Have you logged your CPD? End of year reminder

As the year comes to a close, now is an ideal time to review your Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Our members are required to complete 30 hours of CPD each year, and to remain compliant your record must demonstrate:

• Breadth of activity across at least three CPD categories

• Activities appropriate to your level of seniority or role

• Clear, meaningful reflections

Ready to add to your IES CPD record? The IES CPD tool makes recording your CPD easy and you can access your record through the Members Portal. 

Ensuring breadth across CPD categories

Your CPD should reflect a balanced mix of learning that supports both your current responsibilities and future ambitions. The IES CPD framework includes five categories:

• Formal Learning

• Work-Based Learning

• Professional Activity

• Self-Directed Learning

• Other

You should aim to include activity from at least three of these categories. A well-balanced record demonstrates engagement with both technical development and broader professional practice.

Activities appropriate to your role and expertise

CPD should be relevant and suitably challenging for your level of seniority. This might mean developing specialist expertise, strengthening leadership skills, or gaining broader strategic insight. If your role has changed over the year, ensure your CPD clearly supports that transition and reflects your evolving responsibilities.

Meaningful reflections

Planning, recording and reflecting on CPD is an important part of embedding new skills and learning, and supporting effective professional development. But, what methodological approach should professionals take to adequately reflect on their CPD activities? After each task, individuals should ask themselves a series of practical questions to determine the outcome of their CPD activity, such as:

• What have I gained from this exercise?

• Was this activity beneficial to my professional development? Why?

• How will this impact my professional practice?

• What were the positive and negative aspects of this activity?

• Do I have any skills or knowledge gaps that require action within future CPD planning?

The answers to these questions should be recorded in the 'Notes and reflection on activity' section of the CPD recording tool. Professionals are also encouraged to reflect on their annual CPD record as a whole to track progress for personal growth. Good reflection is demonstrated through thorough analysis and evaluation of activities, carefully identifying which skills and attributes are required to help you develop professionally. Writing down any ideas, feelings, and observations is an effective method of reflection, which should be carried out promptly, and preferably not as an end-of-year task.

Looking Ahead

Each year, our members’ CPD is audited to ensure that our members are maintaining a continuous and reflective record of their ongoing learning. Roughly 10% of our CEnv and CSci members’ CPD records are selected randomly to be audited, in line with agreements with the Society for the Environment and the Science Council.

Taking time now to review your record will help ensure your CPD is complete, balanced, and meaningful. It also provides a valuable opportunity to recognise your progress over the past year and set clear development goals for the one ahead. You can add to your record directly from the Members Portal.

If you have any questions or require further support, please email Sally Hughes or visit our dedicated webpage.

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