What is continuing professional development (CPD)?

Continuing development is a periodic requirement for professionals in many industries. Companies require employees to receive annual training that meets continuing professional development (CPD) standards. But continuing professional development is also a staple of a dynamic workforce, driving many companies to prioritize it.

As a trainer or coach, you can leverage professional training tools to provide scalable and more easily manageable solutions for CPD training.

Let’s go over what continuing professional development is and how it works.

Definition: what is continuing professional development?

Continuing professional development (CPD) is an ongoing commitment to profession-specific learning

Continuing professional development (CPD) is an ongoing commitment to profession-specific learning. It can include a range of learning methods, including online courses, refresher lessons, or updates on current professional practices. There are single educational events or entire courses professionals can attend to keep their skills sharpened and ready for whatever their jobs demand.

Most professions have some form of CPD to maintain minimal standards. They regard it as a requirement for a dynamic and developing workforce.

Within a large organization, continuing professional development is a consistent and thorough commitment. Professionals normally undergo periodic training to maintain their positions.

What are the types of continuing professional development?

You can choose from three potential approaches to CPD programs. They are all valid options, so consider each as a different flavor that may work better in certain situations.

Structured CPD

You can think of structured continuing professional development as the vanilla-flavored CPD. It is based on direct, interactive methods to learn and reinforce new knowledge. A structured CPD system includes direct learning methods like:

• Training courses.
• Workshops.
• Conferences.
• Seminars.

The structured variant is often the type of professional development used for certified development events and certificates. This CPD type is most in line with traditional learning methods.

Reflected CPD

Reflected continuing professional development is a passive type of CPD based on information consumption. Also known as 'non-formal' CPD, there is no interaction from participants, but there is still structure to it.

Some of the learning methods included in this process include:

• Watching training videos and demos.
• Non-interactive lectures.
• Podcasts.
• Studying case studies.

Learners who do well with unstructured and self-paced learning situations are better suited for reflected CPD. It’s an adequate and simpler method in many situations and costs less than structured development.

Self-directed CPD

Self-directed continuing professional development is fully unaccompanied learning. It includes various alternative learning methods, such as:

• Discussion forums.
• Reading learning materials.
• Industry-specific reports or news consumption.

Unlike the alternatives, self-directed CPD doesn’t have set timeframes. Learning materials and outcomes are not set in stone, and they can vary between learners. It’s the choice for self-starters.

What are the four stages of CPD?

Regardless of the type of continuing professional development you’re instructing, four stages are involved. These stages are a cycle that prepares professionals for their training and for proving that their training has been meaningful.

CPD is designed primarily for learning relevant information. However, this type of training also requires proof of self-reflection and the ability to verify hours.

Planning

In the CPD planning stage, you define the training's specific purpose and consider all the specific knowledge or skill gaps that the training is meant to fill.

So, to begin the planning stage, list each specific, measurable goal the learner needs to achieve.

To prepare for the planning stage:

1. Assess the professional’s skills and areas for improvement.
2. Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely (SMART) goals that enable a realistic level of training over a set timeframe.
3. Allow some flexibility in the schedule for adjustments to stay focused on steering the learner to ideal outcomes.
4. Draft formal and informal learning material to distribute.

Remember, not every CPD plan is full of formal, traditional, or course-based learning. It may include some formal and strict instruction mixed with some more informal, hands-off instruction. The specifics you choose should depend on the professional’s goals, which include specific career aspirations.

Action

Decide how your learners will participate in a learning experience

The action stage is the learning stage. This is the part where you choose which type of continuing professional development to use. Based on your planning documentation and goals, one type may be better than the others.

Decide how your learners will participate in a learning experience and fill in their knowledge gaps. Learning experiences most often include planned content like lectures or group exercises. However, you can leave room to adjust your action plan as CPD progresses.

For this action stage, consider which of the following methods you are going to use:

• Course content such as PowerPoint slides or pre-recorded lectures.
• Activities such as conferences or organized group discussions.
• Reading material such as research papers or industry reports.
• Evaluation methods.

Recording

The recording/documenting stage works exactly how it sounds!

Professionals undergoing CPD may be audited for their ability to meet standards set by regulators. So, help them document their experience in a way that meets the specific requirements of their regulatory bodies. They may need to cover:

• What exactly they’ve learned.
• How much time they’ve spent on particular activities.
• Specific subject matter covered.
• The completion of particular learning activities.

Certificates or notes that document their success in CPD activities.

In the end, there needs to be fully documented evidence that they have met the mandatory learning standards of the professional's regulatory bodies. In Australia, for example, someone must upload proof of completing each learning activity, including relevant certificates and notes.

Reflection

A professional undergoing CPD might naturally ask themself a few questions. “What have I learned?” is an important question, but it also needs to be broken down:

• How has this particular piece of learning affected my work?
• How will my continuing development affect my colleagues?
• How will my continuing development affect our customers/clients/patients?
• “How does my CPD help me be a better member of my profession?”
• What wider positive impact does my learning have on my company and profession?

Direct, quantifiable measurements of CPD and work outcomes are rarely needed, but that doesn’t diminish the activities' importance!

Whatever their profession, the learner will be expected to specify how CPD improves outcomes for their institution and everyone affected by their occupation. It’s important for them to have real reflection and documentation to share when they are audited.

What are CPD requirements?

Regulators in each professional’s industry and jurisdiction set their requirements

You can’t really reflect on training without considering how the process affects your view of your past experience. This is what you need to prepare your learners undergoing CPD.

Regulatory boards simply want realistic and meaningful explanations of how each professional has contextualized their CPD experience. That includes how new knowledge and skills can be applied to their regular daily activities. Development is the end goal, after all!

