; internal; external; etc. eds., 2003
Please state number attended: institution (IStructE/ICE/etc)…2…………/other (e.g. in-house, supplier-led, etc)……3……… 3. Courses/events/seminars: including Institution; internal; external; etc.
Please state number attended: institution (IStructE/ICE/etc)…3……………/other (e.g. in-house, supplier-led, etc)……4…………
Attended some in-house and external seminars/courses Institution:
1. The New Wembley Stadium – 10th June 2005 (IStructE London)
2. Key Elements of the New CDM Regulations: what the industry needs to move forward – Speaker: John Carpenter,
SCOSS. 28th September 2005 (Local Branch)
3. Design and Construction of Marine Way Bridge, Southport – Speaker: David Slater, Babtie. 8th December 2005
(Local Branch)
Other:
4. Horizon broadening activities: including Institution work; community/public service involvement; etc 1. Behaviour of Soil Pressure and Interactions – 12th January 2005
2. Strengthening Techniques for Masonary Arch Bridges – 1st March 2005
3. Health and Safety (refresher course) – 15th September 2005
4. In-house Quality Awareness Meeting – 26th November 2005

b) Member’s intentions for Professional Development during the next 12 months:……………………...….
…………….………………………..……………………………………………………………
………………..…………………..……………………………………………………………...
Signed: Dated:..………………………...……………
Please return by 31 March 2006 to The Institution of Structural Engineers, 11 Upper Belgrave Street, London SW1X 8BH, UK.
Non-return of this form will preclude members from benefiting from the CPD annotation in the Yearbook and the Member’s
Directory on the web site. Supplementary information may be attached to this form. (Please use staples and NOT paperclips.)
4. Horizon broadening activities: including Institution work; community/public service involvement; etc
Professional Review Interviewer for IStructE
Member of Parish Council and Parent-Teacher Association
b) Member’s intentions for Professional Development during the next 12 months:1. Potential to develop a
management role over coming years so will attend course/seminar on management and discuss with colleagues; 2.
Further research into the development of steel bridges in the US (personal interest); 3. Develop knowledge of
contracts and markets.
Signed: Dated:..………………………...……………
Please return by 31 March 2006 to The Institution of Structural Engineers, 11 Upper Belgrave Street, London SW1X 8BH, UK.
Non-return of this form will preclude members from benefiting from the CPD annotation in the Yearbook and the Member’s
Directory on the web site. Supplementary information may be attached to this form. (Please use staples and NOT paperclips.)

The Institution of Structural Engineers

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United Kingdom

tel: + 44 (0)20 7235 4535

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