Continuing Professional Development

What is Continuing Professional Development (CPD)?

CPD is the methodical and planned development of an individual member to achieve personal and professional betterment for the benefit of the individual, the individual's clients and the profession of Quantity Surveying.

In an individual being awarded professional membership, it is recognised that the member has attained the required level of competence at the time of admittance. The emphasis on continuing development recognises the changing requirements placed upon a professional quantity surveyor and that clients expect and are entitled to expect a currency of our professional members.

Overview of the QSi's policy on CPD?

We do not prescribe that learning is only valid where part of formal training courses, workshops or seminars, as to do so excludes the importance of other methods of learning leading to holistic development.

What we wish to encourage is the proactive and cogent approach to personal development and not merely reflective and passive reporting of annual incidental training.

We want our members to stop, look at themselves, their employers and / or clients and think-

·        How can I make things better?

·        How can I better myself?

·        What do I want to achieve in the next year?

What qualifies as CPD?

We, as a professional body, can merely prescribe a minimum requirement for such development and a format to assist our members, which will hopefully provide a fertile soil to facilitate growth and development.

It is up to our members to ensure that their CPD is used to advantage and not merely seen as a drawback to a professional association.

Our framework is based upon a points schedule, divided into three categories, these being:

1. Work-based activities
2. Self structured learning
3. Attended courses, workshops and seminars.

The format for recording CPD requirements is set out overleaf on forms QSi CPD 2004 v01, the original is available in Word format via our website.

The recording format includes:

·        a summary sheet including declaration,

·        record sheet detailing CPD undertaken in each category

·        a sheet outlining areas of expected development (completed at the start of the CPD period)

·        and a sheet outlining the learning outcomes at the end of the CPD period (completed at the end of the CPD period).

Category 1 : Work-based activities

Development provided or as a consequence are activities undertaken within the course of your work, examples would include:-

·        Acting as an arbitrator, adjudicator, mediator, etc.,

·        Acting as an expert witness or giving an expert's report.

·        Secondment.

·        In house training.

Category 2 : Self structure learning

This is development flowing from self structure and directed learning, examples would include:-

·        Reading related books, journals, case law, etc.

·        Preparation work for lectures and lecturing.

·        Correspondence or electronic CPD Study Packs, for example correspondence study packs produced by the College of Estate Management.

Category 3 : Attended courses, workshops and seminars

This is development from or flowing from organised courses, workshops or seminars, examples would include:-

·        Post-graduate study.

·        Professional seminars

·        Training courses, i.e., Adjudication Course.

How to record CPD

CPD runs in yearly cycles, commencing on the date of admittance as an associate, member or fellow (for convenience, hereafter collectively referred to as member(s)) of the QSi.

For each year a member must attain 50 points, a minimum of 10 points must be attained in each of the three subcategories - naturally there is no upper limit.

For each half hour of study a single point is earned. A maximum of 12 points can be earned per day.

A member shall complete the sheet of expected development at the start of each CPD year and finish and retain the completed CPD record within 6 weeks of the end of the CPD year. Completed CPD records shall be retained for 5 years. Each year the CPD panel will request a CPD record from random members. Failure to provide such information or a suitable reason for non-production could lead to membership being suspended from the QSi.