Keeping The Pro

Keeping The Pro

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In regulated professional services a minimum level of CPD per year is needed to maintain registration and, consequently, a licence to practice. In the non-regulated sectors you will not lose the ability to ply your trade if you neglect self-development, but your clients will discover, sooner or later, that your advice leaves them lagging behind. As a result, you may find yourself stuck with the routine, no-brainer tasks, while the meaty strategic jobs go to someone else.

Time is quite literally money, and many professionals feel they cannot afford to be away from their clients for even a day to attend a course or a conference. This, says Growth-Link"s Dr Ilizanne Joubert, is not an excuse. Clients push us to stay ahead, they demand of us to keep our finger firmly on the pulse of the market. You have to conduct yourself as an expert if you want to be regarded as one."

Fortunately you don"t have to find the CPD way all by yourself. Most professional membership organisations have already done the groundwork for you, by setting out the minimum requirements, listing activities that earn CPD points and having a system in place to record your development history.

Auditors, for instance, are expected to complete at least 90 hours of audit-relevant CPD in a three-year cycle, with a minimum of 20 hours in a year. In a three-year period, 50% of the CPD time must be spent on improving professional knowledge. The remainder must be devoted to the development of professional skills and ethical values, with no less than 10% (nine hours) of the total CPD requirement devoted to each of these aspects.

Compliance with the CPD requirements will determine an auditor"s registration status. The Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA) may refuse to renew the license to practice of auditors who do not comply with the CPD rules.

Contact the organisation relevant to you without delay to set your personal CPD programme in motion.

The how to" of CPD
You don"t have to enrol for a course to develop yourself professionally. There are a variety of formal and informal activities in which you can become involved:
Attend or be a speaker at workshops, seminars and conferences.

Attend in-house training.

Participate in or lead small practice study groups.

Complete verifiable e-learning courses.

Train and mentor junior practitioners.

Read trade publications, books and research journals.

Do private study.

Have discussions with colleagues.

Publish articles.

Do community work.

Contribute to statutory and technical committees.


Professional organisations, especially those whose membership is voluntary, are always in need of competent volunteers to assist with the running of the organisation. This is an excellent way to gain access to professional knowledge; to hone your leadership, organisational and advocacy skills, while influencing the development and growth of your profession; and to meet peers nationally and internationally. It will take up valuable time, but it"s worth the effort.

Remember that not all activities carry equal weight in terms of earning CPD credits. Check with your professional organisation to make sure you are meeting the minimum requirements.

Professional registration just do it

Professional registration is not compulsory for all providers of professional services. However, the benefits associated with registration should be enough to convince you to sign up today.

Peer recognition of your qualifications and experience: Registration confirms to your colleagues and other practitioners in the field that you meet the minimum requirements expected of a professional person.

Public confidence in your professional competence: Professional recognition instils a sense of confidence in the minds of the public (and of course your clients).

Eligibility for membership of certain voluntary associations: Institutions such as the SA Institution for Civil Engineering, have professional registration as a prerequisite for corporate membership.

International recognition: Professional organisations regularly enter into international agreements that recognise signatories" official qualifications. This confirms that your academic qualification is internationally acceptable, and enhances your marketability. The Engineering Council of SA, for instance, is a co-signatory to the Washington Accord, in terms of which the registering bodies in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Ireland have agreed to recognise each other"s accredited university degrees in engineering.
Marketability: Many employers stipulate registration as a prerequisite for appointment to professional positions. The same applies to consultants if you cannot prove your professional status, clients are not interested.

Exclusive use of reserved designations: Registered professionals are entitled to use designations that describe their particular type of registration, such as Professional Engineer (Pr Eng) or Accredited in Public Relations (APR).

Statutory empowerment: In the regulated professions, legislation allows certain types of work to be reserved for registered persons only.
Recourse in the event of improper conduct: Registration gives clients a course of action should you conduct yourself unprofessionally. Most professional organisations have codes of conduct in terms of which complaints are investigated.

About the Author:
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