Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

What is CPD?

CPD is the process by which individual archaeologists can develop their skills throughout their working lives. Most professional institutions operate a CPD scheme. Some are mandatory requirements of membership, others are issued as guidelines of good practice. The IfA's CPD scheme became mandatory for corporate grade members (Practitioners, Associates and Members) at the 2009 AGM and involves individuals undertaking at least 50 hours of CPD over a two year period. It is based on a personal development plan (PDP) and a CPD log.

Your personal development plan is where you record your aims and objectives and how you plan to achieve them. Your CPD log is where you record the learning activities you undertake and can be evidence of your achievements. You can include any activities on your CPD log which help you achieve the learning goals outlined in your plan. Learning is not just about attending training courses or conferences; you can include the time you spend learning new skills or developing existing ones during the course of your work, time you spend researching or reading around new subject areas or learning from colleagues. The key is to try and identify the most appropriate ways of gaining the skills you need to achieve your goals.

If you are having difficulty preparing your Personal Development Plan or recording your CPD, you can download an an example PDP, and an example CPD log. These examples are for guidance only and aim to demonstrate the sorts of activities, scenarios and skills that might be applicable to a range of members, from interested avocational archaeologists to senior members of the profession. We don't expect you to undertake exactly these activities.