Scribd
Upload
52 views1 page

What Does CPD Mean?: Documented Process

CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development and refers to the process of tracking and documenting skills, knowledge, and experience gained formally and informally throughout one's career beyond initial training. The CPD process helps professionals manage their own development by recording, reviewing, and reflecting on what they learn, including both formal training and informal experience. While training focuses on learning specific skills, development involves progressing to more advanced understanding through both formal and informal learning, helping professionals set goals to widen their range of transferable skills over time. For the CPD process to be justified, it needs to be a documented, self-directed process that focuses on reflective learning and includes both formal training and informal experience.

Uploaded by

sekelamedia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
52 views1 page

What Does CPD Mean?: Documented Process

CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development and refers to the process of tracking and documenting skills, knowledge, and experience gained formally and informally throughout one's career beyond initial training. The CPD process helps professionals manage their own development by recording, reviewing, and reflecting on what they learn, including both formal training and informal experience. While training focuses on learning specific skills, development involves progressing to more advanced understanding through both formal and informal learning, helping professionals set goals to widen their range of transferable skills over time. For the CPD process to be justified, it needs to be a documented, self-directed process that focuses on reflective learning and includes both formal training and informal experience.

Uploaded by

sekelamedia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

What does CPD mean?

CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development. It refers to the process of


tracking and documenting the skills, knowledge and experience that you gain both
formally and informally as you work, beyond any initial training. It’s a record of what
you experience, learn and then apply. The term is generally used to mean a physical
folder or portfolio documenting your development as a professional. Some
organisations use it to mean a training or development plan, which I would argue is
not strictly accurate. This article is about Continuing Professional Development as a
process of recording and reflecting on learning and development.
What is it for?
The CPD process helps you manage your own development on an ongoing basis. Its
function is to help you record, review and reflect on what you learn. It’s not a tick-box
document recording the training you have completed. It’s broader than that.
Training and development – what’s the difference?
These terms are often used interchangeably, though there is a distinction. As a rule
of thumb, training is formal and linear. It’s to do with learning how to do something
specific, relating to skill and competence. Training can be as simple as using a PC
application and as complex as learning how to be a pilot. Development is often
informal and has a wider application, giving you the tools to do a range of things and
relating to capability and competency. It involves progression from basic know-how
to more advanced, mature or complex understanding.  Alternatively, it can be about
widening your range of transferable skills like leadership, managing projects or
organising information.
The key features of the CPD process
To justify the name, CPD needs to:

 be a documented process
 be self-directed: driven by you, not your employer
 focus on learning from experience, reflective learning and review
 help you set development goals and objectives
 include both formal and informal learning.

You might also like