Critical Appraisal of constant Professional Development
CPD or otherwise not CPD? Thatrrrs the true question. The goal of this essay is always to assess the strengths and weaknesses of continuous Professional Development (CPD) that it has been said "is fast attaining an up to now unchallenged status as orthodoxy" (Sadler-Smith and Badger, 1998). The CPD Institute defines its namesake on its website as "the systematic maintenance and improvement, of knowledge, skills and competence, and the enhancement of learning undertaken by a person throughout his or her working life."
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Specific conditions that will probably be explored in this particular text include why CPD is undertaken, whether or not this should be voluntary or mandatory for professionals, with whom the obligation for CPD should lie, what constitutes CPD, and just how it's delivered. Additional discussion will center around the level of support that's offered to individuals doing CPD, how this activity is measured and monitored fairly and effectively, as well as the way forward for CPD. Finally the overall price of CPD will probably be considered. The main sources of material for this essay are theory and opinion from academic journals, top quality newspapers and other relevant literature.
Critical Appraisal
From your high level perspective the primary motivation for a person to try CPD activity is as a part of their ongoing professional development throughout their career. There are numerous cause for CPD from your personal perspective, outlined perhaps most succinctly by as "
1. Since it is necessary to avoid losing one's license to practice;
2. Because it's enjoyable alone;
3. Because it enables a person to create up lost ground;
4. As it enables a person to maintain his / her current position;
5. As it allows a person to get in front of the competition;
6. Because it affirms someone's identity like a good professional" (Rothwell and Arnold, 2005).
However it is not only in the interests of the person actually developing themselves also for many other relevant stakeholders, mainly the professional's firm considering that competent staff members should ultimately lead to superior profits, the professional's sector (including regulators and overseeing bodies) where is bestowed a feeling of pride for the reason that its constituent members are upholding high standards, and the economy in general because the people may be positive that the industries delivering goods and services in the marketplace have the capability and require a collective, proactive way of doing this. This opinion is based on Madden and Mitchell who describe the logic behind CPD as "formulated with regard to the requirements of the professional, the employer, the profession and society" (Madden and Mitchell, 1993). CPD can also be valuable to universites and colleges who support it, encouraging the forging of links with real life business.
The picture which has been painted of CPD above is clearly an extremely positive one but you can find conditions that happen to be identified in the way that it's delivered, particularly as to whether CPD ought to be a voluntary or even a mandatory exercise. In their research Jones and Fear state that "The sanctions model occurs where there can be a mandatory dependence on members to undertake CPD, and where non-compliance may result in sanctions" (Jones and Fear, 1994) understanding that "The benefits model, which is usually found in new or developing institutions, emphasizes some great benefits of CPD to the individual" (ibid.).
The first kind is usually set up where members of a career are required for legal reasons to achieve certain qualifications or statuses even though the latter is found where this isn't the situation (although there are exceptions). A crucial implication for professional bodies imposing mandatory CPD requirements is that they can "risk alienating their established members" (Watkins, 1999) which "may engender resistance and impede engagement" (Rothwell and Arnold, 2005). It has been argued, however, that "if it absolutely was of your purely voluntary nature, CPD would become minimal" (Jones and Fear, 1994) understanding that "the 'requirement' to try CPD can also possess the happy aftereffect of assisting professionals in putting pressure on their own employers to guide them in undertaking activities for his or her own professional development" (Taylor, 1996). In one survey, nevertheless, "The vast majority (85 %) [of professional body members] stated them to be not in favour of mandatory CPD" (Jones and Fear, 1994).
The divide between supporters of voluntary and mandatory CPD respectively isn't only inherent issue however. There are also variants opinion concerning with whom the obligation for CPD should lie, which can be very much centred around the waning notion of the "Expectation of a 'job for life'" (Middlehurst and Kennie, 1997). Watkins argues that "If the majority of professionals can no longer expect you'll stay with one employer for a lifetime, a company can no longer be relied upon to offer the education necessary for the professional to carry on performing the job efficiently and effectively" (Watkins, 1999). This view how the professional is extremely accountable for their own development is backed by Rothwell and Arnold who state "Ownership of CPD must rest with others, otherwise they could feel alienated from it" (Rothwell and Arnold, 2005).
However on the other hand it can be contended a firm is liable to aid its staff for an extent with regards to a "development contract" (Herriot and Pemberton, 1995) which ties together with Argyris' ideas surrounding learning individuals and therefore learning organizations (Argyris, 1991). Watkins develops his view outlined above, stressing that "This new increased exposure of mentoring and also the stakeholder approach shows that CPD is staying viewed essentially as a partnership between the professional, the business as well as the professional association - a partnership that is informed by, and accounts for the wants and requirements of the client" (Watkins, 1999). As outlined earlier on this essay CPD features a quantity of stakeholders so that it appears to be prudent and fair they should each require a degree of responsibility for this.