The ACCA's CPD policy
The aim of CPD is to ensure that learning and development is relevant to you at all stages of your professional career, and to achieve the following objectives:
- To help you to identify areas of development
- To assure your employer that you are meeting your development requirements and that you approach your work in a responsible and ethical manner
The CPD process will help you to identify your personal areas of development, and keep you up to date whilst maintaining and developing your expertise. The CPD process involves: setting objectives; undertaking the activity; and then evaluating the CPD activity. Once you have undergone this process, you should make your annual CPD return and retain evidence of your CPD (which will be treated as a matter of trust between member and line manager at performance appraisal meetings).
There are two main routes members can take: the Unit Route and the Employer Route.
Under the Unit Route - you must undertake a minimum of 40 relevant units (hours) of CPD per year, including at least 21 hours of verifiable CPD.
Verifiable CPD is where you can demonstrate the relevance of the learning and show evidence through documentation, such as a course certificate, coaching notes, minutes of a technical meeting, an e-learning certificate.
Non-verifiable CPD can include reading and research and can count towards up to 19 hours of your annual CPD.
Under the Employer Route - you must work for an ACCA Approved Employer - Professional Development. The CPD can then be achieved through your organisation's development programme (so you will not be obliged to send a CPD unit summary to ACCA). You can then inform ACCA that you have taken the employer route when you make your annual CPD return.
Undertaking CPD activity
CPD can be obtained by attending face-to-face courses or seminars. Other examples would be coaching, mentoring, e-learning, networking, discussion groups, working on committees or panels, learning at work, reading and development opportunities.
Evaluating CPD activity
It is best to compare the CPD activity undertaken against your personal development plan and consider whether it meets your objectives. To fulfil the CPD requirement, it is vital that your learning is relevant to your current or future job role, thus ultimately benefiting your career.
Please click on: CPD Plan/Record Sheet to access/download forms.
Further information: http://www.accaglobal.com