Fortunately for you and the professionals you train, the requirements are usually very clear and concise. Two things define CPD completion:

1. Participation in CPD activities for a set number of hours during each development period.
2. Certification and awarded points for the completion of each activity.

This may sound vague, but there’s no need to worry. Regulators in each professional’s industry and jurisdiction set their requirements.

Let’s look at some typical examples of CPD requirements.

Continuing professional development in medicine

For example, let’s focus on CPD for medical professionals in the United Kingdom.

UK medical professionals must meet General Medical Council (GMC) requirements. The GMC lists requirements meant to improve the safety and quality of medical care in the UK. These requirements include a mix of subjective and objective goals. The subjective goals are related to the goals laid out in the four CPD stages.

According to the GMC, full-time and part-time professionals must meet their local Medical Royal College or faculty CPD schemes. Those schemes include set numbers of credits that must be earned every five years.

While the individual requirements vary between British institutions, there are always expectations for CPD documentation to include some mix of:

• Audit information.
• Research.
• Patient and colleague feedback.
• Other quality improvement metrics.
• Reflections on the potential need for any additional development.

Continuing professional development in education

CPD for educational professionals is conducted across the UK, and standards are set by the Department for Education. While the Department for Education sets the overarching policies, other local regulatory bodies oversee their standards.

There are many professional trainers for educational professionals in the UK. The CPD Certification Service lists over 9,000 individual courses in the education profession. Other directories may list different accredited courses.

Specific requirements vary widely in the UK, depending on the educator’s specific role. However, the Department for Education doesn’t set statutory requirements for content, delivery, or timeframe. Instead, Ofsted provides guidance through its School Inspection Handbook. They list that they scrutinize schools for aligning CPD with school curriculums.

See local educational CPD certifying institution guidelines for specific minimum requirements. Most teachers are required to take a few days per year for special development activities.

What are CPD certificates, and why are they important?

CPD certificates help professionals worldwide provide evidence that they are participating in qualifying activities

CPD certificates help professionals worldwide provide evidence that they are participating in qualifying activities. Boards and local regulators provide certification to ensure that professionals receive high-quality training. For professionals, CPD certificates are proof of their learning, dedication to career progression, and adherence to regulatory requirements.

A professional holding relevant certificates have evidence that they:

• Are keeping their professional skills up to date.
• Can maintain the professional standards set by their employers.
• Meet regulatory requirements, lowering legal risk.
• Are committed to the future of their profession.

If they are thinking about career advancement opportunities in the future, CPD plays a part in that process. Not only does it prove their skills and knowledge are adequate, but it provides evidence of their commitment to staying at the forefront of their profession. The certification process inspires confidence and professional credibility, including documentation regarding how they cope with changing knowledge requirements, technologies, and other changes.

Is CPD accreditation recognized around the world?

CPD credits are easily recognized within each industry in each country. But internationally, it’s a bit more complicated.

Requirements are clearly laid out in some countries, like the UK and Australia. In the US and Canada, 'CPD' is a less commonly used term, but the same concepts apply in programs like continuing medical education (CME) or continuing legal education (CLE). In these countries, CPD is an umbrella term for activities directed by continuing education programs, professional certification maintenance programs, and professional associations.

In most cases, CPD requirements are only readily recognized at the national level. However, professional development organizations in different countries may recognize some forms of international accreditation. International accreditation is most often recognized when international recognition agreements are in place. For example, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada recognizes some specified program activities completed abroad.

Unfortunately, there are no universal answers to the question of international recognition of CPD accreditation. You need to check with each individual institution to see which credits they recognize. Even in fields like medicine, there are often instances where international credits are recognized.

CPD guidelines: best practices for effective development

To make sure learners are getting the best from their continuing professional development, keep the content relevant, structured, and set up for reflective learning.

CPD training can be difficult primarily because of how contextual it has to be. There are unique requirements and challenges:

• Trainers must be well aware of their learner's goals and current professional needs.
• CPD training has to relate to the professional’s current role, future opportunities they want, and necessary areas of improvement.
• Focus on the skills, benchmarks, and testable knowledge that they need to grow.

Common CPD mistakes to avoid

Some of the most common mistakes that devalue CPD training include:

• Treating it like a box-ticking exercise.
• Focusing on meeting a minimum number of hours while meeting minimum quality standards.
• Not focusing on contextual, personalized activities that enable them to proudly showcase their development.
• Not paying enough attention to the ‘reflection’ stage, not leaving enough time for reflection exercises and documentation.
• Forgoing background research into industry trends and technologies.

While it can be hard initially, CPD training is better if you make it more personalized. If it ignores the learner’s particular path and its needs, it will waste time and resources.

How to implement CPD in your organization?

Organizations, companies, trainers, coaches, and consultants should organize CPD with a dedicated learning platform

The main step is putting all four stages of CPD into an actual program for professionals to work with. We’ve laid out what each stage includes, but how can you actually start organizing a program?

Organizations, companies, trainers, coaches, and consultants should organize CPD with a dedicated learning platform. Learning management systems (LMS) provide the most comprehensive infrastructure for creating tailored professional development experiences.

Easy LMS enables you to set up a full online course for continuing professional development. You can deliver course material in slides and upload all the files you need for a lesson. Using the meticulous but easy-to-use academy, where you can organize all your content into courses, edit course content, and manage learner progress.

Easy LMS is your complete solution for creating, offering, and optimizing your continuing professional development content. You can organize invitation emails and participation with specialized tools that make learner management simple and centralized.

Useful resources

1. Guides to CPD
2. What is the CPD Cycle? 
3. CPD Cycle stages 
4. GCM 
5. Royal college 

Frequently Asked Questions